Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
2023 Surface Water Grant Program
About Us
The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Surface Water Grant Program provides more than $6 million each year for surface water planning and management projects. Funding is available to protect and restore lakes, rivers and wetlands, and to prevent and control aquatic invasive species (AIS).
Vision
We envision a future in which healthy lakes, rivers and wetlands are centrally important to engaged user communities who value the ecological services and economic benefits they provide. We provide financial assistance to local organizations to plan and manage for the protection and restoration of surface water.
Strategy
Wisconsin’s abundant surface water helps make our state a great place to live, but keeping our lakes, rivers and wetlands healthy is a big job. Hundreds of local groups have used the DNR’s Surface Water Grant Program to help accomplish their goals. Our program strives to support and engage local entities wherever they are in their journey toward healthy waters. From the earliest stages of planning to implementing management actions, surface water grants help local groups protect and restore lakes, rivers and wetlands.
Program Details
Surface water grant funds can be used for a wide variety of projects within these two broad categories:
1. Education and Planning projects help communities organize, understand surface water conditions, determine management goals and develop strategic management plans.
2. Management projects are designed to help improve or protect surface water by implementing water quality, AIS or habitat projects.
Annual Summary
In 2023, the Surface Water Grant Program received 446 applications from eligible applicants requesting over $7.2 million. The program awarded over $6.5 million in grant funding to nonprofit organizations, lake associations and municipalities throughout Wisconsin. The projects are incredibly diverse, including work on outreach and education; management planning; habitat restoration; runoff and pollution reduction; and AIS planning, prevention, response and control. The projects selected for awards leverage a substantial amount of local funding and promise to make an important contribution to our natural resource legacy. These organizations will help to restore and protect our state’s surface water resources in 2023 and beyond.
Surface Water Grants 2023
Surface Water Grants - Time-Lapse Map
Project Highlights
01 / 14
1
Hunt Hill Learning Center Storm Water Project
Grantee: Washburn County Land Conservation Department
Grant Type: Lake Management Plan Implementation
Washburn County worked in partnership with the Hunt Hill Audubon Sanctuary to implement storm water control best practices to protect and improve nearby lakes. Prior to their DNR grant, high volumes of storm water flowed across the gravel parking lots and access roads, delivering high levels of sediment, phosphorus and other pollutants into East Twin Lake. The grant helped regrade land to direct runoff into three new rain gardens and a new waterway. Estimated load reductions were 63 pounds of nitrogen, 18 pounds of phosphorus and 1,330 pounds of sediment. Volunteers from the UW-Green Bay's Regional Center for Math and Science helped install more than 450 plants in the new rain gardens.
Award: $34,555
Total project cost: $46,073
2
Cedar Lake Alum Treatment
Grantee: Cedar Lake Protection and Rehabilitation District
Grant Type: Lake Management Plan Implementation
A grant was awarded for an adaptive management project to address internal nutrient loading and water quality impairment in Cedar Lake. Models predict annual total phosphorus will be reduced from 74 ug/L to 33 ug/L, and that the Secchi depth will increase from 6.5 to 13 feet. Nuisance summer algae blooms are predicted to decrease substantially. In 2017, 20% of the recommended alum dose was applied to Cedar Lake, resulting in a 33% decrease in internal phosphorus loading. A bloom in late summer of 2017 led the group to seek public funding for support of another alum treatment to bring the lake up to 42% of the recommended application. This treatment occurred in June of 2019. The Cedar Lake Protection and Rehabilitation District also received grant funding to support alum applications in 2021 and 2023.
Award: $200,000
Total Project Cost: $538,382
3
Big Roche-A-Cri Lake Aquatic Plant Study And Data Gaps Analysis
Grantee: Big Roche-A-Cri Lake District
Grant Type: Comprehensive Planning
Big Roche-A-Cri Lake District in Adams County is using a large-scale planning grant to complete aquatic plant surveys and determine data needs as a first step towards completing a 9 Key Element Plan. Their watershed goals include reducing nitrogen loading to the lake as well as optimizing plant management.
Award: $10,000
Project Total: $14,925
4
Lake Redstone 9 Key Element Planning Project (Phase 3)
Grantee: Lake Redstone Protection District
Grant Type: Comprehensive Planning
Lake Redstone will use planning funds to complete a 9 Key Element Watershed Plan to address nonpoint source pollution. Education opportunities for watershed property owners will focus on best management practices that will improve habitat and reduce nonpoint source runoff.
Award: $25,000
Project Total: $37,724
5
Long Lake Alum Treatment
Grantee: Long Lake Protection and Rehabilitation District
Grant Type: Lake Management Plan Implementation
The Long Lake Protection and Rehabilitation District is sponsoring an alum treatment project for Long Lake to reduce phosphorus loading from in-lake sediments, thereby reducing algal blooms and allowing for restoration of the lake's native plant community. The lake group established a management goal of 40 ug/L average summer total phosphorus for the upper surface water. Historical average summer total phosphorus concentration is around 80 ug/L. The project included three alum treatments resulting in a final dose of 105 g/m 2 . An alum treatment occurred in spring 2018 from June 11-13; a demonstration day was held on June 11. After treatment, the phosphorus in deep waters decreased by 99%. Surface phosphorus decreased by 44%. Water clarity improved 56%. Two more smaller alum treatments occurred in spring 2020 and spring 2022. Project deliverables include summary reports documenting each alum treatment, and all data, records and reports (including GIS-based maps and digital images).
Award: $200,000
Project Total: $281,321
6
Storm Water Improvements For 3rd Avenue & Jeffery Boulevard
Grantee: Beaver Dam Lake Management District
Grant Type: Lake Management Plan Implementation
The Beaver Dam Lake Management District is sponsoring a project to construct a storm water wetland facility to reduce storm water inflow into Beaver Dam Lake. The project will also divert storm water away from Library Lake and into the wetland facility for treatment. For the specific drainage areas being treated, it is estimated that a load reduction of 50% (or higher) will occur. The final deliverables will include the development of educational materials and a summary report that includes final design updates, pre/post site photos, copies of contracts and signed operation and maintenance plans.
Award: $200,000
Project Total: $267,000
7
Chetek Lakes Protection Association Healthy Lakes Initiative
Grantee: Chetek Lakes Protection Association
Grant Type: Healthy Lakes and Rivers
The Chetek Lakes Protection Association will be working on 13 properties to install a total of 39 Healthy Lakes best management practices. Some of the funds are being used to repair shorelines damaged in a 2017 tornado. A video will also be created and shared to inform the local community about the Healthy Lakes effort.
Award: $25,000
Total Project: $36,093
8
Deer Lake Conservancy Direct Drainage Runoff Reduction Projects
Grantee: Deer Lake Conservancy
Grant Type: Lake Management Plan Implementation
The Deer Lake Conservancy is sponsoring a project to install several best management practices that will reduce runoff into Deer Lake. The group has a long history of implementation of phosphorus-loading reduction practices, and this work has led to positive results. Historical Secchi depth measurements trended around 8-10 feet. Since implementation began in 2010, Secchi depths are now in the range of 16-22 feet. This project continues that successful tradition with the installation of additional best management practices intended to reduce external phosphorus loading by an additional 5% which would contribute to the overall goal of 65% reduction. Project activities include shoreline buffer restoration; design and installation of rain gardens and infiltration practices; culvert extension and road shoulder stabilization; and sediment basin design and installation. Project deliverables include design plans, pre/post photographs, copies of landowner contracts and a summary report with phosphorus loading reductions.
Award: $127,125
Project Total: $169,500
9
Wildcat Creek Restoration
Grantee: City of Greenfield
Grant Type: River Management Plan Implementation
The City of Greenfield successfully completed a streambank stabilization project on a section of Wildcat Creek, a tributary to the Root River, in Milwaukee County. Streambank stabilization in Wildcat Creek was implemented to improve in-stream water and habitat quality, reduce erosion and sediment deposition downstream, and reduce flooding effects around Wildcat Creek. The existing eroded channel and bank area were restored and protected using fieldstone and vegetated geotextile-wrapped soil lifts.
Award: $50,000
Project Total: $108,000
10
North Branch Beaver Creek Connectivity Project
Grantee: Town of Beaver
Grant Type: River Management Plan Implementation
The town of Beaver will install a bridge designed to improve stream connectivity along North Branch Beaver Creek. The new bridge will improve trout access to more than 20 miles of coldwater streams.
Award: $50,000
Project Total: $133,805
11
Community Rivers Program
Grantee: Riveredge Nature Center
Grant Type: Surface Water Education (River)
The Riveredge Nature Center is focusing on community involvement to support a large-scale water quality project currently underway for the Milwaukee River watershed. Efforts will lead to an increase in educational outreach and community engagement in issues regarding the Milwaukee River.
Award: $10,000
Project Total: $119,754
12
Vilas County Stream Crossing Inventory
Grantee: Vilas County Land & Water Conservation Department
Grant Type: Surface Water Planning (River)
Vilas County Land & Water Conservation Department staff will identify and survey stream crossings to prioritize areas that may need culvert or bridge repairs in the future. Problem areas may have impacts on soil erosion, water volume or flow velocity, or fish passage disruptions.
Award: $10,000
Project Total: $16,000
13
Surveys Of Lake Waubesa Nearshore Fish Populations
Grantee: Dane County Department of Land and Water Resources
Grant Type: Surface Water Planning (Lake)
The nearshore fish population of Lake Waubesa will be assessed and used to recommend actions aimed at protecting sensitive species. A similar project will also be completed for Lake Kegonsa with an additional grant from Dane County Department of Land and Water Resources.
Award: $3,000
Project Total: $6,100
14
Streambank Protection On Brunsweiler River
Grantee: Ashland County
Grant Type: River Management Plan Implementation
Ashland County Land & Water Conservation Department worked with landowners to stabilize 390 linear feet of streambank on the Brunsweiler River using root wads, geotextile fabric, rock, seed and live willow stakes. In addition, 470 linear feet of stream was fenced off from grazing cattle. Construction was completed in early September, right in time for a rainy autumn. The area has stabilized well and is already beginning to grow back native vegetation. The site will no longer contribute sediment to the Brunsweiler River and it will provide a bounty of habitat for both aquatic and terrestrial organisms.
Award: $50,000
Project Total: $69,000
Apply For A Grant
Help protect Wisconsin’s lakes, rivers and wetlands so they remain the best in the nation! Seek a grant to support your project for surface water.
