Tuesday, August 20th | 6PM
Carrol University, Shattuck Auditorium
The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources is holding a public hearing on the wetland and waterways permit application for the City of Waukesha’s proposal to divert water from Lake Michigan for its municipal water supply. The hearing will also cover the DNR’s Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) on the overall diversion project.
The City of Waukesha needs wetland and waterway construction permits to build a water pipeline that would cross 22 navigable waterways, as well as a return system, which would return treated wastewater back to Lake Michigan via the Root River. Three of the stream crossings will require dredging and modifications of streams, requiring waterway permits. Nearly eight wetland acres would be temporarily impacted, and less than a hundredth of an acre of wetland would be permanently impacted, requiring wetland permits. The project also includes construction of an outfall to the Root River (at approximately 60th and Oakwood). The DNR has tentatively agreed to issue the permits.
The DNR started the EIS process for Waukesha’s diversion in 2015, approving a “preliminary final EIS” in January of 2016. It’s been over 3 years since that process concluded, and now the DNR has “completed” the EIS after more information was received from Waukesha. Since this time, the water supplier has changed from Oak Creek to the City of Milwaukee, requiring major changes in construction routes, costs, and environmental impacts of construction. The exact route for sending the return flow back to the Root River is still undetermined.
Learn more and share YOUR thoughts on the permits and the EIS by attending the public hearing or submitting written comments to the DNR through September 19, 2019. This may be your last chance to provide substantive comments on this Great Lakes diversion.
Learn more about the Waukesha Water Diversion Process & Decision.
P.S. Milwaukee Riverkeeper and our partners at the Compact Implementation Coalition will be submitting written, detailed comments on the proposed permits and EIS, so stay tuned for our analysis.