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Nonpoint Source Program

Wisconsin is a recognized leader in efforts to control nonpoint source (NPS) pollution. Since 1978, Wisconsin’s NPS Program has made significant progress in addressing runoff-related water quality problems that, in many cases, have existed for decades. In 2011, the DNR and the Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection allocated nearly $20 million in state and federal funds to counties for nonpoint source pollution abatement activities. Even with this work, successfully managing polluted runoff remains a challenge to improving and protecting the state’s water quality.

Wisconsin’s NPS Program, through a comprehensive network of federal, state and local agencies working in partnership with other organizations and citizens, addresses the significant nonpoint sources in the state. This program combines voluntary and regulatory approaches with financial and technical assistance. Abatement activities include agriculture, urban, forestry, wetlands and hydrologic modifications. The core activities of the program — research, monitoring, data assessment and management, regulation and enforcement, financial and technical assistance, education and outreach and public involvement — work to address current water quality impairments and prevent future threats caused by NPS pollution.

Nonpoint Source Program Management Plan

Wisconsin’s Nonpoint Source Program Management Plan outlines the state’s approach to addressing water quality impacts from nonpoint sources of pollution. The latest version of the plan covers the projected management activities and efforts from federal fiscal years (FFY) 2021 through 2025. This statewide management plan meets U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Clean Water Act requirements and ensures Wisconsin’s eligibility for Section 319 (federal NPS Program) funding.