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Waterway & Wetland Permits: Piers, Docks and Wharves
Piers are a popular focus for boating and waterfront recreation. What pier owners need to know [PDF 40KB] is that they can continue to place their existing piers on the water, the same as they’ve been doing for years.
DNR Photo
The law continues to exempt the vast majority of existing piers from needing any kind of permit or state review. These exempt piers meet size and location and size requirements [PDF 809KB] that have been essentially the same for nearly two decades. These requirements are needed to protect critical fish habitat [PDF 20KB] and keep piers from interfering with boating.
We have developed an interactive decision tool to help you determine if you will need to register your pier, get a permit or simply do nothing.
Owners of larger exisitng piers that are not exempt will need to be grandfathered by registering their pier with the DNR through a free, one-time process. You will have up to three years to register (Deadline: 04.01.2011).
Registration is currently available by printing, filling out, and mailing or faxing a completed hard copy paper form [PDF 129KB].
We encourage people to wait to register their pier until we can finish the electronic registration system later this year which will allow for faster and easier submittal of information online
Existing piers that are too big to be grandfathered will either need to be downsized or will need to get an individual permit with a comprehensive review. These very large structures have the greatest potential to harm fish habitat [PDF 171KB] and interfere with boating and swimming.
Don't have Flash player? Visit our text version of the "Do I Need to Register" pier decision matrix instead. In addition, here are the current Piers permitting and exemption application materials:
Contact Us
For more information on pier registration, please call (608)266-8038.
For more information on pier registration or general information about piers, please call (608)266-2997.
Laws
Applicable statutes and codes include Section 30.12, Wis. Stats. [exit DNR], [PDF 627KB] and Chapter NR 326, Wis. Adm. Code [exit DNR], [PDF 29KB].
Local permits and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers regulations may also apply. We advise you to contact your local zoning office and your regional U.S. Army Corps of Engineers office [exit DNR].
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