Nonpoint Source Rankings in Basin Plans

Wisconsin initiated a process to rank watersheds for nonpoint source problems back in the mid-to-late 1980s to identify high priority areas under the state's Nonpoint Source Pollution Abatement Program. As management of nonpoint source problems has changed, so has the nonpoint source ranking process.

Today, DNR not only ranks watersheds for stream, lakes and groundwater - (high medium or low), individual streams and lakes in the state can be ranked according to 1) expressed impacts from nonpoint source pollution, and 2) the waterbody's potential response to best management practices. Watershed and individual waterbody rankings are available on the the state's interactive mapping application, the Surface Water Data Viewer as well as at the watershed rankings page.

The DNR uses these watershed and waterbody rankings for several purposes: 1) to identify priority areas for best management practice implementation, 2) to help guide funding decisions under nonpoint source related programs, and 3) to convey nonpoint source priority areas to counties for county land and water planning, specifically work tasks and other activities related to BMPs and performance standards implementation.