Wisconsin Water Assessment Tracking and Electronic Reporting System

Wisconsin DNR is responsible for assessing the quality of waters in the state by comparing the current condition of the waterbody to the condition that waterbody would be able to attain if management practices were implemented ("potential or attainable use"). The cumulative assessment of all the state's waters is reported to the USEPA in the 305b Water Quality Assessment Report to Congress.

Wisconsin DNR used to gather and track this information in tables organized by basin or geographic management unit. This work was conducted by field staff who then summarized this information along with other data into basin plans or "State of the Basin" Reports developed for each management basin or GMU.

In 2002 the USEPA granted WDNR with funding to develop a web-accessible relational database that now provides more accurate documentation, tracking and analyzis of this assessment data. This Water Assessment Tracking and Electronic Reporting System, combined with the state´s Surface Water Integrated Montioring System (SWIMS) also (a few examples):

• Integrates tabular and spatial data components so that users can "see" the waterbodies on the state´s 1:24K hydrolayer while they are inputting data on condition;
• Provides the user with aquatic life use support information in both tabular and spatial formats;
• Provides a mechanism to document planned implementation actions, including planned monitoring; and
• Documents the status and impact of individual exotic species, as well as other pollutants and impairments, on a waterbody segment as well as cumulative impacts.

Work on this database has continued through today and the system is now in place. Data entry and quality control work is now underway on various elements. Once this work is completed, the datasets will be available on the external Surface Water Data Viewer.

Go to the "official" WATERS Web site.