Waterway & Wetland Permits: Cranberry Projects

Wisconsin’s cranberry industry accounts for 80 percent of all fruit grown in Wisconsin in terms of revenue. Cranberries are Wisconsin’s largest fruit crop in terms of acreage with approximately 18,000 acres of cranberries across 19 Wisconsin counties, and Wisconsin provides nearly 60 percent of the nation’s cranberry supply.

If a cranberry project affects a wetland or waterway, the project must comply with federal and/or state laws. It is important to contact the COE to find out if the proposed expansion impacts a federal or non-federal wetland.

While some wetland types can be easy to identify, other wetland types may not be as obvious.

The owner is responsible for providing accurate wetland descriptions and wetland delineations prepared by a professional wetland delineator. Impacts to wetlands must be avoided to the extent as practicable.

Where it is not practicable to avoid impacts, impacts must be minimized. A practicable alternatives analysis is required by COE and WDNR for any proposed wetland impact.

Please read through the following documents for detailed information on the permit process before creating a new cranberry operation or expanding an existing operation.

Cranberry Projects Information

• Cranberry Construction Projects COE and WDNR Regulations and PERMIT INFORMATION (PDF 220KB)
• St. Paul District Analysis Regarding Section 404 Review of Commercial Cranberry Operations, Sep 1995, 62 pages (PDF 1,920KB)