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Waterway & Wetland Permits: Diversions,Withdrawals & Irrigation

Landowners || Contractors || Municipalities || Agriculturalists || Public Involvement || County Contacts

Water diversions are activities that allow or result in the withdrawal of water from the state's lakes and rivers. The most common water diversion activity is withdrawing water to use in the irrigation of farm fields.

“Do I need to obtain a permit and/or pay a fee when I want to...”

Irrigation


DNR Photo






Pumping or withdrawing water from a stream

A permit and fee IS required if withdrawing water from a stream for the purpose of

  • Maintaining the normal flow of any navigable stream.
  • Bringing back or maintaining the normal level of any navigable lake.
  • Agricultural irrigation (watering agricultural crops, tree plantations, or golf courses, etc.).

Please use this form to submit your application for an Irrigation Permit.

Send the completed application materials, along with the fee and Fee Sheet [#3500-053A, PDF 93KB], to the county where your project is located. For more information about how your application is reviewed, see our Web page on the Permit Process.

In addition, don't forget to look at the sample drawings listed near the bottom of this page to ensure that your plans submitted with your application have all the necessary components for review. Otherwise your application may be delayed.


Pumping or withdrawing water from a lake

A permit and fee is required if withdrawing water from any stream or a lake will result in a water loss averaging 2 million gallons per day in a 30 day period.

For any lake located in a Great Lakes Basin, effective in 2011, a General Permit (good for 25 years) is required for any withdrawal that averages 100,000 gallons per day (GPD) or more in a 30 day period.

For any lake located in a Great Lakes Basin, an Individual Permit (good for 10 years) is required for any withdrawal that averages 1 million GPD or more for 30 consecutive days.

To obtain permitting information please contact:

Statewide Registration and Reporting

  1. Whether the waterbody is located in a Great Lakes basin or not, registration is required if you have the capacity to withdraw an average of 100,000 GPD or more in any 30-day period.
  2. Whether the waterbody is located in a Great Lakes basin or not, reporting is required if you are witdrawing water from a stream or lake at a rate averaging one hundred thousand (100,000) gallons or more per day in any 30-day period.

To obtain Registration or Reporting application materials please contact:



Did You Know:

No permit is required to pump from a stream if the purpose is not for agriculture or for irrigation (e.g. industrial use). A riparian owner has a right to use water for domestic purposes, so no permit is required to pump water to water the riparian owners lawn or private gardens, provided that produce from the gardens is not sold (noncommercial gardening). Such diversions must be of nominal amounts.

But remember permits are always needed for any withdrawal within a Great Lakes basin that results in over 100,000 GPD in any 30-day period.



Did You Know:

No permit is required to pump water from a pond or lake that does not have an outlet (e.g seepage lake- please see the Wisconsin Lakes Book to determine if you lake is a seepage lake). BUT If the Diversion from a seepage lake averages greater than 100,000 gallons per day in any 30 day period, you must register and report.

AND remember permits are always needed for any withdrawal within a Great Lakes basin that results in over 100,000 GPD in any 30-day period



Fill my tanker with water at a highway stream crossing

The general public (riparian and non-riparian owner) has the right to use and take water from any spring, creek or running water that may be found running in or across the limits of any public highway. However, the water cannot be used for irrigation or agricultural purposes.

Applicable statutes and codes include Section 86.17, Wis. Stats. [exit DNR], [PDF 144KB].

Did You Know:

Please be aware that in those instances where the withdrawal does not require a permit you may still need a permit under s. 30.12 if there is a structure (e.g. intake structure) located below the OHWM. In addition, the DNR can set minimum water levels to protect public rights and resources; So you may also need a permit if an order under s. 31.02 has been created establishing a minimum level at which no diversion or consumptive use of water is allowed.



Irrigation Permit
Application Materials


• Irrigation Permit Application [Form #3500-53L, PDF 51KB]

• Fee Sheet [Form #3500-53A, PDF 93KB]

• For Registration or Reporting forms contact:

Irrigation Permit
Additional Materials


Irrigation Sample Drawing:

Irrigation Exemption Materials:

There are no exemption materials for Irrigation activities.



Please send all application materials to the county where your project is located.


Laws

Applicable statutes and codes statutes and codes include Section 30.18, Wis. Stats. [exit DNR], [PDF 627KB], Section 281.35 [exit DNR], and Section 86.17, Wis. Stats. [exit DNR], [PDF 144KB].

Last Revised: Tuesday September 22 2009