MADISON - Updated fish consumption advice for 2013 is now available and suggests that the ongoing cleanup of PCBs from the Fox River is beginning to pay off, with anglers able to eat more of some fish species from stretches of the river and from Green Bay, state fish contaminant officials say.
"The good news on the Fox River is that contaminant levels are dropping for some species," says Candy Schrank, Department of Natural Resources toxicologist who coordinates fish consumption advice.
"That allows us to relax the consumption advice slightly for those species and suggests that we'll see continued reductions in contaminant levels in other species as the cleanup work is fully completed and in years after," she says.
Specifically on the Fox River system:
Other highlights for 2013
Other highlights for 2013 include:
Every year DNR, in consultation with the Department of Health Services, examines new data, along with data from recent years, to re-evaluate the fish consumption advice.
The 2013 fish consumption advisory updates reflects new data on contaminant levels for 108 locations, most of them from fish collected by the Great Lakes Indian Fish & Wildlife Commission, as well as by DNR and the U.S. Army.
Most waters in the state are covered by general statewide advice. In 2013, the number of waters that carry more specific, stringent advice due to higher contaminant levels in fish from those waters was 140.
Dr. Henry Anderson, chief medical officer of the Department of Health Services, urges anglers to check the 2013 advice to see if there have been any changes for the waters they like to fish.
"While the general consumption advice we offer covers the vast majority of waters, every year the new data we collect and analyze leads to some changes that people will want to know about to protect their health or that enable them to eat more fish meals from that water."
Fish are a low-cost, low-fat source of protein, minerals and vitamins but people need to be aware of the kinds of fish they eat and where they come from, Anderson says. "By following Wisconsin's fish consumption advice, people can enjoy the fun of fishing and the health benefits of eating fish while reducing their exposure to environmental contaminants that can build up in fish."
Choose Wisely: A Health Guide for Eating Fish in Wisconsin" is available online as a pamphlet in PDF format, and as a search tool that allows anglers to select the county and location they fish to see the specific consumption advice for that water.
Printed copies of the pamphlet will be available at DNR service centers and regional offices.
FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT: Candy Schrank, DNR, 608-267-7614; Dr. Henry Anderson, DHS, 608-266-1253
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MADISON -- More than a dozen communities and organizations have already received nearly $1 million in state grants for protecting lake habitat and improving water quality and more communities now will have the chance to receive grant money in 2013 for such projects.
The Department of Natural Resources is extending the deadline for 2013 applications for Lake Protection Grants through the end of the year, state lake officials say.
"We were able to fund every eligible application that came in by our original May 1 deadline and are excited about the projects that will benefit Big Green Lake and waters in the St. Croix and Red Cedar watersheds, along with waters in more than a dozen other counties," says Carroll Schaal, who leads DNR's lakes team.
"We're also pleased to extend the application deadline through the end of 2013. We have a remaining balance of $900,000 and we think there are more good projects out there that deserve funding and can benefit lakes, people and local economies."
DNR provides up to 75 percent of the cost of the project; the recipient provides at least 25 percent. Since Lake Protection Grants were first initiated in the 1990s, DNR has awarded 425 grants totaling $32.5 million that have directly benefitted over 180 lake communities, many with multiple grants. In addition, around 125 grants have been awarded to counties and towns for regional multiple lake protection efforts implemented through land and water conservation, forestry or zoning departments.
Projects funded this year include two land acquisitions that will be used to protect Beaver Dam Lake in Barron County and Deer Lake in Polk County from polluted runoff. Big Green Lake, the deepest natural lake in Wisconsin at 236 feet, will receive $200,000 toward a nearly $600,000 effort to control sediment and nutrient runoff from agricultural lands that can cause excessive algae and plant growth in the lake.
"Big Green is going to be a water to watch in the future as this is just the first step of implementing a recently adopted comprehensive management plan for this resource of statewide significance. There is a great partnership between the Green Lake Association, Green Lake Sanitary District, Green Lake County, and the DNR," says Schaal.
One grant will be shared by land and water conservation offices in Dunn, St. Croix, Pierce and Polk counties to support innovative farmer-led watershed councils. The councils will promote farming practices to reduce agricultural runoff pollution in three watersheds affecting local lakes and ultimately Lake St. Croix on Wisconsin's western border with Minnesota.
Other projects include helping Waushara, Marathon, Vilas, Kenosha, Portage, Adams and Wood counties and Three Lakes Waterfront Association in Oneida County plan and implement other lake protection activities. For a complete list of the most recent awards, go to DNR's website, dnr.wi.gov, and search for "grant awards" and click on Lake Protection Grants.
| Applicant/ Sponsor | Project Name | Lake | County | State Share |
| Beaver Dam Lake District | Southeast Land Acquistion | Library | Barron | $26,535 |
| Deer Lake Conservancy | Gustafson Crop Field Acquisition | Deer | Polk | $35,910 |
| Marathon County | County Wide Lake Planning | $ 50,000 | ||
| Waushara County | County Wide Lake Planning | Waushara | $50,000 | |
| Waushara County | Lake Planning Phase 2 | Waushara | $ 22,086 | |
| Vilas County | Prioritizing Lake Protection | Vilas | $49,189 | |
| Kenosha County | Lake Classification Program | Ken | $50,000 | |
| Green Lake Sanitary District | Management Plan Imple | Green | Green Lake | $200,000 |
| Dunn County | Farmer-Led Councils | Tainter | Dunn | $200,000 |
| Golden Sands RC&D | Mill Creek Watershed | Castle Rock | Wood/Portage | $46,880 |
| Adams County | Tri-Lakes Nutrient Management | Camelot | Adams | $83,092 |
| Three Lakes Waterfront Assc. | Chain Management Plan | Three Lakes | Oneida | $127,907 |
| Total | $941,599 |
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