At Long Last, a New Shoreland Rule
After several years, countless meetings and multiple contentious public hearings, the Department of Natural Resources has forwarded a new Shoreland Zoning rule to the Natural Resources Board for approval. It has been a long, painful process, but we believe the outcome provides a good balance between better protection of our waterways and allowing waterfront owners to enjoy their property.
When first approved back in the ‘60s, statewide standards for development along shorelines represented a groundbreaking commitment to protecting Wisconsin's water resources. But back in the day, more cabins were built in the woods. The original rule never anticipated the amount and scale of waterfront development we've experienced. As undeveloped lakefront property becomes scarce, the next magnet for development is our rivers. Approving this new rule that applies the lessons of over 40 years experience and scientific research can't happen soon enough.
Years of research in Wisconsin and across the nation clearly demonstrates two simple truths: natural vegetation along shorelines provides wildlife habitat, natural scenic beauty, and protects water quality by capturing the pollutants in stormwater runoff. And when hard surfaces, such as roofs and driveways, are built near a waterway, there is a direct, associated decline in water quality, which in turn harms fish and other aquatic creatures. The new Shoreland Zoning rule is based on balancing these concepts, setting a reasonable limit on the amount of hard surfaces allowed along the shore, and giving priority to maintaining natural vegetation.
Because of the vast diversity of Wisconsin's landscapes, waterways and existing levels of development, there will never be a perfect one-size-fits-all rule for the state, but the new rule provides a balanced set of minimum standards. Counties can create more stringent rules to suit their unique conditions, but can not be more lenient than the state standards. The most important provisions of the rule are that it:
- Requires counties to better protect trees and other vegetation within 35 feet of the water.
- Requires counties to set a cap on hard surfaces of 15 percent of the area of a lot. Counties can allow more hard surfaces, up to 30 percent of the lot area, but a property owner much provide more vegetation and work to prevent stormwater runoff.
- Allows cottages and other buildings that were legally built but don't meet current setback or other standards to rebuild or expand away from the water, but only if they are at least 35 feet from the water.
Grand Cambrian Deal Done
Scenic Dells Spared a Development's Excesses
A massive waterpark, hotel and condominium development that would have cluttered the Lower Dells of the Wisconsin River has been pushed back from the river's edge.
If completed, the Grand Cambrian Resort's buildings will loom large and still be visible from the river, representing the largest building intrusion so far of the riverine area famously known for its unique rock formations. But a deal worked out between Concerned Citizens of Newport, nearby residents, the River Alliance and the developers guarantees that any big structures must be set back from the river's edge 150 feet for most of the development's acreage, positioned a mile downstream from the Kilbourn dam, on the north bank of the river.
The protection of the immediate river bank comes via a conservation easement. Among other things, the easement permenantly prevents most building within the protected zone, regulates how vegetation is managed, and creates a buffer between the western edge of the development and the adjacent state natural area.
The controversial development raised concerns in the Wisconsin Dells community because of its size and scale. After decades of spoken and unspoken agreements to keep tourist-related developments away from the actual river, Grand Cambrian represented a disturbing change in that community handshake. (Ironically, their adverstising brags that the area was "500 million years in the making.") The developers left residents and some state and city officials incredulous with their ever-changing schemes about how the buildings would be screened from the river.
With this protection scheme in place, it's not clear what will happen with Grand Cambrian with the collapse of the real estate market. It's hard to imagine the Dells recreation market absorbing several hundred more hotel rooms and waterside bookings anytime soon. But no matter what goes up there and who owns it, the immediate river bank will be protected, thus protecting to some extent the integrity of the Lower Dells.
“We are very pleased with this settlement," said Hiroshi Kanno of Concerned Citizens of Newport. “This conservation easement will provide permanent protection to one of the area’s most scenic sites."
Peter McKeever, the attorney representing the parties, sees a benefit that goes beyond the Grand Cambrian site. “We hope that the Dept. of Natural Resources will use this settlement as the basis for conditions in future permits where developers propose projects that will adversely impact scenic beauty along rivers and lakes.”
Due to low water levels, we have cancelled the upcoming Exploring Wisconsin's New Wild River, the Totogatic event. The event was scheduled for June 27th. Look for a new event featuring the Totogatic later this summer. Also, the Milky Moonlight in Milwaukee is currently sold out. However, you can add your name to a waiting list by emailing the staff contact for the event.
There are still several great events to partake in this summer, including the upcoming Blue Solstice fly fishing/nature hike event. Interested in attending? Just click here to download a registration form, or register online at Brown Paper Tickets:
- Fly Fishing on the Blue: Saturday June 20th
- Overnight on the Border; Menominee River by Paddle: July 25th and 26th
- Milky Moonlight in Milwaukee: Wednesday August 5th
- A Piece of History on the Brunsweiler: Saturday August 22nd
- Whitewater on Foot: Waterfalls of the Pine: Saturday September 12th
The River Alliance welcomes Sharon White as our new Business Manager. She comes to us by way of Trading Technologies in Chicago, where she managed financial and IT systems. Natives of the Milwaukee area, she and her husband Jed moved to Madison several months ago and, in looking for a chance to get involved with a smaller organization working on conservation, Sharon sought out the River Alliance.
She can be reached at swhite@wisconsinrivers.org.
In This Issue
At Long Last, a New Shoreland Rule
Make a Date with a River Cancellation
