Senator Fitzgerald says his caucus will revisit the issue of high capacity wells. Wisconsin Administrative Code defines a high capacity well system as one or more wells, drill holes or mine shafts on a property that have a combined approved pump capacity of 70 or more gallons per minute. Wisconsin DNR also requires prior approval before the ownership of a high capacity well. This is also true if ownership of a well is transferred from one person to another.
Fox 11 news reported that produce growers in Waushara county have 21 high capacity wells on over 2,000 acres. These wells can draw around 100,000 gallons of water each day. There is a passion between farmers and lakefront owners over how these wells are regulated. Fox also reported that a resident of nearby Adams county is worried about the expansion of high capacity wells.
The problem is the de-regulation of them. Take the Little Plover River for example. It is drying up from these wells. Same with Long Lake in Waushara County. It used to be a lake with Bass and Pike now it's a marsh. Geologist Ken Bradbury told Wisconsin Public Radio that "Wisconsin either needs fewer wells or wells in different places."
State Representative Katrina Shankland (D) told WPR that "our agriculture needs to be protected. However, at the same time, we need to make sure individual water users are protected and we need to recognize that tourism and recreation are a huge part of the state's economy."
The problem isn't that there are one or two of these wells. The legislature wants to make it easier to put these wells in. This whole DNR re-organization is to turn permit writing over to the dairy industry. Speaker Vos said that he was open to raising hunting and fishing fees. The sad thing is all the outdoors-man voted for him.
The better question is that most of my article takes place in eastern Wood, Portage and western Waushara Counties. That is the 24th State Senate District in a nutshell. How much did Wisconsin Manufactures and Commerce spend to kick Julie Lassa out? I guess having the chairman of your county party as the state senator makes easing regulation ( or lack their of) high capacity wells that much easier. So does everyone still think its about unions.
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