Sound statewide policies are an important foundation to good lake protection and management, but good local decisions are equally critical. Counties and other local units of government are often responsible for implementing state programs (role of local governments), and sometimes the state grant local units of government the authority to create regulations that are more protective than the state. This can enable natural resource management that is better tailored to local resources and needs.
Active citizen involvement and participation at the local level can influence local land use decisions, land use and watershed planning, shoreland zoning decisions, and other important public processes that can impact local lakes.
An overview of local government policy-makers whose decisions can affect our lakes including:County Zoning department, County Planning and Zoning committee, County Board of Adjustments/Appeal, County Corporation counsel, County Executive, Governing body, and Administrative coordinator. Learn more...
Wisconsin statutes mandate minimum statewide shoreland zoning standards, which are detailed in DNR's administrative rule NR 115. Counties must adopt shoreland zoning ordinances that meet the minimum standards, and can make their ordinances stronger than the requirements specified in NR 115. Learn more...
Lake classification is a flexible lake management tool that counties may use to organize lakes into similar groups and tailor management approaches to meet the needs of lakes within each class. More than 20 counties—mostly in the lake-rich northern Wisconsin—have classified their lakes and rivers. Learn more...
Nothing has a more profound effect on our lakes than the decisions we make on how we use the land that surrounds them. Logging, farming, livestock grazing, and urban development occurring in a watershed can affect a lake’s
water quality. Wisconsin's Smart Growth law requires communities to have a comprehensive land use plan. Citizens can participate and influence local land use planning. Learn more...
Cities, villages, and towns can pass local ordinances that benefit lakes, including boating ordinances, pier ordinances, and phosphorus lawn fertilizer ordinances. Counties can also pass certain kinds of ordinances where the state legislature has expressly granted them authority to do so. Learn more...
