Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources

Arsenic, PFAS Contaminated Water Spill in Marinette

A Johnson Controls subsidiary spilled contaminated water into Menominee River.

Bonus Antlerless Deer Harvest Authorizations On Sale In August

Warm Lake Waters Signal Coming Algal Blooms

Conditions are ripe for blooms of harmful blue-green algae.

Green Tier Program Celebrates Milestone Anniversaries

State’s Largest Brownfield Now Clean

After years of remediation, a highly-contaminated site in the Menomonee Valley is certified as clean by the DNR.

DNR Confirms Spill At JCI/Tyco Facility in Marinette

Tichigan Lake Boat Access Closed For Improvements August 3-14

Next Phase For DNR Cleanup Of Portage Canal To Start By Fall 2020

Carnivorous Plant Last Seen 40 Years Ago Among Finds by Rare Plant Detectives

Rare Plant Monitoring Program Makes Record-Setting Discoveries

EPA Approves Site-Specific Phosphorus Criteria For Multiple Wisconsin Lakes

WILL Drops Lawsuit After DNR Resumes In-Person Hunter Education

DNR reverses course after WILL lawsuit

DNR Assisting With Cleanup Of Manure Spill Near Pulaski

Climate Change May Help Asian Carp Thrive in Lake Michigan

Left unchecked, warming will eliminate some of the carp's competition for food, study says.

City Secures Funding To Redevelop, Expand Century City Park

Park will quadruple in size as of MKE Plays redevelopment.

DNR Hunter Safety Classes Resume July 13

Social Distancing, In-Class Limits And Room Setup Among New Safety Protocols

DNR Will Draft Regulations on Firefighting Foam Containing PFAS

The agency got the go-ahead from the state's Natural Resources Board.

Bear Hunting Application Period For 2021 Season Opens July 1

Forest Regeneration Project Scheduled For Havenwoods State Forest

UWM Freshwater Sciences dean Val Klump named to Great Lakes Advisory Board

WILL Sues DNR For Illegally Canceling In-Person Hunter Safety Courses

State agency cancels all in-person courses citing COVID-19

DHS Announces COVID-19 Population Health Studies

Two studies will help public health experts understand the virus and inform public

EPA Administrator Wheeler awards first-ever Trash Free Waters grant for the Great Lakes in Milwaukee

Agency selects Harbor District, Inc. to receive grant to keep trash out of Lake Michigan

Wisconsin Leads 22-State Coalition on PFAS

They support federal standards to prevent ‘forever chemicals” from polluting drinking water.

Johnson Continues Push for Delist Gray Wolf Amendment

State Campgrounds Reopening June 10

Restrooms open, but playgrounds and concessions remain closed.

National Dam Safety Awareness Day Is May 31

Wisconsin State Parks To Adjust Operations

State Parks To Lengthen Hours, Reopen Select Restrooms And Extend Campground Closures

Manufacturer Finds No PFAS In Most Wells

Fire fighting foam maker tested wells in Marinette County. DNR says more tests needed.

PFAS Found In Sediment and Surface Water At Milwaukee Estuary Area of Concern

PFAS Are Highest In The Kinnickinnic River

Anglers called to prevent the spread of New Zealand mudsnail, protect Wisconsin’s waters

Extreme Fire Danger For Sunday, May 3

Red Flag Warning In 12 Central Wisconsin Counties

Looking For A New Career?

DNR Now Hiring State Conservation Wardens

Governor Evers Signs Emergency Order Relating to Suspending Rules for DNR-Certified Operators

200-Acre Wildfire In Juneau County

Second Fire In Town of Armenia

State DNR Forges Ahead on ‘Forever Chemicals’

Despite pandemic, regulators continue work on enforcement standards for PFAS in drinking water.

How to Enjoy State Parks Safely

Visit parks and natural areas, DNR Secretary says, but keep your distance.

DNR Supports Groundwater Awareness Week With Focus On Sustainability

14 DNR Wardens Honored For Lifesaving, Valor And Meritorious Service Acts

Metro Groundwater Has Rising Radium Levels

Study finds high radium levels in southern Wisconsin’s well water, including Brookfield, Sussex, Waukesha.

Governor Evers announces $40.5 million in harbor grants

Funds cover port construction and maintenance projects

Gov. Evers Announces $29 Million Harbor Grant to Port of Marinette in Support of Future Ship Building

Gov. Evers Announces $4.9 Million Harbor Grant to Support Wisconsin Agricultural Exports

State Seeks to Regulate Coal Ash

DNR seeks federal EPA approval to regulate utilities' coal ash landfills, ponds.

Johnson Controls Must Expand Inspection of PFAS Pollution

DNR requiring the company to look further for pollution from forever chemicals.

AG Objects to Relaxed Lead Pipe Rules

Kaul joins other Attorneys General in objection to new EPA rules for lead pipe removal.

DNR, OCI Urge Wisconsinites To Consider Flood Insurance After Record Rain And Snow In 2019

Extreme Rainfalls Threaten State’s Aging Dams

Since 2008, 14 of state’s 4,700 dams have failed. Experts discuss the challenges.

Bipartisan Group of Lawmakers Push $10M Clean Water Fund

Trust fund would support clean water projects, though a cash source for the fund remains uncertain.

$29 Million Partnership to Clean Up Harbor

DNR, city, county, MMSD want to take harbor off the list of polluted waterways.

DNR, EPA Sign Agreement to Proceed on Milwaukee Estuary Cleanup to Eliminate 32-Year-Old Area of Concern Designation

Great Lakes Legacy Act Agreement Accelerates Contaminated Sediment Cleanup in Milwaukee

DNR Working On New PFAS Rules

GOP controlled assembly rejects legislation enabling tougher regulation of "forever chemicals."

Hot Debate, Limited Action by Senate

Limited bills on homeless, clean water passed, nothing on dark stores tax loophole.

Democrats Introduce “Raising the Bar on Clean Water” Legislative Package

The package consists of five bills which repeal a multitude of regressive Republican water policies.

Shilling/Billings Water Pollution Notification Act Receives Public Hearing

New Season of Wisconsin Foodie Debuts New Host Chef Luke Zahm

New Episodes of Wisconsin Foodie Air Thursdays on Public Television Starting January 16

What Are PFAS Chemicals?

And why so harmful? About those ‘forever chemicals” getting so much attention.

Another Walker Appointee Gets Top EPA Job

Kurt Thiede, former deputy secretary of state DNR, will run federal EPA’s regional office in Chicago.

Senate Debates PFAS in Firefighting Foam

Republican plan to ban it far too narrow in scope, Democrats argue.

DNR Revising Permits to Protect Species

Would affect construction projects nearby or within habitats of rare or threatened species.

DNR Issues Wastewater Discharge Permit for City of Waukesha Water Diversion Project

DNR Announces New Chief Conservation Warden

Statement of Bevan K. Baker

Statement provided to media on December 23rd, 2019

Newest Public Land Atlas Now Available

DNR Completes Final Environmental Impact Statement on the Proposed Waukesha Great Lakes Water Diversion

Wisconsin Natural Resources Board Approves DNR Scope Statement for Manure Regulations Aimed at Protecting Drinking Water

Approval of the scope statement allows the department to develop detailed rules that require final approval from the Legislature.

State Leads in Cutting Pollution Control

Funding decline of 36% from 2008-2018, biggest in U.S., Walker helped drive change.

Gov. Evers Hosts 2019 Capitol Holiday Tree Lighting Ceremony with DNR Sec. Cole and Wisconsin Students

“The best part about the holiday season at the Capitol is that it is a collaborative effort of folks all over our state that makes this season such a success.”

Milwaukee Riverkeeper annual report on river health shows drop from 2017 to 2018

Historic rainfall levels in 2018, land-use practices, failing infrastructure and other human activities, in both urban and rural parts of the Milwaukee River Basin, ultimately led to the decline in grade (C- to D).

Washburn County Hunting Incident Shooter Identified

The investigation is ongoing.

DNR Seeks Public’s Help in Washburn County Hunting Incident

Four Incidents Reported During Opening Weekend of Gun Deer Season

Deer Hunting License Sales On Par with 2018

Two areas have already exceeded last year's sales totals for the entire season.

Why PFAS Pollution Is So Scary

The chemicals are all over and very toxic. Evers has created two teams to target problem.

The River War in River Hills

Old Milwaukee family sues Village Board and state DNR over environmental damage.

Teamwork strikes again in major illegal deer harvest case

"This is a case of two people who are not hunters by any stretch of the imagination, and determined to steal wildlife from the public - wildlife observers and those who are ethical and law-abiding hunters."

Jennifer Sereno Joins WHEDA as Public Affairs Program Manager

Her experience includes marketing and public affairs campaign development, digital media strategy, issue management and brand advancement.

Mercury in Great Lakes Trout Persists

Though waters cleaner, invasive species have forced trout to eat food with higher mercury concentrations.

Wisconsin Collects More Than 30 Tons of Unused Medications During Drug Take Back Day; Ranks Second in Nation

Statewide 280 law enforcement agencies hosted Drug Take Back events and collected disposed drugs from 476 permanent drug disposal boxes at law enforcement agencies across the state.

Few Local Water Systems Test for PFAS

DNR says 2 of 125 treatment plants in state submitted results for toxic PFAS chemicals.

Polluted Wells Issue is Urgent, Legislator Says

Rep. Shankland, member of Water Quality Task Force, says state funding needed to help families.

Wisconsin Natural Resources Board Taking More Steps to Protect Drinking Water

PFAS Rulemaking Process Moves Forward

Gov. Evers Endorses Water Quality Recommendations from DNR, DATCP, DHS

“Folks should be able to trust the water coming from their tap”

DNR Finds 120 New Waters Impaired

Still, that’s half the number listed as impaired two years ago.

Community Members Demand that Public Service Commission Deny We Energies’ Rate Increase, We Energies Shut Down Oak Creek Plant

Ratepayers Angered Over Utility’s Continued Use of Expensive, Dirty Coal Plant

EPA Proposes Updates to Rules Impacting Lead and Copper in Drinking Water

DNR to Review Proposed Updates to Lead and Copper Rule

Behind Wisconsin’s Abandoned High Speed Rail

Former Gov. Tommy Thompson laid groundwork for the project that Gov. Scott Walker killed.

DNR Releases PFAS Contamination Data

PFAS chemicals have been linked to a multitude of health problems

U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin Statement on PFAS Chemicals Detected in Wisconsin Surface Waters

"The dangerous levels of PFAS recently detected in Wisconsin surface waters are alarming and warrant serious action."

DNR’s First Round of Sampling Shows PFAS Contamination at Surface Water Monitoring Locations in Wisconsin

PFAS are a group of human-made chemicals used for decades in numerous products, such as non-stick cookware, fast food wrappers, stain-resistant sprays and firefighting foam.

DNR to Back Pro-Climate Policies

Unlike the previous administration, Evers Administration pledges to address climate change.

DNR Reaffirms Commitment to Addressing Impacts of Climate Change on Wisconsin’s Natural Resources During Climate Week

"Climate change is one of the defining issues of our time."

Majority of Wisconsin Public Water Systems Met Safe Drinking Water Standards in 2018; Challenges Still Exist

Some contaminants continue to present challenges, including nitrate, arsenic, and lead.

DNR to Implement Mandatory CWD Sampling and In-Person Registration for Six Townships in West Central Wisconsin During Nine-Day Gun Deer Season

CWD is a contagious neurological disease of deer, elk and moose that is caused by an abnormal protein called a prion.

Evers Expands Effort Against “Forever” Chemicals

Directs DNR to create standards for drinking, surface water on PFAS chemicals.

Gov. Evers Signs Executive Order #40 Relating to PFAS in Wisconsin

Executive Order #40 directs the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources to take additional steps to address PFAS contamination.

Wisconsin Women in Government Announces 2019-2020 Board of Directors and Leadership Team

Flip-Flop on Mine Threatens State Waters

Why the sudden change to approve copper-zinc mine? Will it pollute Lake Michigan?

Gov. Evers Requests Federal Disaster Aid for July’s Severe Storms

"Damage assessments by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and Wisconsin Emergency Management (WEM) verified more than $19.5 million in eligible damages."

DNR hosts hearing to discuss wetland and water permits related to water diversion project

The hearing will also cover the DNR's Environmental Impact Statement on the overall diversion project.

Study Warns Asian Carp Could Thrive

Invasive fish could survive throughout Lake Michigan if introduced here, new research finds.