DNR water officials ready to expedite emergency irrigation requests in response to statewide drought

The Department of Natural Resources also is encouraging farmers, other citizens, businesses and industry statewide to conserve water where they can to extend supplies and to help protect fish, the environment and other water users. “We’ll make rapid judgments on emergency irrigation and let farmers use water where it won’t harm fisheries and water quality," says Mike Staggs, director of the DNR’s Fisheries Management and Habitat Protection Bureau.

Governor Jim Doyle issued an executive order today declaring a statewide drought emergency. The order will last for the next 30 days, which expedites requests for temporary irrigation permits. The temporary irrigation permits, regardless of when they are granted, are good only until the 30-day emergency declaration ends, unless extended by a joint resolution of the Legislature.

The executive order means DNR staff who consider requests to divert water for crop irrigation do not have to notify the public and other potentially affected users about the irrigation request. The order also requires DNR staff to inspect within 72 hours of receiving a call the stream or lake proposed for diversion. People who wish to request agricultural water diversions should contact the nearest DNR service center. A list of service centers is available on the DNR Web site at http://dnr.wi.gov/org/caer/cs/servicecenter/locations.htm.

The state can deny requests where fisheries biologists and habitat protection staff find that the proposed diversion, combined with other diversions from the particular stream or lake, will cause "unduly adverse environmental effects.” Staggs can’t predict how many emergency irrigation requests the department will receive, but notes that when drought emergencies were declared in 1992, 2001 and 2003, some temporary permits were granted.