DNR In search of Public Input On Great Lakes Beach Listings

MADISON, Wis. – The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is asking the general public to assist replace its seashore checklist to maintain individuals secure on Great Lakes seashores this summer time.

Each yr, the DNR’s seashore program reaches out to Wisconsinites, native seashore managers and public well being departments alongside Wisconsin’s Great Lakes coasts to find out what modifications, if any, are wanted to the Wisconsin seashore checklist and program data.

The proposed checklist displays the reclassification of the seashores at Kite Surfing-Clara Avenue in Sheboygan County and McKinley Jetski Launch (Watercraft Beach) in Milwaukee County as historic and unmonitored, on the request of the native public well being authorities who monitor the seashores.

Public feedback and native data of Wisconsin’s Lake Michigan and Lake Superior shorelines present the very best details about our 53 miles of coastal seashores.

“The Wisconsin Beach List was originally developed in the early 2000s,” mentioned Jessica Brandt, DNR coastal seashore program supervisor. “The annual public comment period ensures that the list is up to date and reflects any recent changes in use or status of beaches and boat launches.”

To keep Wisconsin’s eligibility for funding underneath the federal Beaches Environmental Assessment and Coastal Health (BEACH) Act, state packages should present a possibility for public remark when modifications to the checklist or monitoring program happen. The BEACH Act is an modification to the Clean Water Act which requires all coastal states — together with Great Lakes states — to develop packages for efficient water high quality monitoring and public notification at coastal leisure seashores. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency offers grants to taking part states to develop and implement a statewide seashore monitoring program.

With these funds, all Wisconsin seashores alongside Lake Michigan and Lake Superior shorelines are recognized and prioritized for water high quality monitoring. A seashore is outlined as anywhere that the general public has leisure entry to the water, no matter whether or not the placement is used for swimming. Boat launches, some pure areas and personal seashores out there to the general public are included.

The federal funding permits communities with Great Lakes seashores to observe for elevated ranges of Escherichia coli (generally known as E. coli), which is a bacterium that may trigger sickness if ingested. These micro organism are comparatively straightforward to check for in comparison with different pathogens, in order that they function a helpful indicator of the doable presence of different well being dangers within the water — equivalent to fecal matter, viruses, different micro organism or different pollution.

“This monitoring data helps local health officials determine when to close a beach due to unsafe conditions and to notify the public of elevated bacteria levels so that beach visitors can make informed choices about swimming at the beach,” Brandt mentioned. “In many cases, monitoring would not take place without the assistance provided by this federal funding.”

We are persevering with to enhance and improve the seashore well being database and web site options and welcome suggestions on them all year long. If you may have any questions or feedback on the seashore well being web site and database, please e mail [email protected] or name Jessica Brandt at 920-366-7275.

The proposed modifications to the seashore checklist for 2026 can be found on-line on the DNR web site. Please e mail public feedback on the seashore listings to [email protected] by Dec. 31, 2026.