This petition was started by St. Croix Citizens Uniting for Responsible Environmental Stewardship (St. Croix CURES).

Protecting our clean water in Wisconsin must be a priority now and we want our policy makers to prioritize our waters. 

Become a clean water advocate in Wisconsin and in our Country. Please sign this petition.

If you care about clean water in Wisconsin no matter where you live, please read and sign this petition to support a 2024 Conservation Congress Citizen Resolution from St. Croix County.  Our intent is to share broadly with the local, State and Federal officials responsible for ensuring our water is clean.

Weak water quality laws in Wisconsin allow industrial agriculture to contaminate our lakes, streams, and ground water with commercial fertilizer and animal manure containing hazardous amounts of phosphorous, nitrogen, pesticides, antibiotics and other chemicals.  Field spreading at high levels causes these chemicals to seep into the ground water and run-off into lakes and streams (nonpoint source pollution). Excess nitrogen and other chemicals in drinking water is linked to birth defects, cancer, and other diseases. Excess phosphorous in lakes and streams causes noxious algae blooms making these waters undesirable for recreation. 

Fifty-one new lakes and rivers have been added to the 2024 draft of the Wisconsin DNR's Impaired Waters list, a requirement of the Clean Water Act.  In addition, 81 new pollutants were added. The 2022 list of impaired waters lists over 2100 water bodies that did not meet water quality standards compared to only 1295 in 2016. The number of polluted waterways is up 70% since 2008. The status quo is promoting significant pollution, it is getting worse, and it is ecologically unsustainable.  The present trend is headed toward violation of water quality standards in every water body in the state. 

The Public Trust Doctrine is a fundamental element of the Wisconsin Constitution. It establishes a trustee relationship where the state has responsibility to protect and manage water, fish, and wildlife for the benefit of the resource and the citizens of the state.  The state has a legal obligation to protect and manage these resources belonging to the citizens for their legitimate uses such as drinking water, fishing, boating, trapping, and swimming. Uses that diminish these resources for these purposes are in conflict with both the constitution and the doctrine. The State of Wisconsin is clearly not meeting its legal responsibilities under the Public Trust Doctrine.  

2024 Wisconsin Conservation Congress Citizen Resolution from St. Croix County

• There must be adequate funding and staffing at the state and county level to implement clean water programs.
• There must be adequate laws and regulations that will protect lakes, streams and their water, fish, and wildlife.
• Do you support administrative and legislative actions to increase funding for the DNR and County Land and Water Conservation Programs so as to fully support the Wisconsin Nonpoint Source Program Management Plan and to also establish an independent interdisciplinary team of experts to recommend operational and legal changes needed to protect lakes, streams, and their water, fish, and wildlife from pollution by animal manure and commercial fertilizer?
•  If YES, sign this petition in the upper right hand corner of the screen.  Please share on your social media and forward to your family and friends.

See the links below for more information

DNR Impaired Waters List 

Emerald Clean Water for All

What is the Wisconsin Conservation Congress?