In 2024, the NEW Watershed Program (Program) of NEW Water completed its third year of Adaptive Management (AM) for permit compliance with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (WDNR) to meet new total phosphorus (TP) and total suspended solids (TSS) limits in their discharge permit. The Program was developed to bring together agencies, county staff, non-profits, tribal nations, landowners, agronomists, farmers, universities, and communities to work together to improve land management strategies and implement new conservation practices that help reduce nonpoint runoff and improve water quality. By working in the surrounding communities, excess nutrients and sediment can be prevented from entering the impaired waters of Ashwaubenon Creek and Dutchman Creek (ACDC).
The Program has modeled reduction and water quality goals it needs to achieve by the end of four permit terms (each permit term is five years). The final TP reduction goal amounts to 18,911 lbs./yr and the final TSS reduction goal amounts to 3,943,740 lbs./yr. The final water quality goal is to have the impaired waterways meet their water quality criteria, identified in the Total Maximum Daily Load for the Lower Fox River Watershed, of 0.075 mg/L TP and under 18 mg/L TSS for the ACDC tributaries.
After three years of the Program, 134 structural practices have been installed including but not limited to 51 acres of filter strips, 10,077 feet of two-stage ditches,11,345 feet of grassed waterways, and numerous other practices. For operational practices, 14,267 acres have been applied, through 8,730 acres of cover crops, 4,890 acres of residue tillage, 544 acres of nutrient placement technique, and additional practices. To date, the practices have resulted in achieving 81.9% (3,874 lbs./yr) of the TP and 165.8% (1,634,703 lbs./yr) of the TSS first permit term goals. The Program continuously monitors water quality parameters through the Watershed Monitoring Program and also monitors and evaluates the biological composition of these impaired waterways over time to see how these systems respond to improvements made on the surrounding landscape.
We continue to be impressed and incredibly grateful to the wonderful landowners, lease holders, and partners in the ACDC watershed for their continued trust and collaboration in this effort.