Clean Water Updates
Short posts on current issues, updated as necessary to keep our Clean Water supporters informed.
Posted August 14, 2025 - From Lakes at Stake, Wisconsin Wakesurf Litigation Update and the Industry’s Hail Mary?
From Lakes at Stake Wisconsin's latest newsletter we have updates on multiple Wakesurfing litigations. We at OCCWA highly recommend viewing the entire newsletter here: Wakesurf Litigation in Wisconsin - an update
Recapping
In the town of Scott, two out of state wakeboat owners are contesting the towns wakeboat ordinance. Selected excerpts from Lakes at Stake's newsletter describe where that suit stands
.
"Back in May, two out-of-state wakeboat owners filed suit against the town claiming numerous damages due to their inability to wakesurf on Birch Island Lake.
The case is currently in Federal Court in the Western District of Wisconsin and will be heard by Federal Judge James D. Peterson. The case was moved to Federal Court since the complaint had some elements of Federal Law and the plaintiffs are not State of Wisconsin residents.
This past week the Court published their schedule of events and set a trial date of October 26, 2026.
A couple key notes about this case. Plaintiffs want to wake surf on Birch Island Lake, an irregularly shaped 768-acre lake with a max depth of 13 feet and an average depth of 6-feet per the Wisconsin DNR."
In the town of Manitowish Waters, wave boat owners tried requesting a temporary restraining order (TRO) against the town's wave creation ordinance. The Vilas County judge who entertained the request declined the temporary restraining order. An excerpt from Lakes at Stake's newsletter explains the decision.
"The judge in the case thankfully declined the TRO and ordered the plaintiffs to give the Town at least 72-hours notice before a hearing on a preliminary injunction against the ordinance would be heard. That hearing took place on Thursday, August 7th in Eagle River.
One of the four elements to secure an injunction in Wisconsin is “reasonable probability of success on the merits” We were informed that at this hearing the judge denied the injunction, in part, because he did not believe that the wakeboat owners would be able to satisfy this criteria."
In the town of Ottawa a "grandfather clause" granted a lifetime right to a wakeboat owner to wakesurf on 54-Acre Hunters Lake despite the towns ordinance prohibiting the operation. The Lakes at Stake explanation:
"Ms. Patricia Puccinelli, a resident of Hunters Lake has owned and legally operated a wakeboat on the lake for a number of years. Shortly after the ordinance passed, she filed a notice of suit against the town, challenging the ordinance and claiming as damages the loss of the use of her wakeboat and emotional distress among other matters.
This week the Town of Ottawa settled with Ms. Puccinelli. In doing so, the Town ordinance will stand and continues in effect on all three lakes. However, Ms. Puccinelli was granted a lifetime right to use her wakeboat to wakesurf on tiny Hunters Lake."
Also in the Lakes at Stake newsletter they go on to explain how the boating industry is reacting to the latest spate of town ordinances. They suggest more litigation to come as well as attempts to influence legislators.
Interestingly, speaking of influencing legislators, OCCWA has come across a newly coined term "Regulatory Capture".
- Regulatory capture is a situation in which a government regulatory agency, created to act in the public’s interest, instead advances the commercial or special concerns of the industry or sector it is supposed to regulate.
In simple terms:
It happens when the “watchdog” starts working more for the people it’s supposed to watch over, rather than for the public.
How it happens:
1. Revolving door: Industry insiders get jobs in regulatory agencies, or regulators later go work in the industry. This creates bias or favoritism. 2. Information asymmetry: Regulators rely heavily on the industry for technical information, making them dependent and more likely to be influenced.
3. Lobbying and influence: Industries can use money, lobbying, and political pressure to steer regulations in their favor.
4.Regulatory complexity: Rules become so complex that only insiders truly understand them, allowing industries to exploit loopholes.
- Why it matters:
Regulatory capture undermines the purpose of regulation: protecting consumers, the environment, workers, or the economy. Instead, it can lead to:
1. Weaker enforcement
2. Public harm (unsafe products, pollution, financial crises)
3. Loss of trust in institutions
Posted July 30, 2025- Last Wilderness shares news on the latest Wave Boat study.
The highly anticipated study on the impact of wake surfing on lakebeds has been released! This groundbreaking research is a significant step forward in understanding how wake surfing affects the environmental health of our lakes.
Ten feet is not enough!
University of Minnesota Study Confirms Wake Surfing's Impact on Lakebeds
For too long, the wake surfing industry has claimed there's no lakebed impact if surfing occurs in depths of at least 10 feet. However, this new study definitively shows profound sediment disturbance even in much deeper water.
The study specifically recommends:
"It is recommended that wakeboats operate in 20 ft of water or greater when in surfing mode to minimize impacts on the lake bottom."
You can find the study summary HERE.
FAQ's (four pages) about the study HERE.
This research provides crucial scientific backing for the growing movement to regulate wake surfing.
The number of Wisconsin towns with wake surfing ordinances has now reached 59, with 25 of those enacted just since January 1st of this year! The Last Wilderness Alliance is proud to have assisted in the majority of these successful efforts.
We remain committed to educating the public and supporting regulations that
protect Wisconsin's lakes for everyone, especially the 98% of lake users who
do not wake surf.
Your continued support is vital to our work, and we deeply appreciate your dedication to preserving our precious waterways.
To read the Full Study, click HERE.
Here are Videos and the Data Set: DATA
Visit and support Last Wilderness Alliance at: Last Wilderness Alliance
Posted July 24, 2025- Lake Steward Program officially begins on Moen Chain
The Oneida Count Lakes and Rivers Association Oneida County Lakes and Rivers Association - OCLRA announces that the Lake Steward program recognizing lakefront owners for best practices on their properties has begun on the Moen Chain in eastern Oneida County. Earlier this month Baerbel Ehrig, lakeshore restoration specialist with the Oneida County Land and Water Conservation Department, led a training session for property evaluators. Nancy Sattler, president of the Moen Lake Chain Association, and the association board have done an excellent job of starting this pilot project, which OCLRA hopes will spread to other lakes in the county and elsewhere. You can read about it in the association’s latest newsletter.
The program originated on the Gull Lake Chain in Minnesota and has been adopted statewide by Minnesota Lakes and Rivers Advocates. Forty lake associations in that state are taking part; you can find more information at https://mnlakesandrivers.org/lake-steward-launches-on-gull-lake-inspiring-shoreline-stewardship-and-community-action/. Through our initiatives and advocacy, we aim to raise awareness about the importance of environmental sustainability and empower individuals and communities to take action.
Visit Moen Lake Chain Association at: Moen Lake Chain Association
See WJFW interview with Nancy Statler president of Moen Lake Chain Association at: moenlakechain.org/media/videos/New Program to protect the chain's water equality (6-23-25) wjfw.com.mp4
Posted July 23, 2025- Wisconsin's Greenfire presents essay questioning the new direction of federal management of forests.
In a must-read essay, A New Chapter for the U.S. Forest Service? Less Productive, Less Prepared, and Flying Blind • Wisconsin’s Green Fire for lovers of forests, Wisconsin's Greenfire voices many concerns for federal forests going forward. Valid concerns considering the gutting of Forest Service funding from $6.178 Billion to $2.136 Billion A good number of these concerns are focused on nationwide issues, but some are more local to Wisconsin.
In the essay Greenfire states that less funding will leave states, tribes, and private landowners hanging. A quote shared the concerns:
"Nowhere does the current budget offer even minimally adequate resources for states, local governments, or Tribes to assume the greater role envisioned for them. The scale of cuts suggests that forest health protection, technical assistance to private landowners, wood use innovation, and support of urban and community forests would all be significantly diminished or eliminated."
The article also claims the Trump administration is waging a "War on Science" in forestry with a quote:
"The Forest Service Research and Development Program is the world’s largest natural resources research agency. Trump’s budget calls for cutting funding for the Forest Service Research Program in its entirety. The loss would be 800 or so scientists and staff researchers who conduct important research work on forest management, wildfire prevention and management, climate change, fish, wildlife and biodiversity, recreational forest uses and myriad other forest-related issues."
At the state and local level, the elimination of the Forest Service Research and Development Program would result in Rhinelander jobs lost and termination of ongoing projects.
"The Forest Service Research facility in Rhinelander would be closed down and the dozen or so researchers and field technicians would be laid off, presumably as part of the agency reorganization and reduction in force plans. It is difficult to calculate the losses that would result from the termination of research projects, many of which have been built across several decades, and all of which support sustainable forests."
The essay goes on to question potential privatization and sales of publicly owned Forest
Service lands, an issue we at OCCWA have addressed concerns for multiple times. The final quote from the article states a dour prediction:
"Although the current proposals in Congress to tee up large scale federal land sales appear dead for now, the President’s budget opens the door with a “land transfer initiative” to states and tribes. Among all the directives being given to the Forest Service, it seems that the measurable few are to “Cut the Budget,” “Cut the Workforce,” “Cut the Paperwork,” and “Cut More Timber.” Achieving those goals will result in forests that are less healthy, less diverse, and less resilient, and will offer many fewer opportunities for meaningful public engagement."
**Updated July 22, 2025** Congress votes in favor of recission package to cut federal funding to Public Radio.
WXPR's statement: "WXPR has been defunded. Not defeated"
Please consider contributing to WXPR for them to continue their non-partisan local news reporting in the Northwoods. Visit: Home | WXPR for details.
View WJFW's one and a half minute coverage: WXPR faces federal cuts following rescissions package | News | wjfw.com
Posted July 17, 2025- WXPR article covers WXPR's efforts to remain as a trusted news source for the Northwoods.
At times it can be difficult to find an OCCWA post without a reference or link to a WXPR article. That of course is for a very good reason, WXPR does an excellent non-partisan job covering issues in the Northwoods.
Unfortunately, federal funding cuts have targeted Public Media funding. This financial threat is most worrisome for us who depend on non-partisan reporting, which can be very hard to come by in our county.
Now we at OCCWA could put together an article sharing all that WXPR provides and why they are so necessary with information on how and whom to contact to submit your concerns, but of course WXPR has done that already. Here is the link, How federal funding supports WXPR - and why it’s essential | WXPR
Please consider taking the time to voice your support for our only non-tv, non-partisan news outlet in the Northwoods. Thank You!
Posted July 22, 2025- Congress goes about the business of ignoring PFAS contamination in biosolids.
In a July 20 Barn Raiser article Does the House GOP Have Something Against Farmers? - Barn Raiser questions are raised on the effects of the House Interior and Environment Appropriations Subcommittee's fiscal year 2026 appropriations bill. Specifically questions on PFAS in sludge/biosolids. An excerpt from the article states,
"The(appropriation) bill includes a provision (Section 507) that would permanently prohibit the EPA from finalizing, implementing or enforcing its Draft Risk Assessment for PFOA and PFOS in Sewage Sludge (January 2025). That’s right—permanently. Not just for 2026, but for any year, with any budget. This comes on the heels of the Trump administration’s decision to “rescind” and “reconsider” regulatory limits on four of the six types of PFAS in public drinking water systems covered by the EPA’s first-ever limits set by the Biden administration."
So, by not implementing or enforcing the EPA's crafted Draft Risk Assessment, the ability to provide protections from PFAS contaminated sludge/biosolids is lost? Yes, the nullifying of the Draft Risk Assessment in the bill will prevent the EPA from providing protections from PFAS sludge. Let's not forget that the town of Stella's PFAS contamination came directly from PFAS contaminated sludge. The Barn Raiser article goes on to say,
"Much would be lost if the GOP’s appropriation bill is allowed to move forward as written. The risk assessment, which the bill nullifies, could have finally led to rulemaking by the EPA that would provide long-overdue protection from PFAS-contaminated sewage sludge for American farmland and those living and working the land.
Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER) has sued EPA for not addressing PFAS in sludge. In response to the policy rider, PEER Staff Counsel Laura Dumais said, “Across the country, farms have had to be condemned, and livestock slaughtered due to PFAS pollution from fertilizers. Further delay in preventing more of these needless tragedies would be unconscionable.”
One now wonders, where does the EPA's investigation on Stella being designated a Superfund site go. Does this mean that the funding from Superfund designation also dries up? Funding that would cover much of Stella's contamination problem including remediation. It may be time to contact your congressman.
Posted July 1, 2025- DNR releases latest PFAS well testing results for Stella and expands free well testing to Pine Lake, Pelican, Newbold, Crescent, and Sugar Camp.
Stella Updated Well Testing
As of June 20, 2025, the DNR has received PFAS results for 241 private wells in the vicinity of the Town of Stella. Of the 241 wells sampled for PFAS:
- 88 private wells have reported concentrations of PFAS greater than DHS' recommended health guidelines.
- 39 private wells have reported detections for PFAS but are less than the DHS' recommended health guidelines.
- 114 private wells have no reported detections for PFAS.
Here is the 6/2025 updated link map of PFAS sampling results [PDF] for private wells in the Town of Stella/Starks.
Expanded Testing to Pine Lake, Newbold, Crescent, Pelican, and Sugar Camp
As an expansion of a previous private well sampling project in the Town of Stella, the DNR and the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) are offering free PFAS sampling in private wells to some communities within Oneida County. The cost-free sampling is available to full-time and seasonal residents who receive a letter of eligibility from the DNR. This sampling is offered to a targeted number of private drinking water wells in four general locations around Oneida County in the townships of Crescent, Newbold, Pelican, Sugar Camp and Pine Lake. Those who choose to participate in this sampling effort will receive their private well's sample results and any recommendations from the DNR.
This project will begin in July 2025 and will likely run through December 2025. Eligibility letters will be sent to homeowners in batches to accommodate laboratory capacity. Therefore, not all residences will receive notification of sampling availability at the same time. Well owners can submit questions to DNRDGOneidaCountyPFAS@wisconsin.gov or 888-626-0605.
More information may be found at the DNR/Stella webpage PFAS Contamination in the Town of Stella and Oneida County | | Wisconsin DNR
WXPR coverage Wisconsin DNR expands private well PFAS testing to five Oneida County townships | WXPR
