I learned at the recent Clean Water Forum at Riverwood Nature Center that Lake St. Croix is classified as an “impaired waterway” by the DNR because of pollution by high levels of phosphorus.  The phosphorus is coming from agricultural fields that are over fertilized, primarily with raw manure from concentrated animal feeding operations (industrial feedlots).  The run-off of polluted phosphorus laden water finds its way to the St. Croix River via tributary streams.  

Some good news is the St. Croix County Land and Water Department has been working with individual land owners since 2019 to address the run-off problem and has seen encouraging results.  However, the DNR has the major responsibility for protecting water quality and their efforts are falling far short of what is needed.  They are grossly understaffed to enforce even the present water quality laws which have proven inadequate to protect the St. Croix.  A clean St. Croix River is vital for water based recreation and the resulting economic benefits.

Leadership from our elected officials in the Wisconsin legislature is needed.  Shannon Zimmerman, Gae Magnafici, Clint Moses, and Warren Petryk in the Assembly and Rob Stafsholt, and Jeff Smith in the Senate could seek additional funding for the County to expand their work with landowners in the watershed, target additional staffing for the DNR to enforce the present water quality laws, and promote new laws that would actually meet the State’s trust responsibility to protect water quality.  A concerted effort to clean up the St. Croix River would be enormously popular.  A county survey in 2022 showed that 94% of county residents were very concerned (78%) or somewhat concerned about preservation of natural resources such as surface water quality, ground water, navigable water, and streams.  We need a coalition of government officials, conservation groups, landowners, and business interests to strongly advocate for clean water in our only federally designated Wild and Scenic River in Wisconsin.  The St. Croix River is a national treasure.  Ignoring the ongoing pollution would be a local disgrace.  Cleaning up the St. Croix would be a gift to ourselves and future generations.