Wisconsin Wildlife Federation executive director George Meyer said his members were shocked Monday to read a Wisconsin State Journal report on the way the plans were changed without notification of people affected by polluted lakes, streams and wells.

“What made it worse was that the governor did so after consulting (with farm groups) but without consulting with the well owners or the thousands of property owners whose property is worth less because of eutrophication of lakes,” Meyer said, referring to the excess of nutrients in lakes, often resulting from farm runoff, that produces a lot of plant growth and can impair animal survival.

Meyer added that recreational users were also affected.

Some wells can’t be used

Pollution from millions of gallons of manure dairy operations spread on fields has rendered many drinking water wells useless in places like Kewaunee County and left surface water clogged with weeds and contaminated by bacteria and hazardous blue-green algae.

Kewaunee County has been hard hit for many years, and residents expressed impatience, but Stepp said the DNR couldn’t begin to act until scientific evidence was in place.