| 14 area bodies of water have problems with excess toxins |
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By Mike Hoeft •
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• April 19, 2010 greenbaypressgazette.com Fourteen bodies of water off the lower Fox River basin, including Green Bay, have poor water quality because of excessive sediment and nutrients. People are cautioned about eating fish caught in the Fox River due to polychlorinated biphenyls and mercury contamination. A dredging program is under way to remove PCBs from the lower Fox River. The toxic sediments were byproducts of papermaking and dumped in the river by paper mills from 1957 to 1971. The state is considering proposals to clean up the polluted lower Fox River basin by setting a total maximum daily load allocation for phosphorous and suspended solids. That allocation is a calculation of the maximum amount of a pollutant that a water body can receive and still safely meet water quality standards, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Scientists first must determine the origin of the pollutants. Water samples will be collected in the basin, and a computer model will be developed to estimate the amount and origin of phosphorous. The plan will be released for public review in May. Suspended sediments and phosphorus cause most of the water quality problems in the bay and are more problematic than PCBs, said Vicki Harris, water quality and coastal ecosystems specialist for the University of Wisconsin Sea Grant Institute. Phosphorus causes algae blooms in waterways. Suspended sediments fill in the navigation channels, bury fish spawning habitat, smother fish eggs and result in murky, turbid water that blocks sunlight from reaching beneficial rooted aquatic vegetation that supplies fish habitat and food for waterfowl. The result can mean lower waterfront property values and poorer recreational habitat. Charles Verhoeven, regional water program leader for the state Department of Natural Reources in Green Bay, said his department works to enforce the Clean Water Act, assure clean drinking water, enhance fisheries and enhance the public trust. Fishing is a $2.3 billion industry in Wisconsin, and the state is second only to Florida in the number of out-of-state fishing licenses sold, he said. "Businesses and industries have the right to use, but not abuse the resource," he said. |
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