A DNR study of the Rock River Basin could mean a $20 million bill for Janesville

From the Janesville Gazette

...The Rock River basin covers nearly 3,800 square miles of southcentral Wisconsin and includes 150 lakes and more than 2,000 miles of stream. The majority of the river is included on the impaired waters list, as is Lake Koshkonong, the Yahara River and a section of Turtle Creek in Walworth County.

...Phosphorous encourages the growth of algae and deep-rooted plants, Congdon explained. The plants slow the river's current, adding even more rich sediment to the riverbed. Algae growth depletes oxygen in the water, limiting the growth and health of native fish.

...Bringing the levels down to those the DNR wants could mean investing in micro filtration equipment, which could risk the city's position as having the second-lowest water bills among similar-sized Wisconsin cities, Lynch said.

...The goal of the yet-unnamed municipal group is not to get in the way of the DNR's study, said Madison attorney Paul Kent, who will provide legal services for the group. Rather, the organization's purpose is to ensure that whatever number the DNR determines as the maximum pollution load is actually achievable by municipal point sources of pollution.

..."Even if the costs are fairly allocated (between point and non-point sources), you don't want to spend millions if it's not going to get you any results."