Wisconsin SB967: An Act to renumber 82.03 (5) (c); to amend 88.90 (1); to create 82.03 (5) (ag) of the statutes; Relating to: town authority over the water elevation of an artificial water body created by a dam and recourse due to damage caused by an obstructed waterway.

What the bill says

To amend 88.90 (1); to create 82.03 (5) (ag) 2of the statutes; relating to: town authority over the water elevation of an 3artificial water body created by a dam and recourse due to damage caused by 4an obstructed waterway. Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau Current law grants the Department of Natural Resources the authority to regulate and control the level and flow of water in all navigable waters…

From the introduced text, February 6, 2026:

to amend 88.90 (1); to create 82.03 (5) (ag) 2of the statutes; relating to: town authority over the water elevation of an 3artificial water body created by a dam and recourse due to damage caused by 4an obstructed waterway. Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau Current law grants the Department of Natural Resources the authority to regulate and control the level and flow of water in all navigable waters. This bill gives a town board the authority to prescribe the maximum water elevation for an artificial water body created by a dam that includes the use of a diversion pump and and that is located in the town if the town board has determined that a certain water elevation of that water body causes the road bed of a highway in the town to be saturated. Current law provides a procedure whereby the owner or occupant of any lands damaged by an obstruction in a natural watercourse due to negligent action by the owner, occupant, or person in charge of the land on which the obstruction is located may request and ultimately require removal of the obstruction. The bill specifies that the damage triggering this authority must be due to ground or surface water flooding. The people of the state of Wisconsin, represented in senate and assembly, do enact as …

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Sponsors

• Quinn, Romaine (R, SD-025) · primary sponsor