INLAND LAKES
House Bill 4348
Sponsor: Rep. Lingg Brewer
Committee: Conservation and Outdoor
Recreation
Complete to 11-16-00
A SUMMARY OF HOUSE BILL 4348 AS INTRODUCED 2-25-99
The bill would amend Part 301 of the Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Act (NREPA), concerning Inland Lakes and Streams, to require the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) to issue permits for the withdrawal of water from an inland lake.
Permit Application. The bill would specify that the DEQ would be required to provide the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) with a copy of an application for a permit for a water withdrawal immediately upon receiving one. The DNR would have to consider whether the proposed withdrawal unacceptably degraded aquatic resources, including fisheries resources and fisheries habitat, in addition to other criteria to be considered in reviewing these applications. The permit would be denied if the DNR determined that the proposed water withdrawal would unacceptably degrade aquatic resources,
Exceptions. Currently, Part 301 specifies that a permit is required to -- among other things -- create, enlarge, or diminish an inland lake or stream. House Bill 4348 would exclude the withdrawal of water from an inland lake or stream for noncommercial uses, or for agricultural irrigation, except according to DEQ rules, from this provision.
Analyst: R. Young