Bills · 2025-2026 Regular Session

SB 967

Died at session end Official bill text Atom feed

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.

Natural resources department of — Environmental protection Town — Board Waterways and water power

Introduced, stopped here
Passes Senate, not reached
Passes Assembly, not reached
Governor signs, not reached
Law, not reached

Unfamiliar terms? Glossary

What this bill does

Plain-language analysis by the nonpartisan 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.

Registered lobbying interests · 6

Organizations that registered lobbying activity on this bill with the Wisconsin Ethics Commission. Registration means interest, not a position for or against. Official record

Votes

Senate: Report passage recommended by Committee on Insurance, Housing, Rural Issues and Forestry, Ayes 3, Noes 2

Passed 3–2 Mar 9, 2026 official source full page

No individual roll call was recorded for this vote. Committee votes and some older sessions record totals only.

Full history