Regulation of local soil and water resource management practices
Wis. Stat. § 92.11
in effect(1) Proposed ordinances. To promote soil and water conservation or nonpoint source water pollution abatement, a county, city, village or town may enact ordinances for the regulation of land use, land management and pollutant management practices.
(2) Applicability; contents.
(a) An ordinance enacted under this section may be applicable throughout the county or to any part of the county, including both incorporated and unincorporated areas.
(b) An ordinance enacted under this section may prohibit land uses and land management practices which cause excessive soil erosion, sedimentation, nonpoint source water pollution or storm water runoff.
(3) Presentation; notice; hearing; county board adoption. Any ordinance proposed by the land conservation committee under this section shall be presented to the county board together with a report on the need for the ordinance and its expected economic and environmental impact. Within 2 weeks after its receipt, the county board shall publish the proposed ordinance as a class 2 notice, under ch. 985, in a newspaper having general circulation throughout the county and make the report available for public inspection. The county board shall hold one or more public hearings on the proposed ordinance before taking final action. The county board shall adopt, adopt with revisions or disapprove the ordinance.
(4) Referendum; local approval required.
(a) Definition. As used in this subsection, “affected area” means the entire town, all of a village within the county or all of a city within a county if an ordinance adopted under this section or a revision to an ordinance adopted under this section is applicable to any part of the town, village or city.
(b) Referendum required. No ordinance adopted under this section and no revision to an ordinance adopted under this section may take effect in any affected area in that county unless the ordinance or revision is approved by referendum.
(c) Wording of ballot question; procedure. The county board shall include the wording of the question to be placed before the electors in the referendum as a part of the ordinance adopted under this section or the revision to an ordinance adopted under this section. Upon the adoption of the ordinance or revision the county board shall forward a copy of the ordinance or revision to the county clerk who shall cause the question to be placed before the voters of the affected area in the next spring or general election occurring not less than 70 days after the adoption of the ordinance or revision. The form of the ballot shall correspond substantially to the form prescribed under s. 5.64 (2).
(d) Approval; disapproval. If the question placed before the electors in the referendum is approved by a majority of all votes cast on that subject in an affected area in that county, the ordinance adopted under this section or the revision to an ordinance adopted under this section takes effect in that affected area. Otherwise, the ordinance or revision does not take effect in that affected area.
(5) Enforcement.
(a) The county board shall by ordinance prescribe administrative procedures and provide personnel necessary for the enforcement of any ordinance enacted under this section. Ordinances enacted under this section may be enforced through civil forfeiture or through issuance of an injunction by the circuit court in an action initiated by the county or land conservation committee. The court may award reasonable attorney fees to any plaintiff in a successful action for enforcement through injunction.
(b) At least one year before the county or land conservation committee may initiate an action for enforcement, the land conservation committee shall make a reasonable effort to contact the landowner or land user in person and to furnish the landowner or land user all of the following:
1. An explanation orally and in writing of the reasons for the excessive soil erosion.
2. A management plan which, if followed, would reduce soil erosion to a rate established as acceptable by the land conservation committee. The management plan shall, with reasonable limits, set forth all of the options which are available to the landowner or land user to achieve acceptable soil erosion rates.
3. An explanation of the financial aids and technical assistance which are available to the landowner or land user. These may include, but are not necessarily limited to, cost-sharing, loans, tax incentives and technical assistance available from the land conservation committee and other agencies.
(6) Board of adjustment. The county board shall provide for the appointment of a board of adjustment in any county which adopts an ordinance under this section.
(7) Construction. Any ordinance enacted under this section shall be liberally construed in favor of the county. It shall be construed as setting minimum requirements for the purposes stated and not as a limitation on other powers granted the county board and land conservation committee.
Source: WI Statutes (Official Site)URL: https://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/document/statutes/92.11Fetched: 10/7/2026