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Winnebago committee adds onshore riprap to county and Spirit Fund programs, approves enhanced cost-sharing
Summary
The county Land & Water Conservation Committee voted to add onshore riprap as an eligible structural practice in both the county Water Quality Improvement Program and the Spirit Fund, adopting a base 50% cost-share and higher incentives (up to 90% with a shoreland habitat enhancer) to encourage buffers and restoration.
The Winnebago County Land & Water Conservation Committee voted to add onshore riprap to its Water Quality Improvement Program and to mirror that change in the county's Spirit Fund, adopting new cost-share tiers intended to incentivize shoreland habitat restoration.
The committee approved a base cost-share of 50% for construction of onshore riprap and an "enhancer" that raises county support to 70% when applicants also install a 20-foot buffer. Staff said the Spirit Fund would further allow an enhanced county contribution up to 90% for projects that develop a shoreland habitat restoration component.
"If you put the buffer in, it would get a 90% (county share)," the department director (Chad) said during the meeting, describing the proposal as a way to pair structural protection with habitat work.
Committee members voiced concerns that a 90% county contribution for developed-site riprap could encourage high-cost projects in wealthier lakeshore areas and strain limited Spirit Fund dollars. One committee member said the program's purpose is to prioritize practices that deliver the largest conservation benefit per dollar and warned against using seed funds to fully underwrite private waterfront armoring.
Staff told the committee the programs are county-funded and that coupling a buffer with riprap would align incentives toward higher-value conservation. Director Chad said the department would continue to prioritize projects and try to limit the county's exposure where other grants or partners could supply matching funds.
The committee moved and approved the ordinance-language updates and the corresponding Spirit Fund changes by voice vote. The changes include a procedural adjustment allowing the director to expedite approvals for smaller projects (under $5,000) and reflect the committee's direction to emphasize buffers when awarding higher cost shares.
Next steps: staff will incorporate the approved language into program documents and return any final contract or administrative changes to the committee for record-keeping as needed.
