Rising water levels on Lake Michigan, the bay of Green Bay and inland lakes and rivers will add to existing groundwater contaminants.  That's the hypothesis from Dean Hoegger with the Clean Water Action Council.  Areas of Door and Kewaunee counties have Karst rock formations that have made those areas vulnerable to groundwater contamination from the farm and industrial runoff.  Hoegger says those problems will likely increase due to the above-normal snowmelt and rainfall.

Hoegger says under normal conditions it can take up to a century for some aquifers and other water sources to cleanse themselves of nitrates and other contaminants.  He expects heavy rains and snowmelt to lengthen that process.