DEFINING THE COMMONS. Wisconsin's just-inland counties hustle to divert water before the new Great Lakes compact takes shape.

The compact has been approved by the governors of eight Great Lakes states and is now making its way through the legislatures in those states. If approved by all eight, it would go to Congress for ratification.

The provision added to the Wisconsin Senate version of the legislation Thursday says that a water diversion to Waukesha County could be approved before Congress acts.

The competitive interests of the states differ.

Compact supporters likely could encounter trouble from those who want to eliminate a provision in the Senate version that allows a diversion project to be stopped by a single governor.

"Neighboring states like Michigan, which is almost entirely within the basin and wouldn't ever require a diversion, and Illinois, with its near-limitless 2.1 billion gallons per day court approved diversion ability via the Chicago River, would control the fate of straddling communities like the City of Waukesha as well as Stevens Point and Burlington," Patti Wallner, president of the Waukesha County Chamber of Commerce, said in a statement.

Legislatures in four of the eight Great Lakes states have adopted the compact, which strengthens water conservation measures and Great Lakes diversions.

If ratified by Congress, the compact would replace existing federal law that vaguely regulates use of Great Lakes water.

The Wisconsin Senate amendment also allows the Department of Natural Resources to approve expansion of the area in which New Berlin wants to send lake water and take those areas off city wells.

Some Waukesha County legislators were concerned that Lake Michigan water would not be available until after the compact was ratified, an issue the provision added Thursday addresses.

Henderson stressed that the best chance Waukesha County communities have of getting lake water is through an approved compact.

Somewhere in this legislating, there's a treaty, as the Canadian South Coast touches four of the five Lakes. Stevens Point is some distance inland from Green Bay, giving some idea of the potential for conflict over water resources.