WDNR Drinking Water & Groundwater

Groundwater

Groundwater Coordinating Council

GCC Participants

GCC Activities

Wisconsin Groundwater Coordinating Council (GCC)

Groundwater Quantity Resources

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Because of the current focus and awareness of groundwater quantity issues in Wisconsin, particularly as raised by participants of the Groundwater Summit and Waters of Wisconsin project, this list of reports and electronic documents related to groundwater quantity has been provided by the Groundwater Coordinating Council. Please note that any recommendations or opinions expressed within these resources do not necessarily reflect those of the GCC or its member institutions.

Click on the following issues for a summary and a link to a full document:
Summary of Groundwater Quantity Legislation - 2003 WI Act 310
On Earth Day, April 22, 2004, Governor Doyle signed a new groundwater protection law (2003 Wisconsin Act 310) that expands the State's authority to consider environmental impacts of high capacity wells and takes the first step in addressing regional water quantity issues in Southeastern Wisconsin and the Lower Fox River Valley. In addition, the law creates more oversight of well construction activities and establishes a Groundwater Advisory Committee to recommend strategies for groundwater management and future legislation.

The following documents, prepared by WDNR Drinking Water and Groundwater staff, summarize the key elements of the legislation and initial steps planned to implement them.
  • Letter to local government officials, July 30, 2004
  • Article for WWA newsletter
  • PowerPoint presentation in PDF format (897KB)


    • A growing thirst for groundwater (exit DNR)
    This article appeared in the June 2004 issue of the Wisconsin Natural Resources Magazine. It summarizes the complex issues surrounding groundwater management in Wisconsin, with a focus on solutions being pursued at the local level, particularly communities in southeastern Wisconsin.

    Groundwater in the Great Lakes Basin: the case of southeastern Wisconsin (exit DNR)
    Important efforts are now underway to protect all the water resources of the Great Lakes basin. The objective of this new USGS Web site is to support those efforts and to improve understanding of ground-water flow in relation to the Great Lakes. The site includes a summary of the concepts that govern ground-water flow and ground-water/surface-water interactions as well as details of a case study of a region that borders Lake Michigan.

    Groundwater Drawdown fact sheet (exit DNR)
    Large-scale pumping of groundwater has caused large drawdowns - long-term drops in groundwater levels - in the Lower Fox River Valley , southeastern Wisconsin and Dane County . Drawdowns can cause serious economic, health and environmental problems: wells run dry and must be drilled deeper; concentrations of arsenic, radium, salts and other naturally occurring substances can reach unhealthy levels; and streams, lakes and wetlands lose water or dry up, depriving fish, birds, amphibians and mammals of vital habitat. This fact sheet produced by the UW Water Resources Institute summarizes current research on this topic.

    Why Are There Groundwater Quantity Issues in Wisconsin?
    Jim Krohelski of the U. S. Geological Survey (USGS) and George Kraft from the UW Stevens Point Center for Watershed Science and Education have presented information on groundwater quantity issues at several venues, including the 2001 Groundwater Summit, American Water Resources Association (AWRA) Wisconsin Section meetings, and the Waters of Wisconsin Forum. A PowerPoint presentation from the 2003 Wisconsin Lakes Convention is available by clicking here. Maps and figures documenting quantity issues in different parts of the state are presented, as well as explanations of important concepts related to water use, recharge, groundwater/surface water interactions and well interference.

    Status of Groundwater Quantity in Wisconsin
    In 1994, the Wisconsin Groundwater Coordinating Council (GCC) asked the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (WDNR) to prepare a report describing groundwater quantity problems and issues in Wisconsin in conjunction with the GCC and other interest parties. The final report was completed in 1997. The report discusses groundwater quantity problems caused by both natural conditions and human activity, summarizes information on groundwater quantity, discusses management of groundwater quantity and provides options for addressing groundwater quantity issues.

    GCC Report to the Legislature- 2007
    The Groundwater Coordinating Council is required by s. 15.347, Wis. Stats., to prepare a report each year which summarizes the operations and activities of the council, describes the state of the groundwater resource and its management and sets forth the recommendations of the council. The report contains a section, "Condition of the Resource - Groundwater Quantity", which provides an overview of current groundwater quantity issues.

    Sharing Our Buried Treasure: Directions for the Protection and Management of Wisconsin's Groundwater - A Summary of the 2001 Groundwater Summit
    The Wisconsin Groundwater Coordinating Council (GCC) facilitated an important and timely event called "Wisconsin's Groundwater Summit" held on October 30, 2001 in Waukesha, WI. The purpose of the Summit was to bring together a broad representation of groundwater users and stakeholders to discuss current issues facing groundwater protection and management and to develop ideas and solutions to better protect Wisconsin's groundwater quality and quantity. 135 delegates representing more than 50 agencies, organizations, and local governments attended the Summit. This report summarizes the main findings and recommendations of the Summit participants.

    Wisconsin Law of Groundwater Withdrawal -- A Primer
    Tom Dawson, assistant attorney general and former public intervenor, prepared this overview for the 2003 Wisconsin Lakes Convention. His remarks were part of a panel addressing "Water Supply: Will There be Enough and Why is Getting Enough Becoming More and More Difficult?" Held on Thursday April 10, 2003. Tom's outline covers common law and statutory law, police powers, and the public trust doctrine as it relates to groundwater, as well as the importance distinction between legislative authority and duty to protect groundwater.

    Modernizing Wisconsin Groundwater Management: Reforming the High Capacity Well Laws (exit DNR)
    In 2000, the University of Wisconsin - Madison Department of Urban and Regional Planning published a report reviewing Wisconsin's high capacity well law and making recommendations for its improvement. The report is available from the Department of Urban and Regional Planning, UW-Madison, 112-A Old Music Hall, 925 Bascom Mall, Madison, WI 64706 for $7 per copy. The report discusses the potential impacts of high capacity wells on the environment, summarizes the existing law for managing groundwater in Wisconsin, reviews programs in selected states, discusses issues and recommends strategies for improving groundwater quantity management in Wisconsin.

    Water Use in Wisconsin, 2000
    Information about amounts of water withdrawn, sources of water, how the water was used, and how much water was returned is available to those involved in establishing water-resource policy and to those managing water resources. This report, USGS Open File Report 02-356, presents 2000 data in a large map and graph format.

    U.S.G.S. Groundwater Observation Network Data (exit DNR)
    The ground-water observation network includes water levels measured in approximately 120 wells throughout Wisconsin. The network is part of a comprehensive and ongoing effort to maintain a water resource database responsive to the needs of the state and the nation. This program has been in place since 1946 and continues through the efforts of the USGS-WRD staff and an extensive network of observers. Approximately 20 wells are measured daily with electronic recorders, 3 of which have Real-Time Recorders; the remainder are measured on a weekly, monthly or quarterly basis by staff or observers.

    For more information contact:
    Mike Lemcke at (608) 266-2104 or via email.

    Last Revised: Friday February 01 2008