Groundwater
Wisconsin is blessed with an abundance of water resources that serve our drinking water needs. While one-third of the state draws drinking water from surface water sources (such as lakes Michigan and Winnebago), the other two-thirds rely on groundwater. Understanding groundwater and how to protect it is a complex and emerging issue, and one that requires collaborative approaches between local and statewide partners.
Communities rely on county leadership to improve and protect water resources. Here you can find key resources developed by WI Land+Water and statewide partners to help counties integrate groundwater into county planning.
Reports and Resources
Groundwater Coordinating Council's Report to the Legislature
The Groundwater Coordinating Council prepares an annual report each year that summarizes the operations and activities of the council, describes the state of the groundwater resource and its management and makes recommendations.
DATCP Groundwater Quality Report
Wisconsin Groundwater Quality: Agricultural Chemicals in Wisconsin Groundwater report provides an overview of groundwater quality from the Department of Agriculture, the National Agricultural Statistics Service, and the Department of Health and Family Services.
Guide to Organizing a Community Drinking Water Testing and Educational Program
UW - Stevens Point (UWSP) Center for Watershed Science and Education's Guide to Organizing a Community Drinking Water Testing and Educational Program. Currently being updated to include a more researched-based approach to groundwater monitoring.
Country Acres: A Guide to Buying and Managing Rural Acres
Share Extension's 1999 packet with new rural homeowners to help understand how to safely maintain rural property. Updates or companion documents (such as, short-term rentals) have not yet been included.
Partner Websites
UW - Stevens Point (UWSP) Well Water Viewer
Understand water quality in your county and learn how to develop a well monitoring programs and contribute to the dataset.
Wisconsin Geological and Natural History Survey (WGNHS)
Find groundwater maps to better understand how water moves in your county.
Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Public Water Data
Download all groundwater data results provided from public water systems. Options to select county, contaminant, timeframe to help better understand the water quality in your county.
Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Water Quantity Data Viewer
View the locations and volumes of high capacity well and surface water withdrawals on an interactive map. View pending high capacity well applications and approved wells. View water quantity data measurement locations.
US Geological Survey (USGS)
Discover data from the USGS Upper Midwest Water Science Center on a variety of water-related issues and resources.
Wisconsin Rural Water Association
Connect with municipal well owners to learn about wellhead protection areas and help protect public water in your county.
Looking to figure out the approximate 5 year zone of contribution for a public well? Whether to include as a "critical area" in your 9 Key Element Plan or to help assess land use practices that might rehabilitate a well, visit the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources' (DNR) Surface Water Data Viewer.
- Launch the Viewer
- Zoom into area of interest
- Click on Show Layers and scroll down to check the box for Permits and Determinations
- Check the box for Source Water Protection Areas
Some municipal wells may have a modeled boundary, while other, smaller public wells have a standard circle boundary around the well.
If you're assessing small public wells or private wells, use a water table map that can be found at Wisconsin Geological and Natural History Survey (WGNHS) to understand the direction groundwater is traveling.