94-8 Twenty-five Years of Springs Monitoring in Support of Groundwater Use Laws in Wisconsin

Session: Geoscience and Water: How Geoscience Affects Water-Related Public Policy–Past, Present, and Future

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Abstract:

Wisconsin regulates the withdrawal of groundwater, aiming to balance the economic and/or public health and safety benefits of a high-capacity well (withdrawing >100,000 gallons per day) with environmental impacts to groundwater-fed natural resources, including springs. Springs in Wisconsin support the state’s vast wetlands, lakes, and world-class trout streams while also sustaining critical habitat for endangered and threatened species. They are part of a rich cultural history and contribute to agriculture and tourism, two of the state’s largest economic enterprises. For these reasons, springs are recognized and protected in the state’s Groundwater Protection Act (WI Act 310), which passed in 2003 and requires a well owner to obtain Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (WDNR) approval of a high-capacity well prior to construction. However, the path to protection for some springs was not straightforward. Moreover, while one of the goals of WI Act 310 was to protect springs, the number and location of springs, as well as their hydrogeologic controls, were poorly documented at the time the groundwater use law passed. This talk reviews the evolution of the public’s perception of springs, as well as controversies over spring-water use versus conservation in Wisconsin, which ultimately led to policy change. Subsequent statewide inventorying and monitoring of over 400 springs prompted by the water-use law and conducted by the Wisconsin Geological and Natural History Survey (with support from the WDNR), led to an improved understanding of the number, types, and geologic context of springs in Wisconsin. Too often, due to financial constraints, comprehensive surveys end up representing a snapshot-in-time, thus limiting their long-term utility. But in Wisconsin, the WDNR continues to monitor spring flow and other conditions at these sites on a rotating basis (every 5-10 years) allowing for the development of temporal datasets and serving as a model for monitoring programs in support of groundwater use laws.

Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs. Vol. 57, No. 6, 2025

doi: 10.1130/abs/2025AM-9527

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