Water Resource Management – Groundwater
Water Resource Management
We build the capacity of individuals, organizations, and communities to improve surface water and groundwater quality through research, science-based education, collaborative conservation, and stewardship. Educators, specialists, and affiliated faculty work with local and state partners to promote land stewardship, including adoption of best management practices, to maintain healthy waters and improve those that are impaired.
By Topic
Explore the different ways we support water resource management throughout the state
Groundwater Awareness and Well Testing
We help people understand Wisconsin’s groundwater resources through education, analysis and interpretation of well water testing, and monitoring groundwater levels.
Center for Watershed Science and Education
The Center for Watershed Science and Education conducts water quality research, trains students to become future water quality professionals, and analyzes water samples for a wide range of contaminants, including metals, nutrients, and pesticides. It also houses the Central Wisconsin Groundwater Center that helps citizens and governments manage the groundwater in Wisconsin wisely, through education, public information, applied research, and technical assistance.
Emerging Contaminants Outreach
The environment around us can be impacted by hazardous materials, also known as contaminants, in ways that may affect our health and well-being. The Natural Resources Institute is dedicated to increasing access to information about emerging contaminants and collaborating with partners to foster better understanding of emerging contaminants in Wisconsin.
Groundwater-Level Monitoring Network
The Wisconsin Groundwater-Level Monitoring Network consists of roughly 100 long-term monitoring wells, plus dozens of project-funded wells that are monitored for specific groundwater studies. The network provides a consistent, high-quality record of water-level fluctuations in both shallow and deep aquifers systems across the state.
Featured Resources
Curious about groundwater quality in your area? The Wisconsin Geological and Natural History Survey has reports about the network of wells that monitor groundwater levels throughout the state and where you can find well records dating back to 1936.
The WI Well Water Quality Interactive Viewer was created as an educational tool to help people better understand Wisconsin’s groundwater resources using voluntarily submitted well water samples from homeowners and other well water data collected by state agencies.
This interactive guide is a free, self-paced resource specifically designed for private well owners in Wisconsin to become their own “water utility managers.” It reviews Wisconsin geology and aquifers, details of private well construction, and well water contaminants and testing.