Thursday, May 10, 2018
The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) tracks and reports water use from around the state. The Water Use Program gathers data about how much water is being pulled from the ground and from surface sources such as wells, ponds, streams, rivers and lakes. All property owners in Wisconsin capable of withdrawing 100,000 gallons of water per day are required to register and report these withdrawals to the DNR.
The Wisconsin Digital Archives makes available the annual water use reports that the DNR publishes. The reports provide statistics about how much water is withdrawn by industry, maps of where the water is being pulled from and information about water being withdrawn from Lake Michigan.
The DNR also makes available a searchable database of people and companies that have registered with the DNR because they withdraw over 100,000 gallons of water per day. The information provided is much more granular and details water withdrawal and use specific to the person or company from 2010 to current.
Posted by: Abby Swanton, Resources for Libraries and Lifelong Learning