AB 50

Groundwater management areas

Designation

This bill establishes standards and a process for designating areas in this state

as groundwater management areas. The standards vary depending on whether an

area has a confined aquifer or an unconfined aquifer. An aquifer is a water-bearing

geologic formation. A confined aquifer has above it a layer (of rock, for example)

through which water does not pass easily. An unconfined aquifer does not have such

a layer above it.

The standards for designating an area with a confined aquifer as a groundwater

management area are related to effects that groundwater pumping has in reducing

the level to which water would rise in an open well or in reducing the water level in

wells pumping from the aquifer. The standards for designating an area with an

unconfined aquifer as a groundwater management area are related to reductions in

stream flows caused by pumping and to declines in water tables.

Current law provides for a Groundwater Coordinating Council, consisting of

the secretaries of natural resources, safety and professional services, agriculture,

trade and consumer protection, health services, and transportation, and the

president of the University of Wisconsin System, or their designees; the state

geologist; and a person to represent the governor. This bill requires the GCC to

appoint a subcommittee on groundwater area review (council subcommittee),

consisting of individuals with technical expertise in the area of groundwater science

and management.

This bill requires the council subcommittee to examine areas that may qualify

for designation as groundwater management areas and to forward its conclusions to

the GCC. The council subcommittee must first consider three specific areas for

possible designation as groundwater management areas: one area in and adjacent

to Brown County; one area in and adjacent to Waukesha County; and the area known

as the central sands region. A person may petition the Department of Natural

Resources for an area to be designated as a groundwater management area, which

the council subcommittee must then consider. If the council subcommittee forwards

a conclusion that an area qualifies as a groundwater management area and the GCC

agrees with that conclusion, the GCC may recommend that DNR designate the area

as a groundwater management area. If DNR receives such a recommendation from

the GCC, DNR may, by rule, designate the area as a groundwater management area.

After DNR promulgates a rule designating an area as a groundwater

management area, it must establish a date by which it is reasonable to expect that

groundwater conditions in the area will improve to the point that the area will no

longer qualify as a groundwater management area (a target date), and conditions to

balance groundwater consumption and groundwater replenishment so that there

are no significant adverse environmental impacts to surface water or groundwater