Groundwater is an important water resource. The USGS collects information on the quality and quantity of groundwater and conducts advanced modeling of groundwater flow and groundwater/surface-water systems. The USGS also evaluates the effects of water-use, land-use, and climate change on groundwater, surface-water, and the ecosystems that rely on them.
What is groundwater?
Groundwater is all the water below the land surface that fills the porous space in soil and rocks. The soil and rocks that store and transmit water are known as aquifers. The upper surface of the groundwater forms the water table. Groundwater is replenished (recharged) by rain and snowmelt that permeates through the soil and infiltrates downward to the aquifer. In Wisconsin, groundwater is the main source of drinking water for two-thirds of Wisconsin's residents, as well as for commercial, agricultural, and mining uses.
How is groundwater connected to surface water?
Nearly all surface-water features (streams, lakes, reservoirs, wetlands, and estuaries) interact with groundwater. These interactions take many forms. In Wisconsin, it is most typical that surface-water features gain water from ground-water systems. In certain circumstances however, a surface-water feature can act a source of ground-water recharge and can cause changes in ground-water quality. Because of the connection between surface and groundwater, withdrawal of water from streams can reduce the groundwater resource, or conversely, pumpage of groundwater can reduce the water that would typically flow to streams, lakes, or wetlands. Pollution of surface water can cause degradation of groundwater quality and conversely pollution of groundwater can degrade surface water. Effective land and water management requires a clear understanding of the linkages between groundwater and surface water as it applies to any given hydrologic setting.
Learn more about groundwater and groundwater-related issues.
USGS groundwater activities in Wisconsin
The USGS employs state-of-the-science techniques and expertise to advance the understanding of the relation of groundwater systems to other natural resources and humans. Some of our current work focuses on:
- Operation and maintenance of the Wisconsin Observation Well Network, including data collection, processing, archiving, and presentation
- Collection and analysis of water-use data
- Simulation of groundwater/surface-water systems
- Evaluating land use and climate change effects on groundwater, surface-water, and habitat
- Simulation of groundwater/surface-water systems to ensure protection of water supply wells
- Simulation of the effects of water diversion on shallow groundwater and lake systems
- Relation between groundwater flow and water-quality, with particular expertise in pathogen detection and transport in groundwater
- Hydrologic and biogeochemical budgets in temperate lakes and their watersheds
- Groundwater water-quality assessments
- Spatial and temporal shallow groundwater recharge rates
USGS groundwater data for Wisconsin
The USGS and its partners monitor groundwater levels in roughly a hundred of wells in Wisconsin. Groundwater-level data are collected and stored as either as continuous time-series data from automated recorders or discrete field water-level measurements. All Wisconsin data collected by the USGS and partners are stored and made available through the National Water Information System and Groundwater Watch. Additional partner data is available through the Wisconsin Active Water Level Network.
Hydrogeologic modeling
The TC Chamberlin Modeling Center provides advanced computing resources to modelers to implement powerful new computational and analytical techniques. The Modeling Center trains others in the skills needed for future modeling projects and develops, implements, and disseminates state-of-the-art techniques and tools so that models are more effectively applied to today’s decision-making.
Our modeling specialties include:
- Groundwater-flow modeling
- Coupled groundwater/surface-water modeling
- Fate and transport modeling
- Model calibration and evaluation of prediction uncertainty
- Modeling in support of ecohydrology studies
Below are other science projects associated with this project.
TC Chamberlin Modeling Center
PEST++: A Parameter ESTimation code optimized for large environmental models
PESTCommander: A graphical user interface for file and run management across networks
GENIE: A general model-independent TCP/IP run manager
TSPROC: a general time-series processor to assist in model calibration and result summarization
Water use in Wisconsin
Drought hazards in Wisconsin
Water, Energy, and Biogeochemical Budgets (WEBB): Trout Lake
Soil-Water-Balance (SWB): A modified Thornthwaite-Mather model for estimating groundwater recharge
Below are data or web applications associated with this project.
Groundwater data for Wisconsin
Data from wells, springs, test holes, tunnels, drains, and excavations in Wisconsin; well location data includes information such as latitude and longitude, well depth, and aquifer. Groundwater level data are collected and stored as either discrete field-water-level measurements or as continuous time-series data from automated recorders.
Below are publications associated with this project.
Ground water and surface water: A single resource
Below are data or web applications associated with this project.
National Ground-Water Monitoring Network (NGWMN) Data Portal
The NGWMN Data Portal provides access to groundwater data from multiple, dispersed databases in a web-based mapping application. The Portal contains current and historical data including water levels, water quality, lithology, and well construction.
Bad River Groundwater Model Mapper
The Bad River Groundwater Model Mapper accompanies the report "Groundwater-Surface Water Interactions in the Bad River Watershed, Wisconsin". The mapper displays model inputs such as aquifer recharge and hydraulic conductivity; outputs including water-table elevations, groundwater-flow directions, and stream baseflows; and the results of an analysis evaluating potential monitoring well locations.
Below are software products associated with this project.
Soil-Water-Balance (SWB) for estimating groundwater recharge
The Soil-Water-Balance (SWB) model has been developed to allow estimates of potential recharge to be made quickly and easily. The code calculates components of the water balance at a daily time-step by means of a modified version of the Thornthwaite-Mather soil-moisture-balance approach.
PESTCommander
PESTCommander is an object-oriented Graphical User Interface (GUI) written in Python® that facilitates the management of model files ("file management") and remote launching and termination of slave computers across a distributed network of computers ("run management").
GENIE Version 2: A general model-independent TCP/IP run manager
GENIE Version 2 is a model-independent suite of programs that can be used to generally distribute, manage, and execute multiple model runs via a TCP/IP network. The suite consists of a file distribution interface, a run manager, a run executer, and a routine that can be compiled as part of a program and used to exchange model runs with the run manager.
TSPROC: a general time-series processor to assist in model calibration and result summarization
TSPROC (Time Series PROCessor) is a software package designed to assist in the calibration of models by editing and distilling time series datasets into more meaningful observations to be used in the optimization objective function. TSPROC uses a simple scripting language to process and analyze time series.
Below are partners associated with this project.
- Overview
Groundwater is an important water resource. The USGS collects information on the quality and quantity of groundwater and conducts advanced modeling of groundwater flow and groundwater/surface-water systems. The USGS also evaluates the effects of water-use, land-use, and climate change on groundwater, surface-water, and the ecosystems that rely on them.
The continuously bubbling water at the Frederick Springs sand boil at Pheasant Branch Conservatory in Middleton, Wis., is created groundwater flowing up through cracks in the overlying rock and sand. What is groundwater?
Groundwater is all the water below the land surface that fills the porous space in soil and rocks. The soil and rocks that store and transmit water are known as aquifers. The upper surface of the groundwater forms the water table. Groundwater is replenished (recharged) by rain and snowmelt that permeates through the soil and infiltrates downward to the aquifer. In Wisconsin, groundwater is the main source of drinking water for two-thirds of Wisconsin's residents, as well as for commercial, agricultural, and mining uses.
How is groundwater connected to surface water?
Nearly all surface-water features (streams, lakes, reservoirs, wetlands, and estuaries) interact with groundwater. These interactions take many forms. In Wisconsin, it is most typical that surface-water features gain water from ground-water systems. In certain circumstances however, a surface-water feature can act a source of ground-water recharge and can cause changes in ground-water quality. Because of the connection between surface and groundwater, withdrawal of water from streams can reduce the groundwater resource, or conversely, pumpage of groundwater can reduce the water that would typically flow to streams, lakes, or wetlands. Pollution of surface water can cause degradation of groundwater quality and conversely pollution of groundwater can degrade surface water. Effective land and water management requires a clear understanding of the linkages between groundwater and surface water as it applies to any given hydrologic setting.
Learn more about groundwater and groundwater-related issues.
USGS groundwater activities in Wisconsin
The USGS employs state-of-the-science techniques and expertise to advance the understanding of the relation of groundwater systems to other natural resources and humans. Some of our current work focuses on:
- Operation and maintenance of the Wisconsin Observation Well Network, including data collection, processing, archiving, and presentation
- Collection and analysis of water-use data
- Simulation of groundwater/surface-water systems
- Evaluating land use and climate change effects on groundwater, surface-water, and habitat
- Simulation of groundwater/surface-water systems to ensure protection of water supply wells
- Simulation of the effects of water diversion on shallow groundwater and lake systems
- Relation between groundwater flow and water-quality, with particular expertise in pathogen detection and transport in groundwater
- Hydrologic and biogeochemical budgets in temperate lakes and their watersheds
- Groundwater water-quality assessments
- Spatial and temporal shallow groundwater recharge rates
Example chart showing daily groundwater level measurements (blue line) compared to historical daily mean (green). At this site, daily values have been well below the historical mean for the past two years, but have recently started to rebound. USGS groundwater data for Wisconsin
The USGS and its partners monitor groundwater levels in roughly a hundred of wells in Wisconsin. Groundwater-level data are collected and stored as either as continuous time-series data from automated recorders or discrete field water-level measurements. All Wisconsin data collected by the USGS and partners are stored and made available through the National Water Information System and Groundwater Watch. Additional partner data is available through the Wisconsin Active Water Level Network.
Hydrogeologic modeling
The TC Chamberlin Modeling Center provides advanced computing resources to modelers to implement powerful new computational and analytical techniques. The Modeling Center trains others in the skills needed for future modeling projects and develops, implements, and disseminates state-of-the-art techniques and tools so that models are more effectively applied to today’s decision-making.
Our modeling specialties include:
- Groundwater-flow modeling
- Coupled groundwater/surface-water modeling
- Fate and transport modeling
- Model calibration and evaluation of prediction uncertainty
- Modeling in support of ecohydrology studies
- Science
Below are other science projects associated with this project.
TC Chamberlin Modeling Center
The TC Chamberlin Modeling Center provides one-stop access to advanced computing so no project is limited by a lack of computer power. The Center can provide hardware access, assistance with migration and implementation, and training. We also develop, test, and disseminate state-of-the-art computational and analytical techniques and tools so models can be more effectively used in decision-making.PEST++: A Parameter ESTimation code optimized for large environmental models
The PEST++ software suite is object-oriented universal computer code written in C++ that expands on and extends the algorithms included in PEST, a widely used parameter estimation code written in Fortran. PEST++ is designed to lower the barriers of entry for users and developers while providing efficient algorithms that can accommodate large, highly parameterized problems.PESTCommander: A graphical user interface for file and run management across networks
PESTCommander is an object-oriented Graphical User Interface (GUI) written in Python® that facilitates the management of model files ("file management") and remote launching and termination of slave computers across a distributed network of computers ("run management").GENIE: A general model-independent TCP/IP run manager
GENIE is a model-independent suite of programs that can be used to generally distribute, manage, and execute multiple model runs via the TCP/IP infrastructure. The suite consists of a file distribution interface, a run manage, a run executer, and a routine that can be compiled as part of a program and used to exchange model runs with the run manager.TSPROC: a general time-series processor to assist in model calibration and result summarization
TSPROC (Time Series PROCessor) is a software package designed to assist in the calibration of models by editing and distilling time series datasets into more meaningful observations to be used in the optimization objective function. The software performs calculations on time-series data associated with surface-water models, including calculation of flow volumes, transformation by means of basic...Water use in Wisconsin
Water-use information is essential for managing Wisconsin's valuable water resources. This critical information includes knowing how much, where, and for what purpose water is being used. The USGS works in cooperation with local, state, and federal environmental agencies to collect water-use information, and compiles and disseminates aggregated data at the county, state, and national level.Drought hazards in Wisconsin
A summary of USGS resources and data related to drought hazards in Wisconsin.Water, Energy, and Biogeochemical Budgets (WEBB): Trout Lake
USGS initiated the Water, Energy, and Biogeochemical Budgets (WEBB) program to understand the processes controlling water, energy, and biogeochemical fluxes over a range of temporal and spatial scales, and the effects of atmospheric and climatic variables. Trout Lake is one of five small, geographically and ecologically diverse watersheds representing a range of hydrologic and climatic conditions.Soil-Water-Balance (SWB): A modified Thornthwaite-Mather model for estimating groundwater recharge
The Soil-Water-Balance (SWB) model has been developed to allow estimates of potential recharge to be made quickly and easily. The code calculates components of the water balance at a daily time-step by means of a modified version of the Thornthwaite-Mather soil-moisture-balance approach. - Data
Below are data or web applications associated with this project.
Groundwater data for Wisconsin
Data from wells, springs, test holes, tunnels, drains, and excavations in Wisconsin; well location data includes information such as latitude and longitude, well depth, and aquifer. Groundwater level data are collected and stored as either discrete field-water-level measurements or as continuous time-series data from automated recorders.
- Publications
Below are publications associated with this project.
Ground water and surface water: A single resource
The importance of considering ground water and surface water as a single resource has become increasingly evident. Issues related to water supply, water quality, and degradation of aquatic environments are reported on frequently. The interaction of ground water and surface water has been shown to be a significant concern in many of these issues. Contaminated aquifers that discharge to streams canAuthorsThomas C. Winter, Judson W. Harvey, O. Lehn Franke, William M. Alley - Web Tools
Below are data or web applications associated with this project.
National Ground-Water Monitoring Network (NGWMN) Data Portal
The NGWMN Data Portal provides access to groundwater data from multiple, dispersed databases in a web-based mapping application. The Portal contains current and historical data including water levels, water quality, lithology, and well construction.
Bad River Groundwater Model Mapper
The Bad River Groundwater Model Mapper accompanies the report "Groundwater-Surface Water Interactions in the Bad River Watershed, Wisconsin". The mapper displays model inputs such as aquifer recharge and hydraulic conductivity; outputs including water-table elevations, groundwater-flow directions, and stream baseflows; and the results of an analysis evaluating potential monitoring well locations.
- Software
Below are software products associated with this project.
Soil-Water-Balance (SWB) for estimating groundwater recharge
The Soil-Water-Balance (SWB) model has been developed to allow estimates of potential recharge to be made quickly and easily. The code calculates components of the water balance at a daily time-step by means of a modified version of the Thornthwaite-Mather soil-moisture-balance approach.
PESTCommander
PESTCommander is an object-oriented Graphical User Interface (GUI) written in Python® that facilitates the management of model files ("file management") and remote launching and termination of slave computers across a distributed network of computers ("run management").
GENIE Version 2: A general model-independent TCP/IP run manager
GENIE Version 2 is a model-independent suite of programs that can be used to generally distribute, manage, and execute multiple model runs via a TCP/IP network. The suite consists of a file distribution interface, a run manager, a run executer, and a routine that can be compiled as part of a program and used to exchange model runs with the run manager.
TSPROC: a general time-series processor to assist in model calibration and result summarization
TSPROC (Time Series PROCessor) is a software package designed to assist in the calibration of models by editing and distilling time series datasets into more meaningful observations to be used in the optimization objective function. TSPROC uses a simple scripting language to process and analyze time series.
- Partners
Below are partners associated with this project.