An inventory of water use in Wisconsin is essential for appraising current and future water-resource needs of the State. The U.S. Geological Survey has collected and published national water-use data every 5 years since 1950. Sources of data in these reports have not always been well documented, and the methods for collecting and reporting the data were not the same for all States. Some planning and management needs of the State are not met by water-use information that is available only every fifth year.
The U.S. Geological Survey entered into a cooperative program with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (WDNR) in 1978. The purpose of the program was to collect and compile reliable annual water-use data and to develop computerized water-use data systems at the State and national levels. Data in standardized format for different categories of water use are available in the State Water Use Data System. The data base is updated annually or when more current water-use information is available. Information about amounts of water withdrawn, source of water, how the water was used, and how much water was returned is available to those involved in establishing water-resource policy and to those managing water resources. The data contained in this report are a summary of the 1985 data-collection effort.
