Governor Scott Walker has signed legislation on high capacity wells. That means owners of high capacity wells will be able to avoid having their permits reviewed when they repair, re-drill, or sell their property.
The bill’s authors say it gives agricultural producers needed certainty on access to groundwater. Opponents claim it pits the state’s agriculture and tourism interests against one another.
The bill also requires the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources to complete a hydrologic study in central Wisconsin to evaluate the extent to which existing and potential groundwater withdrawals are impacting lakes and streams.