Groundwater

Groundwater is the water beneath the land surface that fills the spaces in rock and sediment. It is replenished by precipitation, which can take weeks, months, or years, depending on where you are in Minnesota. Groundwater flows into many lakes and streams, which is why they stay wet or keep flowing even during a dry spell. 

Groundwater supplies 75 percent of Minnesota's drinking water and 90 percent of agricultural irrigation. Availability varies throughout the state and may be limited in areas for larger withdrawals.

State Agency Roles

• Minnesota Department of Natural Resources: availability and ecological impacts
• Minnesota Department of Agriculture: agricultural pesticide and fertilizer contamination
• Minnesota Pollution Control Agency: industrial contamination
• Minnesota Department of Health: drinking water supply

Management

• Minnesota Water Statutes and Rules
• Water Use Permits
• Groundwater Management Program
• Groundwater Watersheds

Data and Maps

• Climatology
• Groundwater Level Data
• Groundwater Atlas
• Minnesota Well Index
• Water Resources Data

Contacts

• Groundwater Atlas Program

Documents

• Groundwater Management: Capacity Assessment at the Local Level (December 2015)
• Minnesota's Pilot Study Report for the National Groundwater Monitoring Network (March 2011)
• Evaluation of Models and Tools for Assessing Groundwater Availability and Sustainability (2010)
• Water Availability Assessment Report (2010)
• Long Term Protection of the State's Surface Water and Groundwater Resources (January 2010)
• Minnesota's Water Supply - Natural Conditions and Human Impacts (September 2000)
• Minnesota Groundwater Bibliography (June 1989, revised June 1990)
• Understanding Ground Water Level Trends, Second Edition (June 1989)
• The Natural Quality of Ground Water in Minnesota (April 1974)
• The Chemical Quality of Ground Water in the Minneapolis - St. Paul Area (April 1965)