The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) has rolled out its numbers from last year, detailing how the state's rivers, lakes, and underground reserves were tapped. The 2023 Water Withdrawal Report brings to light a continuing trend of significant water usage across Wisconsin, with special focus on how the last year's intense drought influenced withdrawal rates.
A standout figure in the report is the 1.9 trillion gallons of water drawn yearly over the past decade – this is the volume it would take to blanket the entire state with about an inch and a half of water. Despite conservation efforts, 2023 still saw the withdrawal of 1.8 trillion gallons from over 14,000 sources, marking a near miss from the average annual water use from 2012 to 2023. Over 81% of this hefty total was credited to power plants and municipalities, thirsty for resources to meet their operational needs.
Last year's drought didn't help matters, dialing up the demand for agricultural water to its zenith since the state began tracking these figures back in 2011. "The drought conditions we experienced in 2023 highlight the importance of long-term monitoring of water use and water levels to ensure the sustainability of our water resources," Adam Freihoefer, the DNR's Water Use Section manager, told in an interview. Besieged by warm fronts and scant rainfall, farmers were impelled to initiate and prolong their irrigation efforts well beyond the usual schedule.
