The Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) created the groundwater inventory and map (GWIM) in accordance with Public Act 148 (Michigan, Public Acts of 2003). The act required the creation of eight specific products related to ground water, a general requirement for an inventory of groundwater information, and a directive to make the information available to the public. The act required the work be completed by August 8, 2005. DEQ created a cooperative research team involving groundwater and mapping experts from the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and Michigan State University (MSU) to complete the project.

The GWIM project was funded through a joint funding agreement between the DEQ and USGS in the amount of $900,000. The MSU team members were funded through a cooperative agreement between the USGS State Water Resources Research Institute Program and the Institute of Water Research with MSU receiving $453,000 from the DEQ-USGS joint funding agreement. The USGS Cooperative Water Program provided additional funding for the study in the amount of $250,000. The total project budget, not including in-kind staffing contributions from the DEQ, was $1,150,000.

In a separate but related effort, Public Act 148 also created the Groundwater Conservation Advisory Council. The council is charged with studying the sustainability of groundwater resources in the State and reporting to the legislature by February, 2006 as to whether the state should provide additional regulatory oversight of groundwater withdrawals. The final GWIM products were completed on August 8, 2005 and made available to the council to assist with the generation of their report. Information on the activities of the Groundwater Conservation Advisory Council can be found at www.michigan.gov/deq/0,1607,7-135-3313-86262--,00.html

The inventory and maps assembled to comply with P.A. 148 are summarized in an executive summary available on the project web site. The web site is an important feature of the project. All the assembled data and analyses are available on the site, in addition to the final maps as required by the legislation. In fulfilling the requirement to “collect and compile groundwater data into a statewide groundwater inventory ...” the project also included a search of available literature for relevant theses, journal articles, abstracts, conference presentations or papers, and government documents related to groundwater anywhere in Michigan. The website may be accessed at gwmap.rsgis.msu.edu/.

P.A. 148, Section 32802 (Michigan, Public Acts of 2003) specified the “groundwater inventory and map” include the following items (a) through (h). Compliance with the requirement was met, in part, by development of summary maps related to the following topics.

1. Location and water yielding capabilities of aquifers in the state.

2. Aquifer recharge rates in the state.

3. Static water levels of groundwater in the state.

4. Base flow of rivers and streams in the state.

5. Conflict areas in the state (as defined by P.A. 177).

6. Surface waters, including designated trout lakes and streams, and groundwater dependent natural resources that are identified on the natural features inventory.

7. The location and pumping capacity of all registered industrial or processing facilities, all registered, non-agricultural irrigation facilities, and all public water supply systems that have the capacity to withdraw over 100,000 gallons of groundwater per day as an average in any consecutive 30-day period.

8. Aggregate agricultural water use and consumptive use, by township.

Although the GWIM products provide a wealth of valuable new information processed from the compilation of existing data, decisions regarding specific groundwater uses more often than not will require site-specific studies that go beyond the scope of the project.

The GWIM products are available to end-users in three ways. The DEQ Water Bureau web site provides links to three distribution mechanisms as follows:

• A web-based mapping site hosted by Remote Sensing and GIS Research and Outreach Services at MSU is at gwmap.rsgis.msu.edu. Digital data from the GWIM project are also available for download from this site.

• Digital data provided on compact disc for use with the Map Image Viewer (MIV) software, an easy-to-use GIS software package for viewing and analyzing spatial data. The Remote Sensing and GIS Research and Outreach Services group at MSU provides this alternative. There is a charge for the MIV service for users other than local health departments and the DEQ.

• Digital data and products from the GWIM project will also be available for download through the State of Michigan, Center for Geographic Information website at www.michigan.gov/cgi.

Cooperative Research Team

DEQ Technical Review and Advisory Panel

Cooperating Agencies and Staff