Skip to main content

Part 327 water withdrawal permits and registration

Streamgage 04043050 on the bank of the Trap Rock River near Lake Linden, Michigan in the Keweenaw Peninsula.
Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy

Part 327 water withdrawal permits and registration

Our Water Use Program manages large water withdrawals in Michigan to help protect our rivers, streams, lakes, and groundwater. If a business, farm, municipality, or other facility plans to pump large amounts of water, it may be considered a Large Quantity Withdrawal.

A Large Quantity Withdrawal is defined as having the capacity to withdraw more than 100,000 gallons per day (GPD) over a 30-day period (70 gallons per minute (GPM)), and includes the combined total for all pumps on the property.

Owners of Large Quantity Withdrawals are required by state law to register the withdrawal or obtain a permit before operating. The Water Use Program reviews proposed withdrawals to make sure they do not significantly alter the local water balance resulting in harm to nearby water resources or aquatic life.

These requirements are part of Michigan’s water protection law and the regional Great Lakes–St. Lawrence River Basin Water Resources Compact, which helps safeguard Great Lakes water across the region.

Current permit applications

Requirements for permits and registrations

A water withdrawal permit or registration is required before starting new or increased Large Quantity Withdrawals.

If you have any questions during your registration or permit process, contact us at 517-599-3792 or WaterUseProgram@Michigan.gov

  • Registration

    • More than 100,000 GPD (70 GPM) in withdrawal capacity
    • Up to 2,000,000 GPD (1,388 GPM) in withdrawal capacity

    Applying for a registration requires an assessment of a proposed withdrawal’s impact on local water resources. 

    • Use Water Withdrawal Assessment Tool to apply for a registration
      • Withdrawals passing the Assessment Tool can be registered immediately
      • Withdrawals that don't pass can be reviewed in greater detail by EGLE to pursue registration within a Site-Specific Review (SSR) or alternative analysis. 

  • Permit*

    • More than 2,000,000 GPD (1,388 GPM) in withdrawal capacity in zones with high water availability
    • More than 1,000,000 GPD (694 GPM) in withdrawal capacity in zones with low water availability
    • More than 100,000 GPD moved between Great Lake watersheds
    • Apply using MiEnviro Portal (requires account) and paying the $2,000 application fee
      • Contact us prior to submitting your permit application
      • The fee may be refundable if the permit is determined to not be necessary or in instances where payment is collected incorrectly
      • If you think you paid a permit fee in error, please contact us

*Exceptions to water withdrawal permit requirements:

  • Community water supplies, bottled water, and seasonal/temporary withdrawals

    These withdrawals aren't required to obtain a water withdrawal permit even if they have a withdrawal capacity that meets the criteria listed above:

    • Community water supplies - contact your Community Water Supply Program district engineer instead
    • Bottled water production - review the Bottled Water Source Approval requirements instead
    • Seasonal withdrawals - active for no more than 6 months per year AND average less than 2,000,000 GPD water use in any consecutive 90-day period within their season of operation
    • Temporary withdrawals - short term withdrawals that total less than 180,000,000 gallons water use for the entire withdrawal period

What happens after using the Water Withdrawal Assessment Tool?

The Water Withdrawal Assessment Tool is a screening system that predicts whether a large quantity withdrawal is likely to cause an adverse resource impact to nearby streams or rivers.

  • If the proposed withdrawal passes the Water Withdrawal Assessment Tool...
    • It can be registered immediately
    • The registration receipt produced by the Water Withdrawal Assessment Tool is legal authorization from EGLE to make the withdrawal
  • If the proposed withdrawal doesn't pass the Water Withdrawal Assessment Tool...
    • A site-specific review can be requested to pursue authorization of the withdrawal.
      • A site-specific review is a deeper investigation and analysis performed by EGLE staff that overrides the Water Withdrawal Assessment Tool and often results in a successful registration. 
    • The property owner also has the option to hire a consultant to submit a third-party analysis instead of a EGLE site-specific review.

Learn more about the third-party analysis

  • Great Lakes St Lawrence Basin

    Great Lakes water diversions

    Any community completely outside of the Great Lakes Basin are prohibited from withdrawals. To date, only a single diversion application has been approved - the City of Waukesha, Wisconsin.