Study of health of Wisconsin springs launched

Wisconsin’s rivers, lakes, wetlands and groundwater are invaluable resources that affect every Wisconsin citizen. But while the ecology of lakes, streams and wetlands has been extensively studied, knowledge of springs ecology in Wisconsin and elsewhere is limited.

A recent grant from Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and the UW–Madison Water Resources Institute will help researchers take a step forward in understanding the ecology of seeps and springs in the state.

UW–Madison Arboretum staff member David Zaber and Beloit College Professor Susan Swanson will study freshwater springs in southern Wisconsin in association with Kenneth Bradbury and David Hart of UW-Extension’s Wisconsin Geological and Natural History Survey.

“The information developed from this project should assist a variety of parties interested in protecting our unique spring ecosystems, including the DNR, private landowners and others,” says Zaber. “At the same time, we’ll be looking at some basic ecological questions using the data gathered from spring monitoring activities over the next two years.”

The project was initiated in response to new legislation in Wisconsin that requires environmental assessment of some springs prior to the installation of new high-capacity pumping wells. It combines hydrogeology, aquatic ecology and social outreach in an effort to develop a working database for the spring resources in southern Wisconsin.

Using a comprehensive springs classification system developed by Abe Springer of Northern Arizona University, the team will describe and document the physical, biological and sociocultural characteristics of typical spring systems in the glaciated and unglaciated regions of Wisconsin. This will assist in determining the ecological status of typical spring systems, which is a critical first step in assessing vulnerability to pumping because it provides baseline conditions to which changes can be compared.

“Documenting current conditions is important because changes in things like spring flow can also indicate broader impacts of pumping on an aquifer,” says Swanson.

To further address the issue of vulnerability, the group will formulate hydrogeological conceptual models of typical spring systems, which may be useful for groundwater modeling studies if wells are proposed in the future. All spring data will be recorded and managed in a springs GIS, which will help to address the lack of a central database for springs information.