Portage County Groundwater Management Plan, 1988
The Portage County Groundwater Management Plan was completed in 1988 by the Portage County Planning Department and adopted by the County Board. It consists of two volumes: Volume I: Inventory and Analysis of County Groundwater Resources, Problems, and Needs (161 pages + Appendices of 37 pages) and Volume II: Planning, Management, and Educational Recommendations (28 pages + Appendices of 160 pages). These documents may be viewed at the Portage County Planning and Zoning Office in the County Annex, Stevens Point.
The goals of the Portage County Groundwater Management Plan are to provide specific action recommendations for groundwater protection and management in the County, and to provide a technical basis and justification for these recommendations based on the best available information. Volume I contains background information for developing management strategies. Actions taken included:
| Reviewing the environmental setting in Portage County (soil, subsurface, and aquifer factors) that can influence the quality and quantity of the groundwater resources |
| Identifying the areas in the County most susceptible to groundwater pollution |
| Inventorying and mapping the potential sources of groundwater pollution, and relating these land use activities to the environmental setting |
| Reviewing the existing pattern of groundwater use and quality, and identifying general areas of groundwater contamination |
| Reviewing the State regulatory framework and the general types of local options and approaches to groundwater management. |
Volume II contains specific planning, management, and education recommendations for Portage County. The following objectives were addressed:
| Identify potential corrective actions, technologies and alternatives to apply in areas already experiencing groundwater contamination |
| Develop management and regulatory alternatives and recommendations (action program) for implementing groundwater management and protection programs at the County level |
| Establish, where appropriate, various County departmental policies necessary to implement effective groundwater management |
| Develop a cooperative network with County municipalities, whereby these municipalities develop appropriate groundwater management strategies for areas outside of County jurisdiction |
To view a priority list of recommended groundwater management activities in 1988, click here. The County Board must approve the individual ordinances and new programs before they become effective.
(Source: Portage County Planning Department. Portage County Groundwater Management Plan Volume II: Planning, Management, and Educational Recommendations, 1988, page 1.26)
| Currently, the Portage County Planning and Zoning Department with the assistance of the Portage County Groundwater Citizens Advisory Committee (PCGCAC) is in the process of updating the Groundwater Management Plan. PCGCAC wants your input on what you think the proposed groundwater management goals and the strategies to accomplish these goals should be. |
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