A Geographic Information Systems Methodology for the Identification of Groundwater Recharge Areas in Waukesha County, Wisconsin

Research Article| March 01, 2003 A Geographic Information Systems Methodology for the Identification of Groundwater Recharge Areas in Waukesha County, Wisconsin GARY M. BRAUN; GARY M. BRAUN 1STS Consulting Inc. 750 Corporate Woods Parkway Vernon Hills, IL 60061-3153 Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar NORMAN S. LEVINE; NORMAN S. LEVINE 2Department of Geology Bowling Green State University Bowling Green, OH 43403 ** Corresponding author; levinen@bgnet.bgsu.edu. New address (as of July 15, 2003): College of Charleston, Department of Geology and Environmental Geosciences, 66 George St., Charleston, SC 29424-0001 Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar SHEILA J. ROBERTS; SHEILA J. ROBERTS 2Department of Geology Bowling Green State University Bowling Green, OH 43403 Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar ARTHUR N. SAMEL ARTHUR N. SAMEL 3Department of Geography Bowling Green State University Bowling Green, OH 43403 Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Author and Article Information GARY M. BRAUN 1STS Consulting Inc. 750 Corporate Woods Parkway Vernon Hills, IL 60061-3153 NORMAN S. LEVINE ** Corresponding author; levinen@bgnet.bgsu.edu. New address (as of July 15, 2003): College of Charleston, Department of Geology and Environmental Geosciences, 66 George St., Charleston, SC 29424-0001 2Department of Geology Bowling Green State University Bowling Green, OH 43403 SHEILA J. ROBERTS 2Department of Geology Bowling Green State University Bowling Green, OH 43403 ARTHUR N. SAMEL 3Department of Geography Bowling Green State University Bowling Green, OH 43403 Publisher: Association of Environmental & Engineering Geologists First Online: 02 Mar 2017 Online ISSN: 1558-9161 Print ISSN: 1078-7275 Copyright © 2003 Geological Society of America Environmental & Engineering Geoscience (2003) 9 (3): 267–278. https://doi.org/10.2113/9.3.267 Article history First Online: 02 Mar 2017 Cite View This Citation Add to Citation Manager Share Icon Share Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Permissions Search Site Citation GARY M. BRAUN, NORMAN S. LEVINE, SHEILA J. ROBERTS, ARTHUR N. SAMEL; A Geographic Information Systems Methodology for the Identification of Groundwater Recharge Areas in Waukesha County, Wisconsin. Environmental & Engineering Geoscience 2003;; 9 (3): 267–278. doi: https://doi.org/10.2113/9.3.267 Download citation file: Ris (Zotero) Refmanager EasyBib Bookends Mendeley Papers EndNote RefWorks BibTex toolbar search Search Dropdown Menu toolbar search search input Search input auto suggest filter your search All ContentBy SocietyEnvironmental & Engineering Geoscience Search Advanced Search Abstract A Geographic Information Systems (GIS) based comparative methodology to delineate groundwater recharge areas was developed to identify recharge areas in Waukesha County, Wisconsin. Rapid growth in the county has increased fresh water demand, and groundwater levels have dropped between 45 and 60 meters. Recharge areas are particularly important to protect because misuse of these areas can lead to depletion of potable water supplies and increased groundwater contamination. Recharge potential mapping is an important step towards protecting regional groundwater resources. This study provides a method that can be implemented by local and regional planning boards to protect water resources. Precipitation, temperature, soil and land cover data were used to generate percolation, surface runoff and root-zone water capacity maps, which were used as proxies for recharge. These maps were then combined and ranked according to recharge potential, creating a recharge potential index suitable for land use planning decisions. Application of this method to Waukesha County, developed herein, indicates that the greatest source of recharge is the Kettle Moraine plateau in the western part of the county. Other regions with high recharge potential include those areas where interlobate moraines and drumlins are found at the surface. You do not have access to this content, please speak to your institutional administrator if you feel you should have access.