Nathaniel Wojcicki, “Streamflow Characteristic Changes in a Catchment with Numerous High-Capacity Wells”
Mentor: Woonsup Choi, Geography
In the presence of human activity, hydrological droughts may not solely occur from nature. Human activities such as irrigation and reservoir maintenance can be correlated with water levels. Water used for irrigation and reservoir maintenance comes from high-capacity wells. In the state of Wisconsin, high-capacity wells had increased by 12,000 since 1983 in 2014. It is important to understand the effect high-capacity wells have on their sources. The human impacts on hydrological droughts were investigated through the changes in streamflow characteristics in a drainage area with numerous high-capacity wells. The drainage area of the numerous high-capacity wells is known as the “Central Sands Region”, a region located east of the Wisconsin River that spans 1.75 million acres across the counties of Adams, Marathon, Portage, Shawano, Waupaca, Waushara, and Wood. The Waupaca weather station represented the weather station of the numerous high-capacity wells. The United States Geological Survey monitoring site at the Fox River in Berlin, Wisconsin, and the United States Geological Survey hydrologic boundary of 04073500 represented the monitoring site and drainage area of the normal number of high-capacity wells. There was a difference between precipitation and streamflow from 1980 to present day at the Waupaca weather station. The drought events recorded at the Waupaca weather station also had longer duration, larger deficits, and a larger number since 1980. The difference between precipitation and streamflow change at the Waupaca weather station allows one to question if human activity may have contributed. Coupled with the differences in drought statistics, there appears to be a lack of streamflow in the drainage area that makes up the Central Sands region. These drought characteristics may manifest in other areas where irrigation and reservoir maintenance are in demand. The implementation of many high-capacity wells may result in more droughts and lower streamflow.
Dear viewers of my research project,
My name is Nate Wojcicki. I am a senior Geography major with an emphasis in Geographic Information Science and an interest in the environment. Geographic Information Science is a scientific discipline that consists of the capture, representation, processing, and analyzing of geographic information. I worked on the “Streamflow Characteristic Changes in a Catchment with Numerous High-Capacity Wells” last summer. I will be more than happy to answer any questions you may have about my project.
Nate – Excellent work! Can you comment on whether the numbers of high capacity wells continue to increase? Might this become an increasing problem? How else might this phenomenon interact with other aspects of climate change? Your presentation is very nicely done — extremely clear and well communicated. Bravo!
I appreciate the kind words Mrs. Esguerra.
Since 2014, the number of high capacity wells constructed in Wisconsin have decreased with their being less than 25 constructed in 2018, a drastic decrease from the number of high capacity wells constructed per year between 1984 to 2014. This small number of high capacity wells constructed in 2018 was largely impacted by a lawsuit won by Clean Wisconsin in 2017, a Wisconsin environmental advocacy organization. Clean Wisconsin won a lawsuit against the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources that nullified the weak high-capacity well permits, requiring the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources to carry out their constitutional duty to keep Wisconsin’s rivers, lakes, and streams safe by considering the impacts that these high capacity wells have.
In addition to longer and larger droughts events, a continued increase in high capacity wells can negatively impact climate change by decreasing the size aquatic species habitats and lowering the level of the water table.