Manitowoc County was one of the top counties using surface water in 2023.
The information comes from the Wisconsin DNR’s 2023 Water Withdrawal Report, which provides an overview of trends over the last decade in Wisconsin.
This report is specifically focused on the drought of the water withdrawal with most of it used for power production, municipal water supply, and growing crops.
In 2023, surface water withdrawals accounted for 85% of total water use, with Manitowoc County using the second most surface water for power generation, just behind Milwaukee County.
Sheboygan County was fifth, while other counties like Ozaukee, Marathon, and Brown were in the top ten.
In total, 1.8 trillion gallons of water were withdrawn in 2023, equivalent to 600,000 two-liter sodas per person in Wisconsin.
Billions of gallons were also taken through groundwater and were used for other purposes like paper manufacturing, cranberry production, and agricultural irrigation.
While water use across Wisconsin was near average, the severe drought conditions in some parts of the state during the growing season led to agricultural water withdrawals reaching their highest level since water use reporting began in 2011.
Water withdrawals vary throughout the year as monthly trends in water use are often related to monthly temperatures, the growing season, and precipitation patterns.
The full report can be found online at dnr.wisconsin.gov.
