The 2016 Groundwater Flow Model for Dane County, Wisconsin, is a decision-support tool that can be used to site new wells, develop wellhead protection plans, evaluate the effects of changing land use and climate on groundwater, and quantify the relationships between groundwater and surface water. This is considered an essential tool for county planners, engineering consultants, water utilities, researchers, and others interested in understanding Dane County’s groundwater resources.
Download files
Want a copy of the Dane County Groundwater Flow Model? Download the report, user’s manual, and model files below.



View roll-out presentations
On January 19, 2016, the Wisconsin Geological and Natural History Survey hosted a public roll-out of the 2016 Dane County Groundwater Flow Model. Watch the presentations from this event below or on our YouTube channel.
Part 1: Ken Bradbury and Mike Parsen (WGNHS) describe the 2016 groundwater flow model. [59:08 minutes]
Part 2: Ecological limits of hydrologic alteration (ELoHA) in Dane County streams. Matt Diebel (Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources) describes how they’ve used the model to examine changes to stream flow as a result of groundwater withdrawals. [27:00 minutes]
Part 3: Modeling historical nitrate loading to groundwater in Dane County using contemporary well data. Cory McDonald (Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources) explains how the model was used to study nitrate concentrations in the shallow aquifer in Dane County. [28:40 minutes]
More information
For more details, contact one of the following WGNHS hydrogeologists:
- Dave Hart, david.hart@wisc.edu, (608) 262-2307
- Amy Wiersma, amy.wiersma@wisc.edu, (608) 265-3121