Since 1936, well drillers have been required by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) to file a well construction report (WCR) for any well drilled for drinking water, irrigation, and other uses.
WCRs typically contain information about:
- the well owner, owner’s mailing address, and location of the well (most reports do not list street addresses and some do not list quarter sections)
- distances from the well to buildings, sewers, silos, or animal yards
- construction of the well, including diameters and lengths of the drillhole and of casing, liner, or screen
- the geologic materials the driller observed during drilling the well
- water level and pumping test data
- the well driller’s name and address
- the date the well was completed
- the date that a water sample was sent to a laboratory for analysis
Except in rare cases, none of this information has been field-checked. Errors, especially with regard to the location of the well, are common.
WCR searches
The following online database is available for you to search at no charge:
https://apps.dnr.wi.gov/wellconstructionpub/#!/PublicSearch/Index
(Please note: We no longer offer our fee-based service to search for and provide copies of WCRs.)
More information
Well Geolocation Efforts
For over 40 years, the WGNHS has incorporated well geolocation into our mapping efforts. Well geolocation is the process of assessing and documenting the estimated true location of a well based on the initial location provided by the well driller. Before GPS, the initial location was often a generalized description, and even when using GPS, location errors are still found. Over the years, numerous WGNHS staff members and student workers have worked with the location information available on the WCRs, topographic maps, satellite imagery, street address information, and land parcel datasets to determine map coordinates for wells. Having accurate coordinates is crucial for our mapping efforts, as well as evaluation and permitting at the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. Learn more about recommended practices here.
DNR Well Driller Viewer
The DNR’s Well Driller Viewer is an interactive map displaying information to assist drillers in siting wells, including well records. The map can now be used on mobile devices with the ArcGIS Field Maps app. Download the app, then search for the map called “Well Driller Viewer – Mobile-Friendly Map.”
High-capacity wells
Want to know the locations of high-capacity wells and how much water they’re pumping? Visit the DNR’s Water Withdrawal and High-Capacity Well Viewer.
Abandoning a well
For information on well abandonment procedures and forms, please contact the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources.
To find out whether a well abandonment form is on file for a specific well, visit the DNR’s Well Filling and Sealing Report System. (WGNHS does not have any well abandonment data.)