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Land and Water Resources Management Plan
The Walworth County Land and Water Resources Management Plan was prepared under the guidance of the Walworth County Land Conservation Committee with the contributions from diverse group of citizens, natural resource professionals, and elected officials. Their input into the preparation of this plan was thoughtful, important and timely. Thanks to the many citizens who shared their vision, about the future of Walworth County's land and water resources.
Land and Water Resources Management Plan
Walworth County Water Conservation Plan
A clean and abundant supply of water plays a vital role in Walworth County’s economy. Walworth County residents and businesses have plentiful and safe water for human consumption and industrial use.
Municipal, community, industrial water systems and private domestic wells, in Walworth County rely exclusively on groundwater as their source for water. Although unrecognized, groundwater resources constitute an important role in the daily lives of Walworth County residents and businesses and support a wide-range of ecological services and water dependent ecosystems.
Groundwater resources are a valuable element of Walworth County’s natural resource base. The Walworth County Water Conservation Plan sets the framework to understand groundwater resources in the County and provides guidance on how to conserve and protect this valuable resource.
UW-Whitewater Assessing Nitrate Pollution Potential in Walworth County through GIS
During the spring semester of 2017, UW-Whitewater students in the Geography, Geology and Environmental Sciences program undertook a study to determine areas in which groundwater may have a high potential for nitrate contamination in Walworth County. Some common sources of nitrate pollution include fertilizers, manure, and septic systems. Although a very small amount of nitrate in aquifers is not life threatening, with increasing concentrations of nitrates leaking into aquifers, the contamination may rise to hazardous levels where human health may be negatively impacted. The results of this study are frequently used by the Land Conservation Department and the County Health Department in understanding where high nitrate levels may be a problem in the county and to identify ways to mitigate this contaminant in the drinking water supply.