University of Wisconsin-Madison Research Guides - Water Research Guide

Federal Laws and Regulations

To become familiar with federal laws and regulations concerning water, here are a few Web sites to begin research. All three deal with all branches of government and will lead you to legislation or other government publications.

The Library of Congress Government Resources
Thomas, the Library of Congress' legislature information Web site named after Thomas Jefferson, has a list of government resources and links to provide access to House and Senate legislation, as well as links to branches of government and historical sites
USA.gov
An excellent way to get acquainted with all aspects of government, law and federal regulation.
USA.gov: Environment, Energy and Agriculture
When searching USA.gov, Environment, Energy and Agriculture may be a topic containing water-related information.
USA.gov: Science
When searching USA.gov, Science may be a topic containing water-related information.
USA.gov: Public Safety and Law
When searching USA.gov, Public Safety and Law may be a topic containing water regulation and legislation.
GPO Access
The U.S. Government Printing Office (GPO) disseminates official information from all three branches of the Federal Government. Due to abundance of information on this Web site, when searching by keyword, try to be as specific as possible.

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Wisconsin Laws and Regulations

To become familiar with Wisconsin's laws, water-related and otherwise, the Wisconsin State Legislature Web site has the following sections to look at specific topics.

Wisconsin Statues and Annotations
The general statutes of Wisconsin, includes Index.
Wisconsin Constitution
The Folio version can be searched easily. Also includes U.S. Constitution and Declaration of Independence.
Wisconsin State Legislature
Includes Acts, Bills, Resolutions & Joint Resolutions. Complete text and history of each. Index Subject index to Senate and Assembly bills. joint resolutions, resolutions and petitions.
Wisconsin Administrative Code and Register
The online version of the administrative rules of Wisconsin executive agencies is unofficial. It is indexed. The Register is available in both Adobe Acrobat and Folio. The Folio version can be searched easily.
Wisconsin Blue Book
Biennial almanac of Wisconsin government.

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State Water Agencies

Wisconsin-specific resources to begin search in water law and agencies. Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources is a widely cited source for water regulation and law.

Wisconsin.gov
Wisconsin.gov is the State of Wisconsin Information Server with links to all state agency Web sites. It also includes links to the Web sites of counties and cities, towns, and villages.
Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
DNR is the agency where most water-related programs are housed.
WI DNR Drinking Water and Groundwater
Source for list of certified drinking water testing labs for private well owners.
WI DNR Fisheries Management & Habitat Protection
WI DNR Watershed Management

Federal Water Agencies

US EPA
US EPA Region 5 Water
Supports a variety of water programs and activities in Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, and Ohio.
US Geological Survey
The USGS provides "reliable scientific information to describe & understand the Earth; minimize loss of life & property from natural disasters; manage water, biological, energy, and mineral resources; and enhance and protect our quality of life."
USGS Upper Midwest Environmental Sciences Center
Provides access to biological, physical, spatial, graphic, and written information relating to Upper Mississippi River System and adjoining geographic areas.
USGS Wisconsin Water Science Center
Provides water data, project information, and publications related to Wisconsin.
US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)

University Programs Focused on Water

Central Wisconsin Groundwater Center
A joint activity of UW Stevens Point and UW Extension. Its purpose is to help "Wisconsin citizens and governments manage the groundwater resource wisely, through education, public information, applied research, and technical assistance."
Edgewood Wingra Watershed Project
Project of Edgewood College's Department of Natural Science in cooperation with Friends of Lake Wingra connects students with local community, using the Lake Wingra watershed as a focus.
University of Wisconsin-Extension Lakes Program
Part of the Wisconsin Lakes Partnership, UW-Extension Lakes Program is a collaborative effort located at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point. The mission of the program is to protect Wisconsin's inland lakes for future generations.
University of Wisconsin-Extension Water Resources Programs
Web site provides information about water quality and natural resources education programs in Wisconsin.
University of Wisconsin-Madison Center for Limnology
Web site includes information about Lake Mendota and other Yahara lakes, as well as links to information about northern Wisconsin Lakes.
University of Wisconsin-Madison Water Resources Institute
Web site includes summaries of WRI research projects on groundwater, surface water and drinking water studies in Wisconsin and other U.S. sites, as well as information about funding, conferences, and a directory of experts.
Wisconsin Groundwater Research and Monitoring Program Reports
A digital collection of the final reports of projects funded by the University of Wisconsin System and the state's Department of Natural Resources.

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Environmental Law

UW-Madison's Environmental Law research guide
Resources on environmental law from UW-Madison's law librarian Bonnie Shucha

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Water Librarian

Anne K. Moser

Contact Info:
Wisconsin's Water Library
1975 Willow Drive, 2nd Floor
Madison, WI 53706-1177
608.262.3069
Send Email

Links:
Website / Blog
Profile & Guides

Subjects:
water, Great Lakes, children's books about water

UW-Madison Help

Water information is found in several libraries on campus. You may find useful resources and expert help at:

Wisconsin's Water Library

Steenbock Library (Agriculture and Life Sciences)

Wendt Library (Engineering)

Chemistry Library

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Water Law Books

Here are some books on water law found at Wisconsin's Water Library. Please click on the title of the book if you wish to locate the MadCat record and request the book.