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Water law is a complex area of law, touching on the areas of property law, environmental law, and public health and welfare. Here are several resources for attorneys who need to learn more about the challenges of water law in Wisconsin.

The Great Lakes Compact is the binational agreement signed by the eight U.S. states and two Canadian provinces that border the Great Lakes. Law librarian Jenny Zook introduces resources helpful when researching the Compact, including guidance documents and legislative materials.

To protect the nation's water supply, in 2021 Congress enacted the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. One goal of the Act is to ensure that Americans in disadvantaged communities receive priority for financial assistance for water infrastructure. This article discusses the interpretation of the term "disadvantaged communities" as used in the Act and analyzes Wisconsin's approach to funding water infrastructure. 95 Wis. Law. 8 (Dec. 2022)

Jenny Zook introduces lawyers to general, Wisconsin, and federal resources concerning riparian rights: water rights related to ownership of land next to surface water.

The special privileges associated with ownership of shoreland real estate are called riparian rights, and they are not absolute. Read about the categories of riparian rights and significant cases and statutes affecting Wisconsin's riparian-rights laws. 95 Wis. Law. 28 (November 2022)

Regulation of PFAS has become a priority for municipalities, farms, manufacturers, and fire departments and firefighters, among others. Jenny Zook provides research tips for lawyers representing such clients.

Many water quality problems exist because a substance that was unknown or seemed harmless decades ago now is recognized as a pollutant. In the 21st century, state legislators and regulators and nongovernmental entities have devised ways to prevent or minimize pollution that previously was unfettered.

Indian water rights law is complex, meandering through federal Indian law and several relatively distinct but interrelated legal doctrines. The likelihood of more disputes about water quality and quantity makes it especially important for lawyers in Wisconsin, home to several Indian tribes, to understand the relevant legal doctrines and concepts.

Elana Olson points to legal resources about the public trust doctrine, which arises from language that has been in the Wisconsin Constitution since statehood in 1848. 95 Wis. Law. 47 (Sept. 2022)

Wisconsin's navigable waters, lakebeds, riverbeds, and shorelines are subject to the state's public trust doctrine. Michael Cain explains the doctrine and how tools developed by the state are used to protect these public riches. 95 Wis. Law. 34 (Sept. 2022)

Wisconsin's navigable waters are one of the state's most valuable resources. The public trust doctrine plays a significant role in ensuring that they are managed in the public interest for all state residents and U.S. citizens. 95 Wis. Law. 26 (Sept. 2022)

Stormwater and flood management is a field that requires knowledge of laws and regulation at multiple levels of government. Carol Hassler provides a helpful resource list that includes quick links.

Understanding the backdrop of scarcity, the perceived stability surrounding property rights, and the value of water in a dry land will help Wisconsin lawyers learn from the western United States and their residents.

Separate laws on groundwater and surface water withdrawal and the lack of a fully integrated regulatory scheme for high-capacity wells have more often led to conflict and uncertainty than to clarity. Wisconsin's groundwater management regime is developing but still has gaps.

You can find water law indexed under property law, environmental law, and public health and welfare. Jenny Zook provides tips to help direct your research.

To effectively manage stormwater quantity and quality, we need to do so in the context of watersheds and hydrologic processes rather than as a series of discrete issues and programs.

Wisconsin has the third highest number of natural lakes of U.S. states but keeping these and other water resources clean and equitably available for all users is a challenge that increases by the day. This overview presents the basics of Wisconsin's water laws and the issues that are catalysts for disputes about water use, which we will explore in a series of articles in 2022.