Withdrawal of surface waters; withdrawal of groundwater; damage claims
Wis. Stat. § 293.65
in effect(1) Scope. This section governs the withdrawal of groundwaters or surface waters by persons engaged in prospecting or mining. Discharges of waters are subject to ch. 283, construction of necessary dams or other structures is subject to chs. 30 and 31 and construction of wells is subject to ch. 280, to the extent applicable.
(2) Withdrawal of surface water; permit required.
(a) Any person intending to withdraw surface waters for prospecting or mining shall apply to the department for a permit. The forms and procedures used under s. 30.18 apply to the extent practicable.
(b) The department, upon receipt of an application for a permit, shall determine the minimum stream flow or lake level necessary to protect public rights, the minimum flow or level necessary to protect the rights of affected riparians, the point downstream beyond which riparian rights are not likely to be injured by the proposed withdrawal and the amount of surplus water, as defined in s. 30.01 (6d), if any, at the point of the proposed withdrawal.
(c) At the hearing on the permit application, the department shall take testimony on:
1. The public rights in the lake or stream and the related environment which may be injured by the proposed withdrawal;
2. The public benefits provided by increased employment, economic activity and tax revenues from the mining operation;
3. The direct and indirect social and economic costs and benefits of the proposed mining operation;
4. Whether the proposed withdrawal will consume nonsurplus water;
5. The rights of competing users of such water resources; and
6. Any other issues identified by the department as relevant to the decision of whether to issue or deny a permit.
(d) Within 30 days after hearing, the department shall issue or deny a permit. The following standards shall govern the decision of the department:
1. If injury to public rights exceeds the public benefits generated by the mining, the permit shall be denied.
2. If the proposed withdrawal will consume nonsurplus waters, and will unreasonably injure rights of riparians identified by par. (b) who are beneficially using such waters, the permit shall be denied unless a permit is granted under par. (e) or all such riparians consent to the proposed withdrawal.
3. In all other cases the permit shall be granted.
(e) The department may require modification of a proposed withdrawal so as to avoid injury to public or riparian rights, and as modified, may grant the permit.
(f) Water withdrawn in accordance with a permit issued under this subsection may be used on nonriparian property.
(g) The department shall maintain continuing jurisdiction over water withdrawal made according to permits issued under this subsection and may modify such permits to prevent undue injury to riparians who gave consent under par. (d) 2. at the time of issuance of the permit.
(h) Hearings on applications for withdrawal permits under this subsection shall be preceded by mailed notice to all parties or affected persons and by publication in the affected area of a class 2 notice, under ch. 985. Hearings may be conducted as part of a hearing on an application for a mining permit under s. 293.37.
(i) If a hearing on the application for a permit is conducted as a part of a hearing under s. 293.43, the notice and hearing provisions in that section supersede the notice and hearing provisions of this subsection.
(3) Withdrawal of groundwater; dewatering; permit requirements.
(a) An approval under s. 281.34 is required to withdraw groundwater for prospecting or mining or to dewater mines if the capacity and rate of withdrawal of all wells involved in the withdrawal of groundwater or the dewatering of mines exceeds 100,000 gallons each day. A permit under s. 283.31 is required to discharge pollutants resulting from the dewatering of mines.
(b) The department may not issue an approval under s. 281.34 if the withdrawal of groundwater for prospecting or mining purposes or the dewatering of mines will result in the unreasonable detriment of public or private water supplies or the unreasonable detriment of public rights in the waters of the state. No withdrawal of groundwater for prospecting or mining purposes or the dewatering of mines may be made to the unreasonable detriment of public or private water supplies or the unreasonable detriment of public rights in the waters of the state. Notwithstanding any limitation on approval conditions in s. 281.34, if the department determines that a proposed withdrawal of groundwater or dewatering of mines will result in the unreasonable detriment of public or private water supplies or the unreasonable detriment of public rights in the waters of the state the department shall include conditions in the mining or prospecting permit or in an approval issued under s. 281.34 to ensure that the withdrawal or dewatering will not result in the unreasonable detriment of public or private water supplies or the unreasonable detriment of public rights in the waters of the state. These conditions may include a requirement that the applicant for the mining or prospecting permit or approval under s. 281.34 provide a replacement water supply of similar quality, provide an increased amount of water to the water supply, or temporarily augment the quantity of water in, or flowing into or from, the affected waters of the state that is of substantially similar quality and that has substantially similar characteristics to the water that was in the affected waters of the state before any proposed mining or prospecting activity began.
(4) Damage claims.
(a) As used in this subsection, “person” does not include a town, village or city.
(b) A person claiming damage to the quantity or quality of his or her private water supply caused by prospecting or mining may file a complaint with the department and, if there is a need for an immediate alternative source of water, with the town, village or city where the private water supply is located. The department shall conduct an investigation and if the department concludes that there is reason to believe that the prospecting or mining is interrelated to the condition giving rise to the complaint, it shall schedule a hearing.
(c) The town, village or city within which is located the private water supply which is the subject of the complaint shall, upon request, supply necessary amounts of water to replace that water formerly obtained from the damaged private supply. Responsibility to supply water shall commence at the time the complaint is filed and shall end at the time the decision of the department made at the conclusion of the hearing is implemented.
(d) If the department concludes after the hearing that prospecting or mining is the principal cause of the damage to the private water supply, it shall issue an order to the operator requiring the provision of water to the person found to be damaged in a like quantity and quality to that previously obtained by the person and for a period of time that the water supply, if undamaged, would be expected to provide a beneficial use, requiring reimbursement to the town, village or city for the cost of supplying water under par. (c), if any, and requiring the payment of compensation for any damages unreasonably inflicted on the person as a result of damage to his or her water supply. The department shall order the payment of full compensatory damages up to $75,000 per claimant. The department shall issue its written findings and order within 60 days after the close of the hearing. Any judgment awarded in a subsequent action for damages to a private water supply caused by prospecting or mining shall be reduced by any award of compensatory damages previously made under this subsection for the same injury and paid by the operator. The dollar amount under this paragraph shall be changed annually according to the method under s. 70.375 (6). Pending the final decision on any appeal from an order issued under this paragraph, the operator shall provide water as ordered by the department. The existence of the relief under this section is not a bar to any other statutory or common law remedy for damages.
(e) If the department concludes after the hearing that prospecting or mining is not the cause of any damage, reimbursement to the town, village or city for the costs of supplying water under par. (c), if any, is the responsibility of the person who filed the complaint.
(f) Failure of an operator to comply with an order under par. (d) is grounds for suspension or revocation of a prospecting or mining permit.
(g) This subsection applies to any claim for damages to a private water supply occurring after June 3, 1978.
(5) Costs reimbursed.
(a) Costs incurred by a town, village or city in monitoring the effects of prospecting or mining on surface water and groundwater resources, in providing water to persons claiming damage to private water supplies under sub. (4) (c), or in retaining legal counsel or technical consultants to represent and assist the town, village or city appearing at the hearing under sub. (4) (b) are reimbursable through the investment and local impact fund under s. 15.435.
(b) Any costs paid to a town, village or city through the investment and local impact fund under par. (a) shall be reimbursed to the fund by the town, village or city if the town, village or city receives funds from any other source for the costs incurred under par. (a).
(c) If an order under sub. (4) (d) requiring the operator to provide water or to reimburse the town, village or city for the cost of supplying water is appealed and is not upheld, the court shall order the cost incurred by the operator in providing water or in reimbursing the town, village or city pending the final decision to be reimbursed from the investment and local impact fund under s. 15.435.
Source: WI Statutes (Official Site)URL: https://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/document/statutes/293.65Fetched: 10/7/2026