The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources has published the Groundwater Atlas of Dodge County. It covers groundwater flow, groundwater chemistry and the pollution sensitivity of aquifers, expanding on the geologic atlas previously produced by the Minnesota Geological Survey.

Eastern portions of Dodge County feature a distinctive type of terrain called karst, which allows for rapid water movement between the surface and underlying aquifers and increases the risk of groundwater contamination from any surface pollutants. Elsewhere in the county, thick layers of glacial deposits and bedrock help protect the underlying aquifers.

Groundwater atlas content can help people assess pollution sensitivity, identify viable water sources, evaluate supply, understand recharge sources and flow, manage groundwater sustainability, guide well and septic system construction decisions and provide wellhead protection for public water supplies.

The atlas is available:

• Online: The report is provided in PDF format. Oversized PDFs of the water chemistry and hydrogeologic cross section maps are also offered. Geographic information system (GIS) files, including the associated metadata and an ArcMap file, can be downloaded for use.
• In print: Copies can be purchased online from OceanGrafix (877-562-4278).

Dodge County and the DNR will hold a public workshop covering the atlas findings and providing instruction using its contents from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 22 at the Government Service Building in Mantorville. Contact Melissa DeVetter, Dodge County Environmental Services project manager, at [email protected] or 507-635-6253 to register or learn more.

More information, including a status map of published and planned atlases, is available on the County Groundwater Atlas Program web page.

Partial funding for the groundwater atlas project was provided by the Minnesota Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund and the Clean Water Fund.