Groundwater Management & Wellhead Protection

With only 1% of the water on Earth being useable, the majority is groundwater, making it one of our most valuable but under-appreciated natural resources. Groundwater is used for drinking water by more than half of the people in the U.S. and is especially essential in the Greater Lansing area, where it makes up 99% of our drinking water resources. We recognize the importance of groundwater quality and lead a variety of efforts to address its management and protection in our region.

The Groundwater Management Board

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Since 1982, Tri-County has hosted the Groundwater Management Board (GMB) to discuss policy matters, land use, and/or water development projects that may have a potential impact on groundwater resources and management in the region. The GMB's mission is to provide a multi-jurisdictional forum for coordination and cooperation to help assure adequate quantities and qualities of groundwater are available to meet regional needs.

Wellhead Protection Viewer

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In partnership with the GMB, Tri-County also maintains a Wellhead Protection Viewer (WPV). This interactive online mapping application provides a variety of data – including well locations, time of travel areas, potential contamination source locations, brownfields, and more – to municipalities so they can be better informed when making development decisions that may affect our region's groundwater resources. For additional information or technical support, please contact us.

Past Projects

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For the last 25 years, Tri-County and the GMB have been recognized as a Groundwater Guardian by the Groundwater Foundation for our efforts in groundwater protection. Throughout our agencies’ history, Tri-County and the GMB have coordinated to provide in-kind support, staff resources, and/or funding for a variety of projects, events, and outreach activities to promote groundwater research, stewardship, and informed decision-making, and educate residents and community leaders about their role in protecting this valuable resource. Read on to learn more about our project history, or visit the GMB webpage to get involved with our current efforts!