Well sampling planned for the Groundwater Atlases of Lincoln and Pipestone counties (published June 26, 2025)

The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources will collect water samples from about 90 wells in each county late this summer and fall to develop The Groundwater Atlas of Lincoln County and The Groundwater Atlas of Pipestone County.

The process involves collecting a water sample from an outside spigot or hydrant for laboratory analysis. Dozens of different water components are analyzed to determine the chemistry of local aquifers. Participation is voluntary, and owners will receive a report of the laboratory results at no cost. While sampled well locations will appear on atlas maps, contact and ownership information won’t be included.

The DNR will contact a selection of well owners by mail to request permission to sample their wells. Wells are chosen based on geology, location, well depth and well construction. Participation will help hydrologists create county maps and descriptions of groundwater distribution, movement, conditions, and aquifer pollution sensitivity. The atlas and maps will be printed and shared online, and geographic information system files will be available for download.

The groundwater atlases help identify viable drinking water sources, support sustainability, guide well and septic system construction decisions, inform well-head protection efforts for public water supplies, highlight regional recharge and groundwater movement, and assess pollution sensitivity and possible contaminant migration.

Scheduled for completion in 2028, each atlas is the Part B of a two-part series. The Geology of Lincoln County and The Geology of Pipestone County, the corresponding Part A atlases, were published by the Minnesota Geological Survey in 2023 and 2024, respectively.

A full description of the Groundwater Atlas program and completed atlas products are available on the program web page.

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