Minnesota DNR Evaluating Central Minnesota Groundwater Levels, Quality

BELGRADE (AP) - The state Department of Natural Resources is trying to figure out whether current levels of groundwater use are sustainable and whether action is needed to protect water availability in the future.

A report says residents of central Minnesota and elsewhere have been pumping water from the ground for generations. But the rate of use is rising, and there are some indications that water supplies and quality are at risk.

Mark Hauck is a project in the DNR's Bonanza Valley. He says people think water is abundant in the land of 10,000 lakes, but areas including southwestern Minnesota are experiencing a scarcity of groundwater.

He says there's not a crisis yet, but current trends might not be sustainable.