Beneath the towns, fields, and forests of southwestern Wisconsin lies a fragile Karst geology. The land is full of caves, cracks, crevasses, and sinkholes that provide channels for unrestricted surface drainage to our aquifers. Such geology raises special concerns where faulty manure storage and runoff from field-applied wastes may quickly contaminate our water supply.
Help the effort to gain scientific knowledge about the Driftless area topgraphy by identifying your land’s Karst features. The more data collected, the better! If you have springs, seeps, potholes, you have reportable Karst features.
Download the reporting form, fill it out and return to VSN – we will compile the info in our own database before passing it on to the WDNR. Thanks!
Erosion Control for Homebuilders by Carolyn Johnson, University of Wisconsin Cooperative Extension Publishing in cooperation with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, 1999.
Roadside Geology of Wisconsin by Robert H. Dott Jr. and John W. Attig, Mountain Press Publishing Company, 2004.
Wisconsin’s Natural Communities by Randy Hoffman, The University of Wisconsin Press, 2002.
Geology
Learn more about Karst geology in Wisconsin.
Do-it-Yourself Karst Reporting
Help the effort to gain scientific knowledge about the Driftless area topgraphy by identifying your land’s Karst features. The more data collected, the better! If you have springs, seeps, potholes, you have reportable Karst features.
Download the reporting form, fill it out and return to VSN – we will compile the info in our own database before passing it on to the WDNR. Thanks!
Download the Karst reporting form
Or use the City of Viroqua’s online Karst Reporting Form
Publications
Erosion Control for Homebuilders by Carolyn Johnson, University of Wisconsin Cooperative Extension Publishing in cooperation with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, 1999.
Roadside Geology of Wisconsin by Robert H. Dott Jr. and John W. Attig, Mountain Press Publishing Company, 2004.
Wisconsin’s Natural Communities by Randy Hoffman, The University of Wisconsin Press, 2002.
Websites and Links
Geology of Wisconsin
Mineralogy of Wisconsin
U.S. Geological Survey, Water Resources Division, Wisconsin district
Wisconsin Geological and Natural History Survey
The Wisconsin Geological Society
University of Wisconsin-Madison Geology Museum