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PRECIPITATION AND PUMPING EFFECTS ON GROUNDWATER LEVELS IN CENTRAL WISCONSIN By Jessica Haucke A Thesis Submitted in Partial Fulfillment Of the Requirement for the Degree MASTER OF SCIENCE IN NATURAL RESOURCES (WATER RESOURCES) College of Natural Resources UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN Stevens Point, Wisconsin May 2010

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Page 1: PRECIPITATION AND PUMPING EFFECTS ON …

PRECIPITATION AND PUMPING EFFECTS ON GROUNDWATER

LEVELS IN CENTRAL WISCONSIN

By

Jessica Haucke

A Thesis

Submitted in Partial Fulfillment

Of the Requirement for the Degree

MASTER OF SCIENCE

IN

NATURAL RESOURCES

(WATER RESOURCES)

College of Natural Resources

UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN

Stevens Point, Wisconsin

May 2010

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Acknowledgements

I would like to thank my advisor Dr. Katherine Clancy for the time and effort that

she put in helping me to finish this project. Her encouragement and belief in my abilities

were deeply appreciated.

I would also like to extend a thank you to Dr. George Kraft who provided me with

the funding and idea for this project, and whose knowledge and support were greatly

valued.

Thank you to the rest of my committee Dr. Nathan Wetzel and Dr. David Ozsvath,

whose expertise in statistics and groundwater were important to this project.

I would also like to thank Jake Macholl my fellow graduate student for his help

and advice.

Finally I extend a sincere thanks to my friends for their help and support, to my

family who encouraged my scientific endeavors, and to the love of my life Troy, for his

constant positive attitude.

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Abstract

Central Wisconsin has the greatest density of high capacity wells in the state, most of

which are used for agricultural irrigation. Irrigated agriculture has been growing steadily

in the region since the 1950’s, when irrigation systems and high capacity wells became

inexpensive and easy to install. Recent low lake and river levels have increased concerns

that unfettered groundwater pumping for irrigation will undermine the availability of

groundwater to support surface waters and domestic uses. However, pumping remains

mostly unregulated.

Some research has quantified the magnitude of groundwater level declines due to

irrigation pumping, but no studies have identified its relation to climatic precipitation

changes. Changes in precipitation can exacerbate or mask the effect of groundwater

pumping. In this study, six groundwater monitoring wells and five climate stations were

examined for shifts in groundwater levels and precipitation changes. Through statistical

analysis, significant precipitation increases were identified in the southern part of the

study area which averaged 2.7 mm per year, but no significant change was determined for

the northern portion. Bivariate analysis identified water level declines with the region in

the years 1974, 1992 and 1999 for irrigated land covers. The range in years depended

upon the density of wells within the region and the influence of changes in precipitation.

Multiple regression explained, predicted and quantified the interaction between

precipitation and pumping. Wells located in areas with many high capacity wells showed

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a decline in water levels of up to 1.28 meters. In the southern portion of the study area,

where increases in precipitation occurred, this decline was thought to be masked.

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Table of Contents

Acknowledgements ......................................................................................................... i

Abstract .......................................................................................................................... ii

Table of Contents .......................................................................................................... iv

List of Tables................................................................................................................. vi

List of Figures ............................................................................................................. viii

List of Appendices ........................................................................................................ xii

Introduction .....................................................................................................................1

Study Area and Methods ..................................................................................................7

Site Description ...........................................................................................................7

Data Description ..........................................................................................................9

Groundwater Data ....................................................................................................9

Precipitation Data .................................................................................................. 13

Statistical Analyses .................................................................................................... 17

Data Analysis......................................................................................................... 17

Trend Analysis ....................................................................................................... 19

Mann-Whitney Test ............................................................................................... 20

Bivariate Analysis .................................................................................................. 21

Multiple Regression and ANCOVA ....................................................................... 22

Data Analysis Summary ......................................................................................... 24

Results and Discussion .................................................................................................. 25

Precipitation Changes................................................................................................. 25

Annual Trends ....................................................................................................... 25

Seasonal Trends ..................................................................................................... 30

Step Increase in Precipitation ..................................................................................... 35

Bivariate Analysis ...................................................................................................... 37

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Control Monitoring Wells ...................................................................................... 38

Test Monitoring Wells ........................................................................................... 43

Multiple Regression and ANCOVA ........................................................................... 50

Hancock: Test Well ............................................................................................... 52

Plover: Test Well ................................................................................................... 54

Bancroft: Test Well ................................................................................................ 56

Coloma: Test Well ................................................................................................. 58

Wautoma: Control Well ......................................................................................... 60

Amherst Junction: Control Well ............................................................................. 62

Multiple Regression Summary ............................................................................... 64

Conclusions ................................................................................................................... 65

Literature Cited ............................................................................................................. 68

Appendices .................................................................................................................... 74

Appendix 1 ................................................................................................................ 74

Appendix 2 ................................................................................................................ 75

Appendix 3 ................................................................................................................ 78

Appendix 4 ................................................................................................................ 83

Appendix 5 ................................................................................................................ 86

Appendix 6 ................................................................................................................ 89

Appendix 7 ................................................................................................................ 93

Appendix 8 .............................................................................................................. 100

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List of Tables

Table 1. USGS monitoring wells used for data analyses. Plover 1 represents the original

well number and Plover 2 is the replacement number. ......................................................9

Table 2. Available data for USGS monitoring wells used in this study. ........................ 12

Table 3. COOP climate stations within the study region. .............................................. 13

Table 4. P-values from the Kendall’s tau trends test for annual precipitation at the six

precipitation stations from 1955-2008 and for the composite central division data for two

time periods (1955-2008 and 1933-2008). P-value <0.05 indicate a significant trend and

+ indicates that the direction of the trend is positive. ...................................................... 28

Table 5. P-values for Kendall's tau trend test from 1955-2008 at COOP locations and for

the composite central division cumulative seasonal precipitation data. ........................... 32

Table 6. The difference in seasonal median values and p-values for 1955-1998 vs. 1999-

2008. ............................................................................................................................. 35

Table 7. Results for changes in the median cumulative annual precipitation using the

Mann-Whitney test for before and after 1970. P-value < 0.05 indicates a step increase in

precipitation................................................................................................................... 37

Table 8. Results from multiple regression models which quantify increases and declines

in monitoring well water elevations (m) possibly due to pumping or the step increase in

precipitation. The step increase at Wautoma was between 1972 and 1973 and the

increase at Amherst Junction was between 1962 and 1963. ............................................ 65

Table 9. Name, county, period of record, and the cluster number for lakes used in this

analysis.......................................................................................................................... 79

Table 10. Time breaks for binary regression variables and the number of measurements

during each time period for lakes in data analysis. ......................................................... 80

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Table 11. Change in lake levels between the early and late time period. Positive

numbers represent a decline and negative numbers represent increases in lake surface

elevations. All results use the Wautoma monitoring well as the main explanatory

variable. * indicates a significant p-value of less than 0.05. ........................................... 81

Table 12. Change in lake levels between the early and late time period. Positive

numbers represent a decline and negative numbers represent increases in lake surface

elevations. All results used the Amherst Junction monitoring well as the main

explanatory variable. * indicates a significant p-value of less than 0.05. ....................... 82

Table 13. Cumulative summer (June-August) precipitation from the NOAA COOP

climate station in Stevens Point. .................................................................................... 84

Table 14. . Yearly cumulative precipitation from NOAA COOP climate station in

Stevens Point. Data was divided into two groups between 1970 and 1971 to compare

median values between the two time periods. ................................................................. 87

Table 15. Raw data for the first step of the bivariate analysis, which is the

standardization of the two data sets. ............................................................................... 90

Table 16. The raw data for equations that calculate the test statistic for the change in

mean in the bivariate analysis. ....................................................................................... 91

Table 17. Critical values for To for different levels of significance. .............................. 92

Table 18. Raw input data for multiple regression analysis with ANCOVA for the

Hancock monitoring well from the 1960-2008 growing season (May-September). ......... 94

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List of Figures

Figure 1. The central sands region and its topography and high capacity wells. ..............8

Figure 2. Land used for irrigated crops from the 1944-2007 farm census for five

counties in Central Wisconsin. .........................................................................................8

Figure 3. Yearly average monitoring well measurements (m) for test and control

locations. Depth to water measurements were subtracted from 1964 values for

comparison purposes. .................................................................................................... 11

Figure 4. The location of monitoring wells and climate stations used in this study. ...... 12

Figure 5. Annual Precipitation from the five weather stations and the interpolated data

set at Wautoma. The horizontal line represents the average for the time period. ............ 14

Figure 6. Annual composite precipitation from the central division (division 5) for 1933-

2008. ............................................................................................................................. 16

Figure 7. Monthly values from 1933-2008 for the Central Division 24-month Standard

Precipitation Index. Negative numbers represent the probability of observing a dry

period over a 24-month period and positive numbers are the probability of observing a

wet period over 24-months. ........................................................................................... 16

Figure 8. Temporal trends for annual precipitation (1955-2008) at the 5 COOP climate

stations, Wautoma, and the composite central division data. Triangles indicate significant

increasing trends (p-value < 0.05). Circles indicate no significant trend (p-value > 0.05).

Monitoirng well locations are lightly shaded in the background. .................................... 27

Figure 9. Annual Precipitation from 1955-2008 for climate stations, the interpolated data

set at Wautoma and the central composite data. Additionally, the composite central

division annual precipitation for the time period 1933-2008. The trend line and equation

indicate the magnitude of the changes in precipitation through time. .............................. 29

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Figure 10. Seasonal Kendall’s tau trends for cumulative monthly data from 1955-2008.

Each bar represents the direction of the data through time. Bars are plotted: spring,

summer, fall and winter respectively. Solid bars indicate a significant trend and hollow

bars indicate no significant trend. Note that Hancock and Montello, in the southern

region, show increasing trends in summer, winter and summer respectively................... 32

Figure 11 Median values for seasonal precipitation comparing 1955-1998 and 1999-2008.

* indicates a significant difference between median values (p-value < 0.05). ................. 34

Figure 12. Bivariate results for a change in mean at Wautoma monitoring well using

Amherst Junction as the stationary data set (1958-2008). The dashed line represents the

95% critical value, Ti is the difference in the two data series being tested, and the vertical

line is the peak year (To) which occurred one year before the change in mean. This

discontinuity in mean is associated with the step increase in precipitation between 1970

and 1971. ....................................................................................................................... 40

Figure 13. Bivariate results for a change in mean at Wautoma monitoring well for a time

period after the step increase in precipitation (1972-2008) using Amherst Junction as the

stationary data set. The dashed line represents the critical value. Statistics (Ti) below this

line indicate no change in mean, establishing a stationary period between 1972-2008. ... 40

Figure 14. Graphs A (Top), B (middle) and C (Bottom) of bivariate results for changes

in mean at the Amherst Junction monitoring well for three different time periods: 1958-

2008, 1958-1999, and 1962-1999 (A-C). Horizontal dashed lines represent the 95%

critical value, Ti is the difference in data sets, and vertical lines represent the peak (To),

the year after To is the change in mean. .......................................................................... 42

Figure 15. Bivariate results for a change in mean at Hancock monitoring well when

compared to Wautoma for the time period 1972-2008. The change in mean occurred in

1999, one year after the last peak in the plateau in 1998. ................................................ 44

Figure 16. Bivariate results for a change in mean at Plover monitoring well when

compared to Amherst Junction for the time period 1962-1999. The first peak in the graph

was in 1973 with the change in mean occurring in 1974................................................. 45

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Figure 17. Bivariate results for a change in mean at the Plover monitoring well when

compared to Wautoma for the time period 1972-2008. The peaks in the graph plateau

from 1989 to 1998 indicate a time period of continuous change. .................................... 47

Figure 18. Graphs A (Top) and B (Bottom) of bivariate results for a change in mean at

the Bancroft monitoring well when compared to Wautoma (A) from 1972-2008 and to

Amherst Junction (B) from 1962-1999. The peak in both graphs is in 1991 indicating

that the change in mean occurs in 1992. ......................................................................... 48

Figure 19. Bivariate results for a change in mean at Coloma compared to Wautoma for

the time period 1972-2008. A peak occurred in 1973 indicating a change due to pumping

in 1974. ......................................................................................................................... 49

Figure 20. Graphs A (Top) and B (Bottom) of observed and predicted multiple

regression results at the Hancock monitoring well for the growing season (May-

September) 1960-2008. Graph A includes the STPC after 1972 and graph B includes

PC1 which began to affect monitoring well levels in 1999. ............................................ 54

Figure 21. Graphs A (Top) and B (Bottom) of observed and predicted multiple

regression results at the Plover monitoring well for the growing season (May-September)

1960-2008. Graph A includes PC1 which occurred after 1973 and graph B includes PC2

added after 1998. ........................................................................................................... 56

Figure 22. Graphs A (Top) and B (Bottom) of observed and predicted multiple

regression results at the Bancroft monitoring well for the growing season (May-

September) 1960-2008. Graph A shows the response to the SPI06 before PC1 was added.

Graph B includes the pumping covariate that occurred after 1991. ................................. 58

Figure 23. Observed and predicted multiple regression results at the Coloma monitoring

well for the growing season (May-September) 1960-2008. The graph shows the response

of PC1 after 1973........................................................................................................... 59

Figure 24 Graphs A (Top) and B (Bottom) of observed and predicted multiple regression

results at the Wautoma monitoring well for the growing season (May-September) 1960-

2008. Graph A shows the response to the SPI24 before the STPC was added. Graph B

includes the STPC that occurred after 1972.................................................................... 61

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Figure 25. Graphs A (Top), B (Middle) and C (Bottom) of observed and predicted

multiple regression results at the Amherst Junction monitoring well for the growing

season (May-September) 1960-2008. Graph A shows just the SPI24, graph B includes

the water level decline that occurred after 1999 and graph C contains the increased water

levels after 1962. ........................................................................................................... 63

Figure 26. The location of Long Lake Saxeville not to be confused with Long Lake

Oasis near Plainfield Wisconsin. .................................................................................... 75

Figure 27. WDNR lake surface elevations and citizen measured beach length for similar

dates at Long Lake Saxeville. ........................................................................................ 77

Figure 28. Long Lake Saxeville lake surface elevations converted from beach length

using regression equation 1. Measurements were taken from 6-1-1947 to 6-1-2007. ...... 77

Figure 29. The location of lakes and clusters used in data analysis. Lakes were grouped

into clusters according to geographic proximity. ............................................................ 79

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List of Appendices

Number Title Page

1 Lake Level Records 74

2 Lake Level Records: Long Lake Saxeville 75

3 Lake Level Records: Regression Analysis (ANCOVA) Results 78

4 Kendall’s Tau Trend Analysis 83

5 Mann-Whitney Test 86

6 Bivariate Test 89

7 Multiple Regression with ANCOVA 93

8 Magnitude of Seasonal Precipitation from 1955-2008 100

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Introduction

The Wisconsin central sands is a loosely-defined region characterized by a thick

(often >30 m) mantle of sandy materials overlying rocks of low permeability. Landforms

are composed of glacial outwash plains and terminal moraine complexes associated with

the Wisconsin Glaciation (Figure 1). The region contains more than 80 lakes (> 5 ha),

over 1000 km of headwater streams and wetlands. Lakes, streams and wetlands are

mostly groundwater fed. Irrigated land covers about 31% of the area of interest (Figure 2)

which is farmed for potatoes, canning vegetables (sweet corn, snap peas, peas), field corn,

soybeans and others. Other land covers include non-irrigated agriculture (field corn,

forages, soybeans and others), coniferous and deciduous forests, grassland, scrubland and

wetlands. Irrigated agriculture is the largest user of groundwater in this region and has

steadily increased since around the 1950’s (Figure 2). This study focuses on the

“headwater” or upland part of the central sands, east of wetlands or drained wetlands.

Groundwater elevations indicate a divide that separates westerly flow to the Wisconsin

River and its tributaries, from easterly flow to headwater streams of the Fox and Wolf

Watersheds.

The groundwater supply in Central Wisconsin is vital to domestic water demands

as well as those of agriculture, industry and municipalities. For example three counties in

Central Wisconsin, Portage, Adams, and Waushara, use 78 billion gallons of groundwater

per year. Of the 78 billion gallons, approximately 87% or 67 billion gallons of

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groundwater is used for irrigation (USGS, 2005). Soil type is the main reason for such a

heavy dependence on the groundwater supply. The majority of soils in this region are

highly permeable sands and gravels resulting from past glaciations. These sandy soils

have a low water holding capacity, which stores little moisture for plants (Weeks and

Stangland, 1971). Sandy soils discouraged irrigation agriculture until improved

technology, developed in the 1950’s, created inexpensive irrigation systems (Schultz,

2004). Since the 1950’s irrigation has become a dominant feature in Central Wisconsin,

and may be a reason for groundwater related stresses such as declines in surface and

groundwater levels.

In some regions of Central Wisconsin, groundwater related stresses are reflected

in surface water declines. In 2005-2009, reaches of the Little Plover River, a

groundwater fed stream in Plover, Wisconsin, intermittently dried up (Clancy, et al.,

2009). Long Lake, a groundwater fed lake located near Plainfield, Wisconsin (32

kilometers south of Plover), has also dried (Lowery et al, 2009). The most highly

stressed surface water resources occur in areas where there is a greater amount of

irrigation.

Suggested reasons for declines in surface and groundwater levels are intensive

groundwater pumping and drier weather. Precipitation records from the National

Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), combined with the Palmer Drought

Index and the Standard Precipitation Index, indicate that Central Wisconsin has received

close to average annual rainfall for the past five years. Despite near average precipitation

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totals, questions remain about the effects and interactions of precipitation on groundwater

levels.

Many studies have been conducted throughout the United States that relate

groundwater pumping to declines in surface waters or decreases of water levels in

monitoring wells (Prinos et al., 2002; Sheets and Bossenbroek, 2005; Mair et al., 2007;

Skinner et al., 2007; Mayer and Congdon, 2008). In Wisconsin, the consumption of

groundwater and its effects on surface waters and groundwater levels have been studied

substantially. Weeks and Stangland (1971) examined the development of present and

future irrigation in the sand-plain area and its effects on streamflow and groundwater

levels in the late 1960’s. Stephenson (1974) discussed irrigation and the groundwater

supply throughout Wisconsin. Gotkowitz and Hart (2008) looked at groundwater

consumption and land use in Waukesha Wisconsin. Clancy et al (2009) examined

groundwater use and its potential effects on the Little Plover River in Plover Wisconsin,

and Kraft and Mechenich (2010) studied groundwater pumping and its effects on

groundwater, lake, and streamflow levels in the central sands of Wisconsin. The

relationship between groundwater pumping and declines in surface and groundwater

levels is well established, but the interaction between changes in climate, groundwater

withdrawals and the water table response are not as well understood (Lettenmaier et al.,

2008).

The direct measurement of the surface and groundwater response to pumping is

presumably complicated by changes in precipitation which have occurred in some parts

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of Wisconsin. Increases in precipitation in the central part of the United States were

noted by Lettenmaier et al. (1994) and McCabe and Wolock (2002). More recently

Juckem et al. (2008) compared time periods 1941-1970 to 1971-2000 and found that

wetter conditions have occurred in southwestern Wisconsin from 1971-2000. These

wetter conditions were thought to be the result of a sudden shift in precipitation called a

“step increase.” This step increase in precipitation may have masked the true effects of

groundwater pumping pressures in some areas of Central Wisconsin (Kraft and

Mechenich, 2010).

The hypothesis for this study is that precipitation has changed groundwater levels

in some regions of the study area, but that pumping may be influencing surface and

groundwater levels more than what can be described by changes in precipitation alone.

To address the hypothesis three questions were examined: 1) is there a change in

groundwater levels presumably due to precipitation and/or pumping and where do they

occur in the study region? 2) If there is a change, when does it show up in the

groundwater records? And, 3) how much does the potential change created by

precipitation or pumping take away or add to current groundwater levels?

An important concept for this study was stationarity. A formal definition is a

random process where all statistical properties do not vary with time (Haag, 2005).

Stationarity is fundamental to water resources and has been used to evaluate and manage

risks to water supplies, water works and floodplains (Milly et al., 2008). Stationarity

describes a process in which natural systems fluctuate within an unchanging range of

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variability (Milly et al., 2008). When non-stationarity develops, it indicates that a shift

has occurred between the relationships of hydrologic data within a region. Non-

stationarity can be caused by changes in data collection methods or physical changes,

such as a fluctuation in precipitation, or water diversion like groundwater pumping.

(Maronna and Yohai, 1978; Potter, 1981).

Stationarity may be difficult to detect when unknown variables or multiple

variable influence the system. To recognize these impacts the concept of a “covariate”

also plays an important role in this study. A covariate is a statistical term that has been

used to identify an interaction which is not measured but is observed in the record

(Webster et al., 1996; Doll et al., 2002; Mayer and Congdon, 2008). A covariate may be

binary and is often referred to as either a hidden, lurking or dummy variable. According

to Helsel and Hirsch (2002), a covariate influences the dependant variable but is not

appropriately expressed as a continuous variable. A covariate might be used for locations,

such as stations, aquifers, positions or cross sections. It could also be used for time, such

as day and night, summer and winter, or before and after an event such as a flood or a

drought. In this study, time related to changes possibly due to pumping and precipitation

may be represented by a covariate.

Groundwater pumping and changes in precipitation were thought to be the two

main covariates affecting groundwater levels in Central Wisconsin. Observations of

pumping and changes in precipitation have no records associated with their impact on

groundwater levels; therefore, a binary data set was developed for each covariate. For

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example, when pumping was thought not to be having an effect on the groundwater

record the data set was defined as “off”. When pumping potentially began to impact

groundwater levels, the data set was defined as “on.” Because the covariates are

disconnected from the continuous groundwater data, they may or may not actually

represent groundwater pumping or changes in precipitation.

To examine the hypothesis questions, multiple statistical approaches were used.

Kendall’s tau trend test was used to determine if and where a change in precipitation

occurred. A trend is defined as an increase or decrease of data values over time (Helsel

and Hirsch, 2002). The Mann-Whitney test, which calculates a difference in median

values, was used to determine if a step increase in precipitation occurred. Bivariate

analysis indicated when changes showed up in the groundwater record, presumably

caused by pumping and the step increase in precipitation. Multiple regression models

quantified, explained and predicted the changes due to precipitation or pumping on

groundwater levels. Corroborated findings from these statistical techniques were used to

form conclusions.

Multiple robust statistical techniques were used because water resource and

precipitation data are noisy and can be problematic when it comes to meeting the

underlying assumptions of statistical analysis (Helsel and Hirsch, 2002). Precipitation

data contained outliers and did not have a normal distribution. However, yearly average

groundwater levels from monitoring wells were normally distributed. A 95% confidence

interval (α = 0.05) was used following statistical convention.

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Study Area and Methods

Site Description

The Central Wisconsin area of interest is shown in Figure 1. The area is

approximately 11,200 square kilometers, of which 31% is cultivated crops (2001 USGS

National Land Cover Database), and is bordered on the west by the Wisconsin River.

The eastern boundary was delineated using ecoregions (EPA, 2000) and glacial deposits

(WGNHS, 1976). Streams and lakes of this area are well connected to shallow,

unconfined, sand and gravel aquifers (Weeks and Stangland, 1971). Agriculture and

domestic water supplies also come from these aquifers.

The topography influences farming types and other land uses. Irrigated

agriculture is concentrated on flat sandy areas which make up approximately 40% of the

region and contain approximately 70% its high capacity wells (2009 Wisconsin

Department of Natural Resources (WDNR) Water, Well, and Related Data Files) (Figure

1). Irrigation is sparser in hilly regions of the study area where large scale farming is less

practical.

In this study monitoring wells are distinguished based on their location within the

area of interest. Monitoring wells located in areas with a High Density of high capacity

Wells (HDW), predominantly in the flat plains, are referred to as “test wells.”

Monitoring wells located in areas with a Low Density of high capacity Wells (LDW),

generally in the hills region, are referred to as “control wells.”

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Figure 1. The central sands region’s topography and high capacity wells.

Figure 2. Land used for irrigated crops from the 1944-2007 farm census for five counties in Central

Wisconsin.

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

350

400

1940 1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010

Sq

uare K

ilom

ete

rs

Adams County

Marquette County

Portage County

Waupaca County

Waushara County

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Data Description

Groundwater Data

Groundwater level data from six U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) monitoring

wells were used for this study (Table 1) (USGS, 2009). Well names are based on the

locale or quadrangle. The six monitoring wells were chosen based on two rationales: the

length and consistency of available records (Table 2), and the location within the study

area (Figure 4). Amherst Junction and Wautoma wells are located in areas with a LDW

and were considered “control wells.” Four wells (Bancroft, Coloma, Hancock and Plover)

are located in areas with a HDW and were considered “tests wells.” Test wells were

expected to be influenced by groundwater pumping, while control wells were expected to

be minimally influenced. Data represent depth in meters below the land surface. Depth

to water was subtracted from benchmarked elevations to obtain water elevations.

Table 1. USGS monitoring wells used for data analyses. Plover 1 represents the original well number and

Plover 2 is the replacement number.

Well Number Latitude Longitude

Locale or

Quadrangle

Well

Depth

(m)

Elevation

Datum

(m)

442810089194501 44°28'10" 89°19'45" Amherst Junction 5.3 341.38

441833089315601 44°18'33" 89°31'56" Bancroft 3.7 327.45

441454089432801 44°14'54" 89°43'28" Coloma NW 4.7 315.16

440713089320801 44°07'13" 89°32'08" Hancock 5.5 329.18

442623089302701 44°26'23" 89°30'27" Plover 1 5.8 334.95

442622089302901 44°26'22" 89°30'29" Plover 2 5.8 333.17

440345089151701 44°03'45" 89°15'17" Wautoma 4.3 266.09

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Daily automated measurements existed for monitoring wells near Hancock and

Wautoma. Monthly field measurements were the only type of data that existed for

monitoring wells near Amherst Junction, Bancroft, Coloma NW and Plover. Annual

average water levels were used as a statistic for comparisons (USGS, 2010) (Figure 3).

Yearly values were obtained from averaged daily and monthly values. Both monthly and

yearly data sets were used in data analyses.

Field observations from the monitoring well near Plover were recorded under two

different well numbers. Well number 442623089302701 was used prior to April 14,

2006 and was replaced by well number 442622089302901. These well measurements

were combined and referenced to a common datum. Both well numbers are represented

in Table 1.

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Figure 3. Yearly average monitoring well measurements (m) for test and control locations. Depth to water

measurements were subtracted from 1964 values for comparison purposes.

-3

-2

-1

0

1

2

3

1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010

Sta

ndar

diz

ed D

epth

to W

ater

(M

)

Plover

Hancock

Bancroft

Coloma NW

-3

-2

-1

0

1

2

3

1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010

Sta

nd

ard

ized

Dep

th to W

ater

(M

)

Wautoma

Amherst Junction

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Figure 4. The location of monitoring wells and climate stations used in this study.

Table 2. Available data for USGS monitoring wells used in this study.

Locale or Quadrangle

First

Measurement

Last

Measurement

Total # of

Measurements

Average # of

Measurements

per Month

Type of Measurements

Available

Amherst Junction 7/2/1958 10/23/2008 1702 3.1 Field

Bancroft 9/7/1950 12/22/2008 1583 2.3 Field

Coloma NW 8/8/1951 12/22/2008 693 1.5 Field

Hancock 5/1/1951 12/31/2008 17896 26.9 Automated Daily/Field

Plover 12/1/1959 12/22/2008 1098 1 Field

Wautoma 4/18/1956 12/31/2008 16435 27.8 Automated Daily/Field

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Precipitation Data

Long term monthly precipitation data (≥ 50 years), from the cooperative observer

(COOP) station network, were accessed online through the National Climate Data Center

(NCDC, 2009). Five weather stations in Central Wisconsin, located at the Hancock

Experimental Farm, Montello, Stevens Point, Waupaca, and Wisconsin Rapids, were

used in this study (Table 3, Figure 4). Yearly (Figure 5) and seasonal values were used in

data analyses and were calculated from monthly observations. Missing monthly

measurements were interpolated using a weighted average of the three closest COOP

stations.

Table 3. COOP climate stations within the study region.

Station Name COOP ID # Period of Record

Hancock Experimental Farm 473405 1931-2008

Montello 475581 1955-2008

Stevens Point 478171 1931-2008

Waupaca 478951 1931-2008

Wisconsin Rapids 479335 1931-2008

Annual precipitation totals from 1931-2008 for the town of Wautoma were

calculated using the Inverse Distance Weighting Method (Tomczak, 1998; Malvic and

Durekovic, 2003; Serbin and Kucharik, 2009). This method was used to develop the

Wautoma interpolated data set. The 12 closest COOP stations within 50 miles with

sufficient records were used to determine the annual totals at Wautoma. Annual

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interpolated totals were not calculated during years when there were less than 12 stations

contributing to the data (Figure 5).

Figure 5. Annual Precipitation from the five weather stations and the interpolated data set at Wautoma.

The horizontal line represents the average for the time period.

400

600

800

1000

1200

1400

1930 1950 1970 1990 2010

mm

Hancock 1931-2008

400

600

800

1000

1200

1400

1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010

mm

Montello 1955-2008

400

600

800

1000

1200

1400

1930 1950 1970 1990 2010

mm

Stevens Point 1931-2008

400

600

800

1000

1200

1400

1930 1950 1970 1990 2010

mmWaupaca 1931-2008

400

600

800

1000

1200

1400

1930 1950 1970 1990 2010

mm

Wisconsin Rapids 1931-2008

400

600

800

1000

1200

1400

1930 1950 1970 1990 2010

mm

Wautoma 1931-2008

Average = 782.7 mm Average = 823.3 mm

Average = 807.7 mm Average = 802.9 mm

Average = 797.9 mm Average = 789.9 mm

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In addition to precipitation data from COOP stations throughout the study region,

composite precipitation (Figure 6) and the Standard Precipitation Index (SPI) (Figure 7)

were obtained from NCDC for climate division 5 (Central) (NCDC, 2010). Annual and

seasonal composite precipitation were used as a comparison to the COOP stations. The

SPI is a normalized index that quantifies precipitation deficits, can be calculated for any

desired duration, and takes into account time scales in the analysis of wet and dry periods

for water availability and use (Guttman, 1998; Mayer and Congdon, 2008). The SPI was

used because it improved the explanation and prediction of groundwater fluctuations in

multiple regression models and it is better at representing wet and dry periods than the

Palmer Drought Index (Mayer and Congdon, 2008). Time scales available for the SPI

through the NCDC are 1, 2, 3, 6, 9, 12, and 24-month. The 24-month SPI was used in

analyses because there was less variability associated with long term durations (Guttman,

1998), and the values reflected monitoring well water levels more accurately in multiple

regression models.

Statistical analyses included both annual and seasonal precipitation data. The five

COOP stations, the interpolated Wautoma values, and the composite central division

precipitation measurements were used in yearly analyses. Seasonal analyses included

data from the five COOP stations, and the composite central division values. Monthly 6

and 24-month SPI values during the growing season were used in multiple regression

models as a proxy for actual precipitation.

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Figure 6. Annual composite precipitation from the central division (division 5) for 1933-2008.

Figure 7. Monthly values from 1933-2008 for the Central Division 24-month Standard Precipitation Index.

Negative numbers represent the probability of observing a dry period over a 24-month period and positive

numbers are the probability of observing a wet period over 24-months.

400

600

800

1000

1200

1400

19

33

19

36

19

39

19

42

19

45

19

48

19

51

19

54

19

57

19

60

19

63

19

66

19

69

19

72

19

75

19

78

19

81

19

84

19

87

19

90

19

93

19

96

19

99

20

02

20

05

20

08

Precip

itati

on

(m

m)

-3

-2

-1

0

1

2

3

1933

1935

1937

1939

1941

1943

1945

1947

1949

1951

1953

1955

1958

1960

1962

1964

1966

1968

1970

1972

1974

1976

1978

1980

1983

1985

1987

1989

1991

1993

1995

1997

1999

2001

2003

2005

2008

Norm

ali

zed

Prob

ab

ilit

y

Average = 805.0 mm

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Statistical Analyses

Data Analysis

The objective of the data analysis was to predict, quantify, and explain changes in

groundwater levels possibly due to pumping and precipitation. Pumping often cannot be

observed in the monitoring well record until a threshold is reached (Mayer and Congdon,

2008). For this study, a threshold year marks the end of a time period before which there

is no discernable decline in groundwater levels. The approach used to quantify the

possible hidden effect of pumping was multiple regression with ANCOVA. Without any

data, potential pumping can only be expressed as a binary variable. As a binary variable,

the possible pumping effect is either “on” or “off” and the date of the switch is

determined by testing for a threshold year.

In addition to the possible pumping influence, there was the added influence from

changes in precipitation that potentially played a role in groundwater fluctuations.

Studies in Southwestern Wisconsin indicate a step increase in precipitation in the early

1970’s which affected baseflow (McCabe and Wolock, 2002; Juckem et al., 2008). This

step increase in precipitation, which is a statistically significant shift in the mean value

over a short period of time (one to two years), occurred in some areas of the study region.

The shift in precipitation potentially complicated the analyses by masking any possible

impact thought to be due to pumping. For this reason, the step increase in precipitation

was also considered to have a hidden effect on groundwater levels, similar to pumping.

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The precipitation-step-increase covariate was also treated as a binary variable; however,

from Juckem et al. (2008) it was established that the “switch” would occur sometime in

the early 1970’s. Precipitation trends helped determine areas of the study region where

the step increase may have occurred, and multiple regression with ANCOVA quantified

that interaction with pumping. The 6 and 24-month SPI, used in regression models, was

a composite data set for all of central Wisconsin and therefore did not detect changes at

specific locations.

Several statistical tests were used to extract the implied groundwater impacts

caused by the two covariates. These tests include: Kendall’s tau trend test, the Mann-

Whitney test, bivariate analysis, and multiple regression with ANCOVA. The trend test

established spatial and temporal differences in yearly and seasonal precipitation

throughout the study area and established regions where the covariate for the step

increase in precipitation might have occurred. The Mann-Whitney test confirmed the

existence of a step increase at some stations after 1970 by measuring the difference in

median values for data before 1970 and after 1971. Bivariate analysis measured the

change in mean between control and test monitoring well observations through time and

was calculated to determine the potential pumping covariate threshold year (a specific

year when pumping may have been detected). Finally, multiple regression models were

used to quantify, explain, and predict the effects of the covariates on monitoring well

water elevations. An example of each statistical technique can be found in the attached

appendices.

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Trend Analysis

Kendall’s tau, a nonparametric statistical technique, has been regularly used to

examine linear trends in precipitation (Kunkel et al., 1999; Andresen et al., 2001;

Huntington et al., 2004). Trends in precipitation, which are increases or decreases in data

values over time, were evaluated to determine if and where changes in precipitation

occurred in the study area. In addition, an increased trend in precipitation during the

same time period that declines were measured in monitoring well water levels indicated a

potential impact due to pumping.

Trends were calculated for yearly and seasonal precipitation totals. The period of

record used for trend analysis was 1955-2008. This time period was based on the shortest

precipitation record at the Montello COOP climate station (Table 3). Annual trend

analysis included Wautoma’s interpolated precipitation data, the five COOP climate

stations, and the composite central division values. Seasonal trends (spring: March-May,

summer: June-August, fall: September-November and winter: December-February)

included the five COOP stations and the composite central division data. Calculations of

precipitation trends through time were made online using the Free Statistics and

Forecasting Software website (Wessa, 2008). An example of this test with summer

precipitation totals is given in Appendix 4.

Median seasonal precipitation values were examined for 1999-2008 at the five

COOP climate stations and for composite central division data. This was done to

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determine if recent precipitation during a specific season has been lower than in the past

(1955-1999), possibly contributing to declines in monitoring well water elevations.

Mann-Whitney Test

The Mann-Whitney test, a non-parametric version of the t-test, was used to

corroborate findings from the trend tests and to determine if a step increase in

precipitation occurred between 1970 and 1971 at some climate stations. The difference

between the Mann-Whitney and the t-test, is that Mann-Whitney calculates a difference

in the median instead of a difference in mean (Helsel and Hirsch, 2002). This test was

used for precipitation records because these data contained outliers that skewed the

distribution.

The period of record used to find the difference in median values for annual

precipitation was 1933-2008. This produced a similar number of data points on either

side of the 1970, 1971 time break (n = 38 years). Four of the five COOP stations had

data for the 1933-2008 time period. Montello had a shorter available record before 1970

(1955-1970, n = 15). The composite central division data was tested for two periods:

1933-2008 and 1955-2008. The longer time period (1933-2008) was used to confirm that

the shorter time period (1955-2008) produced similar trend results. The Mann-Whitney

test was calculated in Mini Tab (version 15) and an example is given in Appendix 5.

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Bivariate Analysis

A bivariate analysis tests for a difference in the means of two linearly correlated

data sets (Potter, 1981). The bivariate technique uses time series measurements and has

commonly been used to evaluate climate data such as precipitation, evaporation and

temperature (Buishand, 1982, Bücher and Dessens 1991; Kirono and Jones, 2007). In

this study, bivariate analyses were used to evaluate changes in groundwater levels at

monitoring wells. To meet the requirement of normal data, yearly average depth to water

measurements from monitoring wells were used in the analysis.

The bivariate analysis was used to find the threshold year when the potential

pumping covariate started to affect monitoring well levels. This was accomplished by

examining non-stationarity, or a change in mean, between correlated test and control

monitoring well records. The results from the bivariate technique determined the year,

direction, and magnitude of the change in mean caused by non-stationarity (Potter, 1981).

The bivariate analysis uses a regional stationary series which consists of multiple

stations around a test station. The regional series is assumed to be independent and free

of systematic change (Kirono and Jones, 2007). Due to the lack of available monitoring

well records, multiple stations could not be used to develop a regional stationary series.

Therefore, individual control locations (Amherst Junction or Wautoma) were considered

the stationary regional series, which was similar to the methods of Kirono and Jones

(2007).

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22

Bivariate analysis was initially tested on the control monitoring wells, Amherst

Junction and Wautoma, to develop stationary periods of record for each well. The time

period from 1958-2008 was used based on the shorter data set at Amherst Junction.

These stationary periods were developed so that the control locations could serve as the

regional series in further analysis with test monitoring wells.

Once the stationary periods were established at the control sites, the bivariate test

was used to determine the threshold year possibly caused by the pumping covariate at the

test monitoring wells: Bancroft, Coloma NW, Hancock and Plover. Control sites located

within the closest proximity to the test sites were used as the stationary data set. The

results for this test were calculated in Microsoft Office Excel 2007 and an example can

be found in Appendix 6.

Multiple Regression and ANCOVA

Multiple regression was the primary statistical technique used for this research

and supported findings from the previous analyses. Multiple regression is used in many

situations when knowledge of the system indicates that there is more than one variable

needed to explain a result (Helsel and Hirsch, 2002). In groundwater studies, multiple

regression has been used to predict and explain groundwater levels (Ferguson and St.

George, 2003, Mayer and Congdon, 2008). Regression models have been used to

develop equations to measure stage fluctuations in lakes (House, 1985), estimate the

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23

magnitude and frequency of floods for ungaged rivers (Jennings et al., 1994), measure

groundwater recharge (Perez, 1997, Gerbert et al., 2007), runoff (Lee and Chung, 2007),

and as an estimation of streamflow depletion from irrigation (Burt et al., 2002). Multiple

regression is considered a useful tool for analyzing complex hydrologic data (Kufs, 1992).

Linear multiple regression equations using ANCOVA were developed to quantify

changes potentially due to the two covariates: the step increase in precipitation and

pumping. ANCOVA is the addition of the covariate variables to the regression models.

Covariates used at specific monitoring well locations were identified using Kendall’s tau

and the bivariate analysis. Slope coefficients of the covariate binary variables

represented the change in monitoring well water elevations. The main purpose of this

technique is to use independent variables to explain and predict the dependant variable:

test monitoring well water elevations (Helsel and Hirsch, 2002). Multiple regression was

well suited for this task because more than one independent variable was needed to

explain monitoring well levels. In this study, multiple regression used variables

developed from the previously described analyses. The model results detected

differences in groundwater levels, predicted measurements, explained trends and

explored the implied precipitation and pumping interaction on water levels in monitoring

wells.

Regression models were created for each monitoring well to distinguish the

changes possibly due to pumping from changes possibly due to a step increase in

precipitation. At control monitoring wells, the step increase in precipitation was

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24

examined graphically to determine if changes in precipitation were the same throughout

the study area.

Monthly monitoring well water elevations for the growing season, May through

September, were used for multiple regression analyses. The growing season months were

chosen to limit complexity due to snowpack infiltration rates and because most

groundwater use occurs during the growing season. To achieve parsimony in the model,

the selection of applicable variables was kept small. Three variables provided the best

results: the 6 or 24-month SPI, the binary variable for the potential step increase in

precipitation, and the binary variable for the potential increased impact of groundwater

pumping. The time breaks used to change the binary variables from “off” to “on” were

established with the trends test and the bivariate analysis. Regression tests were

processed with PROC REG in SAS version 8.2. An example of the multiple regression

analysis with ANCOVA is given in Appendix 7.

Data Analysis Summary

Trend analysis and the Mann-Whitney test were used to determine if and where

pumping and the step increase in precipitation may have occurred. The bivariate analysis

used those results to determine when pumping potentially started to impact groundwater

levels and also reconfirmed precipitation changes. Finally, multiple regression with

ANCOVA used results from the previous tests to quantify, explain, and predict

monitoring well water elevations through time.

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Results and Discussion

Precipitation Changes

Increases or decreases in annual and seasonal precipitation affect groundwater

levels and can exacerbate or mask the impact of groundwater loss (such as pumping).

Spatial and temporal trends were analyzed to determine if and where changes in

precipitation occurred in the study region. A significant trend would require removing

that effect, so the possible impacts of groundwater pumping would not be masked.

To determine when precipitation trends began to impact groundwater levels,

differences in median values were analyzed with the Mann-Whitney test. A difference in

the median value from one time period to the next was considered a step increase in

precipitation. Both the test for trends and the difference in median values were used to

corroborate findings and results.

Annual Trends

Trends in annual precipitation were examined to determine if spatial and/or

temporal differences existed in the study region. Annual trend results for the composite

central division data consisted of two time period, 1955-2008 and 1933-2008. The longer

time period 1933-2008 was included to determine if the shorter time period was sensitive

to changes in precipitation or introduced any bias. The shorter time period 1955-2008

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26

was used for all precipitation data sets (the five COOP climate stations, the interpolated

data set at Wautoma, and the composite central division records) because data from one

of the COOP climate stations (Montello) began in 1955.

Figure 8 illustrates the results of the spatial difference in annual precipitation

trends, where circles represent no trend and triangles represent increased trends

(significant decreasing trends were not found). The magnitudes of the trends are shown

in Figure 9. Increasing trends added to the complexity of the data analysis. Three

stations, Hancock, Montello, and Wautoma, in the southern part of the study area show

increased trends in annual cumulative precipitation while stations in the northern part of

the study area, Stevens Point, Waupaca, Wisconsin Rapids, show no trend.

There was no significant trend found for the longer or shorter time period

associated with the composite central division precipitation (Table 4, Figure 9).

Increased precipitation near the control monitoring well at Wautoma required finding a

different calibration period with which to compare test monitoring wells. A different

calibration period was needed because an increase in precipitation through time would

minimize the results of potential pumping impacts at test locations where there was no

increase in precipitation. Increased precipitation near the test monitoring well at

Hancock required removing the effect of the trend so that the implied effect from

groundwater pumping was not dampened.

Trends in annual precipitation throughout the study area alone do not explain

declines in water levels at monitoring wells. Precipitation varies from year to year and

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27

affects groundwater levels and hydrologic flow paths especially if annual totals have been

above or below average for long periods (Weeks and Stangland, 1971, Webster et al.,

1996). Long term declines in precipitation would help to explain decreases in surface

and groundwater levels, but increased precipitation though time may be hiding the

impacts of pumping. For this reason precipitation was examined in smaller time

increments.

Figure 8. Temporal trends for annual precipitation (1955-2008) at the 5 COOP climate stations, Wautoma,

and the composite central division data. Triangles indicate significant increasing trends (p-value < 0.05).

Circles indicate no significant trend (p-value > 0.05). Monitoirng well locations are lightly shaded in the

background.

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Table 4. P-values from the Kendall’s tau trends test for annual precipitation at the six precipitation stations

from 1955-2008 and for the composite central division data for two time periods (1955-2008 and 1933-2008).

P-value <0.05 indicate a significant trend and + indicates that the direction of the trend is positive.

location p-value

Hancock 0.025* (+)

Montello 0.026* (+)

Stevens Point 0.391

Waupaca 0.876

Wautoma 0.042* (+)

Wisconsin Rapids 0.970

Composite 1 (1933-2008) 0.093

Composite 2 (1955-2008) 0.109

* indicates significant p-value < 0.05

+ indicates the direction of the trend

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Figure 9. Annual Precipitation from 1955-2008 for climate stations, the interpolated data set at Wautoma

and the central composite data. Additionally, the composite central division annual precipitation for the time

period 1933-2008. The trend line and equation indicate the magnitude of the changes in precipitation

through time.

y = 2.8466x - 4847.2400

600

800

1000

1200

1400

1955 1965 1975 1985 1995 2005

mm

Hancock 1955-2008

y = 3.2525x - 5619.8400

600

800

1000

1200

1400

1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010

mm

Montello 1955-2008

y = 1.1024x - 1382400

600

800

1000

1200

1400

1955 1965 1975 1985 1995 2005

mm

Stevens Point 1955-2008

y = 0.5538x - 271.95400

600

800

1000

1200

1400

1955 1965 1975 1985 1995 2005m

m

Waupaca 1955-2008

y = 2.1319x - 3420.1400

600

800

1000

1200

1400

1955 1965 1975 1985 1995 2005

mm

Wautoma 1955-2008

y = -0.0035x + 808.01400

600

800

1000

1200

1400

1955 1965 1975 1985 1995 2005

mm

Wisconsin Rapids 1955-2008

y = 0.9181x + 769.63400

600

800

1000

1200

1400

19

33

19

37

19

41

19

45

19

49

19

53

19

57

19

61

19

65

19

69

19

73

19

77

19

81

19

85

19

89

19

93

19

97

20

01

20

05

mm

Composite 1933-2008

y = 1.7076x - 2572.1400

600

800

1000

1200

1400

1955 1965 1975 1985 1995 2005

mm

Composite 1955-2008

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Seasonal Trends

Annual precipitation data were divided into four seasons: spring (March-May),

summer (June-August), fall (September-November) and winter (December-February).

Data from the five COOP stations were used along with the composite central division

precipitation from 1955-2008. The spatially interpolated data set at Wautoma was not

used because interpolations were only calculated for yearly data. Seasonal trends were

analyzed to determine what time of the year increases in precipitation occurred in the

southern part of the study area. Seasonal precipitation data from 1999-2008 were also

examined to determine if a particular time of the year during the last ten years has been

drier.

Summer precipitation increased at Hancock, Montello and for the composite

central division precipitation. Additionally a significant increasing trend was found

during the winter at Hancock (Figure 10). Spring precipitation at all locations showed no

significant trend. Fall precipitation decreased at all sites except Montello, but not

significantly (P-value = <0.05) (Table 5). Figures illustrating the magnitude of the

seasonal trends at each location can be found in Appendix 8.

McCabe and Wolock (2002) proposed that the trends in precipitation were

spurred by increases in fall and winter precipitation totals. The seasonal trend results for

Central Wisconsin indicate that summer was a more likely season for the increase in

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precipitation to have occurred, with winter contributions possibly from precipitation or

added snowfall.

Groundwater recharge from May through September is substantially less than

during the rest of the year due to evapotranspiration even though most precipitation in

Central Wisconsin (60%) falls during that time (Weeks and Stangland, 1971, USDA,

2006). This indicates that an increase in summer precipitation may not increase recharge.

The lack of increased trends during the spring or fall, when groundwater recharge is the

greatest in Central Wisconsin, may suggest that groundwater recharge is not able to keep

up with the demand for groundwater use (Table 5).

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Figure 10. Seasonal Kendall’s tau trends for cumulative monthly data from 1955-2008. Each bar

represents the direction of the data through time. Bars are plotted: spring, summer, fall and winter

respectively. Solid bars indicate a significant trend and hollow bars indicate no significant trend. Note that

Hancock and Montello, in the southern region, show increasing trends in summer, winter and summer

respectively.

Table 5. P-values for Kendall's tau trend test from 1955-2008 at COOP locations and for the composite

central division cumulative seasonal precipitation data.

Location Spring Summer Fall Winter

Hancock 0.134 0.004* (+) 0.460 0.009* (+)

Montello 0.561 0.003* (+) 0.654 0.447

Stevens Point 0.556 0.156 0.347 0.107

Waupaca 0.771 0.300 0.236 0.230

Wisconsin Rapids 0.676 0.665 0.230 0.241

Composite 0.633 0.011* (+) 0.612 0.136

* indicates significant p-value < 0.05

+ indicates the direction of the trend

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The median values for seasonal precipitation from 1955-1998 were compared to

1999-2008 to determine whether the last ten years have been drier. These results are

illustrated in Figure 11. Differences between the median values for the two time periods

and the p-values are given in Table 6. Median values indicate that the total amount of

precipitation in the last 10 years has increased at Hancock during the spring and winter

while fall precipitation at Waupaca has decrease during the fall.

The comparison of median precipitation values suggests that around Hancock

where significant declines in surface and groundwater levels have occurred, precipitation

has increased or is not significantly different during the current time period (1999-2008).

Kraft and Mechenich (2010) imply that the increase in precipitation during this recent

period has masked the rapid expansion of irrigation so that the full effect of pumping in

areas where there is a HDW will not be evident in groundwater record until drier

conditions occur.

Declines in precipitation at Waupaca during the fall may indicate less infiltration

and less recharge to groundwater. Drier falls in the northern part of the study region in

areas with fewer high capacity wells may be exasperating the effect of groundwater

consumption.

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Figure 11 Median values for seasonal precipitation comparing 1955-1998 and 1999-2008.

* indicates a significant difference between median values (p-value < 0.05).

0

100

200

300

400

Hancock Waupaca Stevens Point Wisconsin Rapids Montello CompositeSp

rin

g P

recip

itati

on

(m

m)

Spring 1955-1998

1999-2008

0

100

200

300

400

Hancock Waupaca Stevens Point Wisconsin Rapids Montello Composite

Su

mm

er P

recip

itati

on

(m

m)

Summer1955-1998

1999-2008

0

100

200

300

400

Hancock Waupaca Stevens Point Wisconsin Rapids Montello Composite

Fall

P

recip

itati

on

(m

m)

Fall1955-1998

1999-2008

0

100

200

300

400

Hancock Waupaca Stevens Point Wisconsin Rapids Montello CompositeWin

ter

Precip

itati

on

(m

m)

Winter1955-1998

1999-2008

*

*

*

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35

Table 6. The difference in seasonal median values and p-values for 1955-1998 vs. 1999-2008.

SPRING SUMMER FALL WINTER

Location

Difference

(mm) p-value

Difference

(mm) p-value

Difference

(mm) p-value

Difference

(mm) p-value

Hancock 43.3 0.028 45.5 0.106 -23.5 0.275 23.8 0.005

Waupaca 3.1 0.903 -26.7 0.350 -48.3 0.045 18.7 0.133

Stevens Point 19.7 0.256 21.1 0.385 -40.8 0.091 16.2 0.157

Wisconsin

Rapids 13.1 0.429 14.2 0.730 -29.2 0.164 10.4 0.456

Montello 22.4 0.333 70.4 0.051 -14.6 0.616 17.5 0.161

Composite 13.3 0.410 38.9 0.093 -27.3 0.229 17.9 0.071

Step Increase in Precipitation

The Mann-Whitney test was used to determine whether a step increase in

precipitation occurred between 1970 and 1971 and confirmed spatial differences found in

results from annual precipitation trends. Annual cumulative precipitation from the COOP

climate stations, Wautoma’s interpolated data and the composite central division

precipitation were tested. Differences in median values were compared for before and

after 1970, which was the same year Juckem et al. (2008) used to find a step increase in

precipitation (Table 7). A longer time period (1933-2008) was used when the data were

available, so that there was an equal number of observations on either side of the break

between 1970 and 1971 (n = 38). Juckem et al. (2008) used a shorter time period, 1941-

2000, to determine a step increase in precipitation, but for this study the longer period

was used to capture the most current precipitation records.

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36

A significant increase in annual precipitation between 1970 and 1971 indicated

the existence of a step increase in precipitation. Climate stations lacking a significant

trend in annual precipitation were interpreted as having no step change (Table 7). Annual

average precipitation for Central Wisconsin is 760 to 840 mm (USDA, 2006). Most of

the median values in Table 7 fit into this range except for locations where significant

increases occurred (Hancock, Montello and Wautoma). Precipitation outside the annual

average range indicated more dramatic climate shifts in the southern part of the study

area and justified the use of the step increase covariate.

The difference in median annual precipitation before and after 1970 and 1971 for

the composite central division data was calculated for two time periods: 1933-2008 and

1955-2008. The longer data set resulted in a significant difference in median values (p-

value = 0.0412), while the shorter data set indicated no difference (p-value = 0.0569).

This indicates that the longer data set (1933-2008) was sensitive enough to pick out the

step increase in precipitation where as the shorter composite data set (1955-2008) was not.

This differs from the annual precipitation trends which found no significant trends for

either time period mentioned above (Table 4).

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Table 7. Results for changes in the median cumulative annual precipitation using the Mann-Whitney test

for before and after 1970. P-value < 0.05 indicates a step increase in precipitation.

Location of COOP

Climate Stations

Time

Period

Median Value

(mm)

Time

Period

Median Value

(mm)

Median Difference

(mm)

P-Value for Difference

>0

Hancock 1933-1970 735.84 1971-2008 837.18 101.3 0.018*

Montello 1955-1970 707.64 1971-2008 892.56 184.9 0.013*

Stevens Point 1933-1970 774.45 1971-2008 818.39 43.9 0.486

Waupaca 1933-1970 778.26 1971-2008 835.91 57.7 0.066

Wautoma 1933-1970 734.82 1971-2008 848.36 113.5 0.007*

Wisconsin Rapids 1933-1970 761.75 1971-2008 835.66 73.9 0.379

Composite 1 1933-1970 764.29 1971-2008 850.65 86.4 0.041*

Composite 2 1955-1970 762.76 1971-2008 850.65 87.9 0.057

* indicates significant p-values < 0.05

Bivariate Analysis

The bivariate test, developed by Maronna and Yohai (1978), was used to

determine the year that changes in groundwater levels occurred at monitoring wells. This

was accomplished by finding non-stationarity in the monitoring well records.

Discontinuity of the mean represents non-stationarity. Douglas et al. (2000) used the

water balance equation to illustrate that non-stationarity was analogous with changes in

groundwater levels. They defined stationary conditions as changes in water levels

through time equal to zero. When the amount of precipitation entering the system or

groundwater leaving the system changed, non-stationarity existed.

The change in groundwater levels at test monitoring wells was used to determine

a threshold, when groundwater pumping may have shown up in the record. At test

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38

monitoring wells, non-stationarity was associated with groundwater leaving the system

possibly via pumping. At some test locations there was an additional discontinuity from

increasing precipitation entering the system (the step increase in precipitation). Pumping

is documented prior to the beginning of the monitoring well records (Figure 2), so the test

for stationarity or non-stationarity is somewhat limited by the length of the data sets.

Control Monitoring Wells

The bivariate test detects the year, magnitude and direction of a systematic change

in the mean between a test series and a second correlated stationary series. Control

locations at Amherst Junction and Wautoma were considered the second correlated

stationary series and the test series because both control locations were thought to be

influenced by the covariate that represented the step increase in precipitation and the

pumping covariate. For this reason, the bivariate test was initially used to identify a

period of stationarity between the control monitoring wells.

The control monitoring well at Wautoma was thought to the least influenced by

anthropogenic processes (i.e., pumping) due to the low density of irrigation wells. The

bivariate test was calculated using Wautoma as the test series and Amherst Junction as

the second stationary series for 1958-2008. Amherst Junction, a control well not greatly

influenced by pumping, is located in the northern part of the study area where no step

increase in precipitation occurred between 1970 and 1971.

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39

In Figure 12, a single discontinuity in the mean at Wautoma occurred in 1973, the

year after the peak in the graph (1972). The dashed horizontal line in Figure 6 represents

the 95% critical value. The peak, To, represents the maximum value of the difference (Ti)

between the Wautoma and Amherst Junction data series. To occurs the year before the

change in mean (Potter, 1981), therefore non-stationarity was interpreted to occur after To

(after 1973).

Non-stationarity that occurred in 1973 at the Wautoma monitoring well indicated

that the increase in precipitation contributed to an increase in groundwater levels. The

change in stationarity at Wautoma with respect to Amherst Junction occurs about the

same time as a step increase in precipitation is suspected for the area. Similar results

were found by Lettenmaier et al. (1994) when they used the bivariate test to determine

that increases in stream baseflow could be connected to increases in precipitation.

A stationary period from 1972-2008 was established at Wautoma, which included

the peak (1972), but excluded the years prior (1958-1971). Figure 13 illustrates that with

the years prior to 1972 excluded, Ti does not reach the critical value, which suggests a

change in mean did not occur at Wautoma for the new time period (1972-2008). The

results for the new stationary period implied that the only change to the monitoring well

at Wautoma had to do with the step increase in precipitation which occurred around 1970.

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Figure 12. Bivariate results for a change in mean at Wautoma monitoring well using Amherst Junction as

the stationary data set (1958-2008). The dashed line represents the 95% critical value, Ti is the difference

in the two data series being tested, and the vertical line is the peak year (To) which occurred one year before

the change in mean. This discontinuity in mean is associated with the step increase in precipitation

between 1970 and 1971.

Figure 13. Bivariate results for a change in mean at Wautoma monitoring well for a time period after the

step increase in precipitation (1972-2008) using Amherst Junction as the stationary data set. The dashed

line represents the critical value. Statistics (Ti) below this line indicate no change in mean, establishing a

stationary period between 1972-2008.

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

1958 1968 1978 1988 1998 2008

Ti

Critical Value

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

1972 1977 1982 1987 1992 1997 2002 2007

Ti

Critical Value

To in 1972

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41

To find a stationary period at the Amherst Junction control well, Amherst

Junction was used as the test series and Wautoma was the second correlated stationary

series. In the Wautoma record it was found that non-stationarity was associated with the

step increase in precipitation, but not with a decline presumed to be due to fewer

pumping wells. Amherst Junction is located in the northern part of the study area where

there was a small or no step increase in precipitation (Waupaca p-value = 0.066 in Table

6). Therefore, the entire Wautoma record (1958-2008) was used to establish a stationary

period at Amherst Junction.

Two shifts in mean occurred in the Amherst Junction record. Although the

bivariate test was designed to detect a single change in mean, it can be sensitive to

multiple changes with the largest shift identified as the primary break and the smaller

shift identified as the secondary break (Kirono and Jones, 2007). The first change in

mean occurred in 2000 after the peak in 1999 (Figure 14A). The bivariate test was

reevaluated without 2000-2008 and identified another change in mean which occurred

during in the early 1960’s (Figure 14B). Three peaks were found in the years 1961, 1962,

and 1965. Multiple peaks meant that from 1962-1966, there were multiple adjustments

and responses occurring at the monitoring well. To identify the longest possible

stationary period at Amherst Junction, data prior to the first change in mean (1962) were

left out. When 1958-1961 were excluded from the bivariate calculation, a stationary

period from 1962-1999 was established (Figure 14C).

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Figure 14. Graphs A (Top), B (middle) and C (Bottom) of bivariate results for changes in mean at the

Amherst Junction monitoring well for three different time periods: 1958-2008, 1958-1999, and 1962-1999 (A-

C). Horizontal dashed lines represent the 95% critical value, Ti is the difference in data sets, and vertical

lines represent the peak (To), the year after To is the change in mean.

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

1958 1968 1978 1988 1998 2008

Critical Value

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

1958 1963 1968 1973 1978 1983 1988 1993 1998

Ti

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

1962 1967 1972 1977 1982 1987 1992 1997

To = 1999

To = 1961, 1962, 1965

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43

Using the bivariate test, two stationary periods were found in the records of the

control monitoring wells. At Wautoma the stationary period was from 1972-2008 and at

Amherst Junction it was from 1962-1999. The stationary periods at the control wells

were important to establish, because they were used to detect a change in mean at the test

monitoring wells. Non-stationarity at the test monitoring wells indicated the year when a

threshold was reached where groundwater pumping was suspected to have a measureable

impact on groundwater levels.

Test Monitoring Wells

To find the threshold year for the potential pumping covariate at test monitoring

wells, bivariate analysis was calculated using the control monitoring wells as the

stationary data set. The bivariate analysis determined the year, magnitude and direction

of non-stationary periods which may have been caused by pumping. Control wells

closest in distance to test wells were compared due to similar precipitation patterns.

The Wautoma control well was used to find the implied pumping covariate

threshold at Hancock, because both were influenced by the step increase in precipitation

and because of proximity. Wautoma’s stationary period (1972-2008) did not include the

time period before 1970. After 1971, the step increase in precipitation had already

occurred. Therefore, the effect of precipitation did not influence the determination of the

pumping threshold year at Hancock.

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44

The outcome of the bivariate test at Hancock indicated that although 1994 was the

peak year, the results plateau from 1994-1998 (Figure 15). Potter (1981) mentions that

while a plateau does not create a clear estimate of the exact year of change, it

demonstrates that the bivariate test is sensitive to any change taking place. The plateau

may coincide with a ramp up of groundwater pumping between 1994 and 1998. The last

peak in the plateau (1998) was selected as To which resulted in a non-stationarity, or a

second stationary period after 1999. Multiple regression models corroborated 1999 as the

possible pumping threshold year. The bivariate analysis results for Hancock indicate that

an increase in the magnitude of groundwater pumping during the mid to late 1990’s may

have caused declines in groundwater levels.

Figure 15. Bivariate results for a change in mean at Hancock monitoring well when compared to Wautoma

for the time period 1972-2008. The change in mean occurred in 1999, one year after the last peak in the

plateau in 1998.

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

1972 1977 1982 1987 1992 1997 2002 2007

Ti

Critical Value

To = 1994-1998

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45

The Plover test well was initially compared to the Amherst Junction control well

(1962-1999) because Amherst Junction was the closest control location. The bivariate

results for the comparison show two peaks in the Plover record between 1962 and 1999

(Figure 16). The first peak, in 1973, signified non-stationarity at Plover starting in 1974.

A second, higher peak occurred in 1986 indicating an additional non-stationary period

starting in 1987. In a previous study, using double mass curves, Clancy et al. (2009)

determined that groundwater declines became noticeable in the Little Plover River

around 1973. The first peak in Figure 16 was similar to results from Clancy et al. (2009).

Therefore, 1973 was chosen as the first potential pumping threshold year instead of 1986,

even though 1986 represented a slightly higher peak.

Figure 16. Bivariate results for a change in mean at Plover monitoring well when compared to Amherst

Junction for the time period 1962-1999. The first peak in the graph was in 1973 with the change in mean

occurring in 1974.

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

1962 1967 1972 1977 1982 1987 1992 1997

Ti

Critical Value

To = 1986 To = 1973

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46

The multiple peaks indicated a possible second non-stationary period, so the

Plover test well was compared with the Wautoma control well. The second comparison

to the Wautoma control well was used to determine whether additional declines in

groundwater levels occurred later in the record. The Wautoma stationary period (1972-

2008) started close to the first identified threshold year at Plover (1973) (Figure 16).

Therefore, the earlier non-stationary peak found when Plover was compared to Amherst

Junction did not influence the comparison of Plover to Wautoma.

The bivariate test using Wautoma as the correlated stationary series identified an

additional non-stationarity period at Plover between 1972 and 2008. Figure 17 illustrates

a plateau for the years 1989-1998 resulting in multiple peak values. The year 1999 was

identified as the second possible pumping threshold because it represented the end of the

plateau period or a period of continuous change.

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47

Figure 17. Bivariate results for a change in mean at the Plover monitoring well when compared to

Wautoma for the time period 1972-2008. The peaks in the graph plateau from 1989 to 1998 indicate a time

period of continuous change.

The Bancroft test well was compared to both Amherst Junction (1962-1999) and

Wautoma (1972-2008) because Bancroft is located between the two control locations.

Figure 12A shows results with Wautoma (1972-2008) as the stationary data set. The

1991 peak year indicated a change in mean in 1992. The year 1992 represented the

pumping threshold. The results were the same when Bancroft was compared to the

Amherst Junction stationary time period (1962-1999) (Figure 12B). The comparison

with Amherst Junction also suggests that the step increase in precipitation may not have

occurred at Bancroft because no increase in groundwater levels took place in the early

1970’s.

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

1972 1977 1982 1987 1992 1997 2002 2007

Ti

Critical Value

1989-1998

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48

Figure 18. Graphs A (Top) and B (Bottom) of bivariate results for a change in mean at the Bancroft

monitoring well when compared to Wautoma (A) from 1972-2008 and to Amherst Junction (B) from 1962-

1999. The peak in both graphs is in 1991 indicating that the change in mean occurs in 1992.

The Coloma test well was only compared to the Wautoma control location (1972-

2008) because Coloma records were poorly correlated with the Amherst Junction records.

The Coloma comparison to Wautoma (1972-2008) indicated a peak in 1973 associated

with non-stationarity that occurred in 1974 (Figure 13). The discontinuity in the mean

which occurred in 1974 was assumed to be associated with potential pumping impacts

because the direction of the change given in the bivariate results was negative. The non-

stationarity could also be the result of the test being sensitive to values at the beginning or

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

1972 1977 1982 1987 1992 1997 2002 2007

Ti

Critical Value

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

1962 1967 1972 1977 1982 1987 1992 1997

Ti

To = 1991

To = 1991

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49

end of the record. For comparison purposes, the peak at Coloma was associated with a

possible pumping threshold in 1974 similar to the first threshold year found at the Plover

test well.

Figure 19. Bivariate results for a change in mean at Coloma compared to Wautoma for the time period

1972-2008. A peak occurred in 1973 indicating a change due to pumping in 1974.

In summary, the bivariate analysis indicated the year and direction of the change

in mean potentially associated with pumping at the test monitoring wells. At all four test

wells, non-stationarity represented the possible pumping threshold year. The threshold at

Hancock was in 1999, at Bancroft it was in 1992, at Coloma it occurred in 1974 and at

Plover the first threshold was in 1974 with an additional pumping covariate that surfaced

at the end of the 1990’s (1999). The bivariate results were applied to multiple regression

equations as binary variables that are “off” before the threshold year and “on” after.

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

1972 1977 1982 1987 1992 1997 2002 2007

Ti

Critical Value

To = 1973

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50

Multiple Regression and ANCOVA

Multiple regression equations were developed for each monitoring well.

Regression models used growing season (May-September) water elevations for 1960-

2008. Equations were developed using the 6 and 24-month Standard Precipitation Index

(SPI) and the suggested step increase in precipitation and pumping covariates.

Covariates appeared in some equations and not others, depending on whether potential

impacts from covariates were identified in previous statistical tests. Some regression

equations contained two pumping covariates, which possibly represented increases in the

magnitude of pumping during different time periods. Equations for each monitoring well

are:

Hancock = 0.35·SPI24+0.48·STPC+-0.97·PC1+325.74 R2 = 0.77 Eq. 1

Plover = 0.33·SPI24+-0.39·PC1+-0.89·PC2+330.49 R2 = 0.69 Eq. 2

Bancroft = 0.15·SPI06+-0.28·PC1+326.01 R2 = 0.36 Eq. 3

Coloma = 0.30 SPI24 +-0.21 PC1 + 312.55 R2 = 0.24 Eq. 4

Wautoma = 0.20·SPI24+0.36·STPC+264.78 R2 = 0.63 Eq. 5

Amherst Junction = 0.42·SPI24+1.40·WLI-0.92·WLD+338.73 R2 = 0.57 Eq. 6

where monitoring well locations are water elevations (m), SPI24 is the standard

precipitation index for 24-months, SPI06 is the standard precipitation index for six

months, STPC is the step increase in precipitation covariate that was “off” until 1972 and

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51

“on” after 1973 (m), PC1 is the initial pumping covariate that switched from “off” to “on”

depending on location (m), PC2 is a second pumping covariate at the Plover location that

that was “off” until 1998 and “on” from 1999-2008 (m), WLI is the increase in

groundwater levels at the Amherst Junction location after 1962 (m), WLD is the decrease

at the Amherst Junction location after 1999 (m), and the number at the end of each

equation is the elevation constant (m). Models and all variables at all locations were

significant (p-value <0.05).

The SPI24 was the primary precipitation variable chosen for this study because of

work done by Mayer and Congdon (2008). They found that because the SPI24 is

standardized, the SPI variable in regression equations will have the least influence during

normal precipitation periods, when SPI values are close to zero. Other precipitation

variables such as moving averages or lags will have less influence during dry conditions

when values are close to zero, and more influence under wet conditions as values get

larger (Mayer and Congdon, 2008). The SPI appears in all regression equations as the

main driving variable because it represents the systematic response to wet and dry

periods that occurs at monitoring wells in the study region.

The 24-month time period was used a majority of the time in this study, but the

SPI can be calculated for any time period desired. The SPI24 was used in all regression

models except at Bancroft. At Bancroft, the 6 month SPI was a better fit in the regression

model due to what was thought to be a quicker response time to precipitation events. The

SPI24 slope coefficients for all monitoring wells, not including Bancroft, were different.

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52

This was possibly due to different well response times and to the well location within the

groundwater table. Monitoring wells located higher in the water table responded quicker

to changes in the aquifer than those located lower in the water table (Webster et al., 1996).

In the regression equations, the SPI24 slope coefficients illustrate this rate of change.

To better illustrate monitoring well responses to the SPI and the possible pumping

and step increase in precipitation covariates, the Multiple Regression and ANCOVA

section is broken down into subsections based on each monitoring well.

Hancock: Test Well

At the Hancock test monitoring well the step increase in precipitation covariate

(STPC) and a pumping covariate (PC1) affected water elevations through time. Equation

1 indicates that the increase in groundwater levels potentially due to the STPC after 1973

was 0.48 m. When groundwater declines became measurable in 1999, that decline at the

Hancock monitoring well was 0.97 m, in spite of increases possibly created by

precipitation. If the suggested step increase in precipitation had not occurred, the net

decline in groundwater levels may have been approximately 1.45 m. Although pumping

was developed before 1999, the STPC may have reduced the measureable impact

pumping had on groundwater levels. Because precipitation may have masked the effects

of pumping at Hancock, it may be difficult to calculate the full effect that potential

pumping had on groundwater levels from 1973-1998.

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53

Figure 20A shows the observed groundwater levels at Hancock for the growing

season and predicted water elevations which include STPC in the regression model. The

vertical lines represent the threshold years found with the bivariate analysis. Differences

between predicted and observed values at the end of the graph indicate that the bivariate

test was indeed sensitive to a decline in groundwater levels that occurred at the Hancock

monitoring well. Figure 20B includes PC1 and shows the predicted results of Equation 1.

Before 1973, only the SPI24 was used to predict the Hancock monitoring well

water elevations. With the addition of the STPC, the regression model was able to

accurately predict monitoring well levels using only the suggested increase due to

precipitation until 1998. After 1999, the groundwater decline was more than the previous

response in the record to wet and dry periods. The PC1 variable modified the suggested

precipitation response to accurately predict observed monitoring well water levels after

1999. The withdrawal of groundwater was considered the main reason for declines at the

Hancock monitoring well during the end of the record because annual and seasonal

precipitation totals were higher than during the previous time periods.

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54

Figure 20. Graphs A (Top) and B (Bottom) of observed and predicted multiple regression results at the Hancock monitoring well for the growing season (May-September) 1960-2008. Graph A includes the STPC after 1972 and graph B includes PC1 which began to affect monitoring well levels in 1999.

Plover: Test Well

It was assumed that the Plover monitoring well was not influenced by the STPC

that occurred at Hancock because there was no significant increasing trend and no

difference in median seasonal precipitation values. For these reasons it is implied that

pumping was the driver of groundwater levels and began to influence the water

324

325

326

327

328

329

1960 1964 1968 1972 1976 1980 1984 1988 1992 1996 2000 2004 2008

Han

cock

Wate

r E

levati

on

s (m

) Hancock Observed

Hancock Predicted

324

325

326

327

328

329

1960 1964 1968 1972 1976 1980 1984 1988 1992 1996 2000 2004 2008

Han

cock

Wate

r E

levati

on

s (m

)

1972, 1973

1998, 1999

R2 = 0.77

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55

elevations at the Plover location starting in 1974. Before 1974, precipitation was thought

to be the main driver of water levels in the Plover monitoring well, although pumping

developed in the area prior to the 1970’s. The first response potentially due to pumping

(PC1) occurred between 1974 and 1998 and resulted in a water level decline of 0.39

meters (Figure 21A). The additional groundwater decline (PC2) after 1998 decreased

water levels an additional 0.89 m (Equation 2). The net decline in water elevation at the

Plover monitoring well for both periods was 1.28 m. At Hancock the net decline, if a

precipitation-step-increase had not occurred, was approximated to be around 1.45 m.

Both wells responded to a potential ramp up in pumping at around the same time (1999),

and it seems feasible that an additional pumping impact at Hancock may have been

measured earlier if there had not been a STPC at Hancock after 1972.

In Figure 21A the effect of PC1 is illustrated. The regression model for Plover

over-compensates for the larger decline at the end of the record by predicting lower water

elevations in the mid 1970’s through the mid 1980’s. With the addition of PC2 after

1998, the model adjusts during the mid 1970’s through the mid 1980’s to an improved

prediction of well water elevations (Figure 21B). Figure 21B indicates that there is a

third possible pumping response that occurs around 2005. However, the difference did

not affect stationarity, so there was no justification for adding another covariate.

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56

Figure 21. Graphs A (Top) and B (Bottom) of observed and predicted multiple regression results at the

Plover monitoring well for the growing season (May-September) 1960-2008. Graph A includes PC1 which

occurred after 1973 and graph B includes PC2 added after 1998.

Bancroft: Test Well

The Bancroft monitoring well responded to a suggested pumping covariate after

1991, but the regression model was different from other monitoring well results. The

regression equation (Equation 3) indicated that after 1991, water elevations declined by

0.28 m. Before 1991, water elevations responded to the SPI for six months instead of 24-

328

329

330

331

332

333

1960 1964 1968 1972 1976 1980 1984 1988 1992 1996 2000 2004

Plo

ver W

ell

Ele

vati

on

s (m

) Plover Observed

Plover Predicted

328

329

330

331

332

333

1960 1964 1968 1972 1976 1980 1984 1988 1992 1996 2000 2004

Plo

ver

Wel

l E

levati

on

s (m

)1973, 1974

1998, 1999

R2 = 0.69

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57

months used at the other monitoring wells. The quicker response to wet and dry periods

over a shorter duration was apparent in the fluctuation of water elevations throughout the

growing season record, but the magnitude of the range in the water level response was

not as great (Figure 22). The range of water levels in the Bancroft record was

approximately 1.5 meters. This was small when compared to the range of water levels at

the Plover monitoring well, which was almost four meters during the course of the record.

Small fluctuations in Bancroft water levels may also be the reason SPI06 was only able to

approximate the middle of the range of growing season values and was not able to

properly predict peaks and troughs.

Despite not being able to predict peaks and troughs, the Bancroft regression

model was able to pick up the decline in water levels after 1991. This is shown in Figure

22A as a departure of the predicted values from the middle of the range of data. When

PC1 was added after 1991, the model again adjusts to the middle of the data range and is

better able to predict some of the peaks and troughs earlier in the record, before the

addition of the suggested pumping covariate. It is important to note that in Figure 22B,

the predicted values after 2005 are closer to the observed peaks instead of in the middle

of the observed range. This could possibly be the result of a similar pumping influence

noted at the end of the Plover Record.

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Figure 22. Graphs A (Top) and B (Bottom) of observed and predicted multiple regression results at the

Bancroft monitoring well for the growing season (May-September) 1960-2008. Graph A shows the

response to the SPI06 before PC1 was added. Graph B includes the pumping covariate that occurred after

1991.

Coloma: Test Well

The regression model at Coloma contained one suggested pumping covariate that

began after 1973. The decline in groundwater levels was 0.21 m (Equation 4). Coloma’s

324

325

326

327

328

329

1960 1964 1968 1972 1976 1980 1984 1988 1992 1996 2000 2004 2008

Ban

croft

Well

Ele

vati

on

s (m

)Bancroft Observed

Bancroft Predicted

324

325

326

327

328

329

1960 1964 1968 1972 1976 1980 1984 1988 1992 1996 2000 2004 2008

Ba

ncroft

Well

Ele

va

tion

s (m

)

1991, 1992

R2 = 0.36

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59

growing season record (May-September) was spotty with several missing monthly values.

For this reason, the model did not predict Coloma water elevations as well, compared to

other regression equations (Figure 23). The monitoring well response was more dramatic

with respect to wet periods than it was with respect to dry periods. This may indicate that

a rolling average or a lag in precipitation may have been better precipitation variables to

use with this monitoring well instead of the SPI24. A rolling average or lag in

precipitation would have resulted in a greater response from the regression model to

wetter periods as precipitation values increased and less response to drier periods when

precipitation values were smaller (Mayer and Congdon, 2008).

Figure 23. Observed and predicted multiple regression results at the Coloma monitoring well for the

growing season (May-September) 1960-2008. The graph shows the response of PC1 after 1973.

310

311

312

313

314

315

1964 1967 1970 1973 1976 1979 1982 1985 1988 1991 1994 1997 2000 2003 2006

Colo

ma W

ell E

levati

on

s (m

)

Coloma ObservedColoma Predicted

R2 = 0.24

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60

Wautoma: Control Well

The regression model for the monitoring well at Wautoma included only the

SPI24 and the STPC. The STPC that was identified between 1972 and 1973 added 0.36

m to monitoring well water levels (Equation 5). This was similar to the response from

the step increase in precipitation at Hancock (STPC = 0.48 m). When the Wautoma

regression model was calculated without the step increase, the model adjusted its

predicted values to the time period after 1972. Figure 24A shows that predicted water

elevations before 1972 were lower, and when the STPC was included the predicted water

elevations adjusted downward before 1972 (Figure 24B).

The Wautoma monitoring well water elevations show little fluctuation and the

regression model predicts more sharp peaks and troughs than what actually existed in the

data. The smaller range in the Wautoma record was similar to the smaller range found in

the Bancroft record, but additionally there was little difference in water elevations at

Wautoma during the growing season. This lack of response to seasonal fluctuations

throughout the record may be due to Wautoma’s position in the groundwater flow system

which is lower than any of the other monitoring wells (elevation datum 266 meters).

Additionally, the Wautoma monitoring well does not respond quickly to precipitation

events as shown in Equation 5 with the SPI24 slope coefficient of 0.20. The rate of

change is lowest among monitoring wells where the 24-month SPI was used. The slow

response might explain the model’s attempt to include nonexistent peaks and troughs.

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Figure 24 Graphs A (Top) and B (Bottom) of observed and predicted multiple regression results at the

Wautoma monitoring well for the growing season (May-September) 1960-2008. Graph A shows the

response to the SPI24 before the STPC was added. Graph B includes the STPC that occurred after 1972.

263

264

265

266

267

268

1960 1964 1968 1972 1976 1980 1984 1988 1992 1996 2000 2004 2008

Wau

tom

a W

ell

Ele

vati

on

s (m

)

Wautoma observed

Wautoma Predicted

263

264

265

266

267

268

1960 1964 1968 1972 1976 1980 1984 1988 1992 1996 2000 2004 2008

Wa

uto

ma

Well

Ele

va

tion

s (m

)

1972, 1973

Adjusted R2 = 0.63

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Amherst Junction: Control Well

The Amherst Junction monitoring well responded to two shifts in the record

between 1960 and 2008. After 1999, water levels in the monitoring well declined by 0.92

m (Equation 6). Although Amherst Junction is thought to be influenced by groundwater

pumping, the monitoring well is located in an area with fewer high capacity wells and

therefore the influence from pumping was thought not to be as great. Pumping may have

contributed to the decrease in water levels, but the magnitude of the response may have

been caused by less precipitation. At the beginning of the record there was an increase in

the Amherst Junction water elevations. This increase after 1962 predicted by the

regression model was 1.40 m.

A possible explanation for the shifts in the Amherst Junction monitoring well

levels before 1962 and after 1999 could partially be due to the well’s location. The

Amherst Junction well is located on the shores of Lake Emily in western Portage County.

During three different occasions in the well’s record, there were values measured above

the land surface. The location of the monitoring well could also explain the large

fluctuations in water elevations through the record and during the growing season.

Figure 25A illustrates the predicted regression results from the SPI24 for Amherst

Junction water elevations. The regression model in Figure 25A, which only includes the

SPI24 precipitation variable, clearly shows the breaks in the record before 1962 and after

1998. Figures 25B and C include the addition of the two other variables (WLI and WLD).

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The predicted values from the model are improved, although it seems the variations in

Amherst Junction’s record are too large for the model to accurately explain.

Figure 25. Graphs A (Top), B (Middle) and C (Bottom) of observed and predicted multiple regression

results at the Amherst Junction monitoring well for the growing season (May-September) 1960-2008. Graph

A shows just the SPI24, graph B includes the water level decline that occurred after 1999 and graph C

contains the increased water levels after 1962.

338

339

340

341

342

343

1960 1964 1968 1972 1976 1980 1984 1988 1992 1996 2000 2004 2008

Amherst Observed

Amherst Predicted

338

339

340

341

342

343

1960 1964 1968 1972 1976 1980 1984 1988 1992 1996 2000 2004 2008

Am

herst

Ju

ncti

on

Well

Ele

va

tion

s (m

)

338

339

340

341

342

343

1960 1964 1968 1972 1976 1980 1984 1988 1992 1996 2000 2004 2008

1962, 1963 1998, 1999

1962, 1963

R2 = 0.57

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Multiple Regression Summary

At test and control monitoring wells, changes in water elevations were a response

potentially due to pumping or changes in precipitation patterns (Table 8). Suggested

pumping at Hancock may have been masked by the step increase in precipitation. If

masking had not occurred, the net decline may have been similar to the net decline found

at Plover without the suggested step increase in precipitation. The effect of the step

increase at Hancock was thought to be similar to that found at Wautoma, even though

Wautoma showed little variation in groundwater fluctuations. At monitoring wells where

there was a quicker response to precipitation events (Bancroft, Coloma and Amherst

Junction), the possibility of using different precipitation variables may better help predict

water elevations. Table 8 quantifies changes in groundwater levels at each monitoring

well.

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Table 8. Results from multiple regression models which quantify increases and declines in monitoring well

water elevations (m) possibly due to pumping or the step increase in precipitation. The step increase at

Wautoma was between 1972 and 1973 and the increase at Amherst Junction was between 1962 and 1963.

Location of

Monitoring Wells

Increase in

G.W. Levels

From STPC

and WLI

Decline in

G.W. Levels

From PC1

and WLD

Decline in

G.W. Levels

From PC2

Net Decline

in G.W.

Levels

(1960-2008)

Hancock 0.48 (1973) 0.97 (1999) NA 0.97

Plover NA 0.39 (1974) 0.89 (1998) 1.28

Bancroft NA 0.28 (1991) NA 0.28

Coloma NA 0.21 (1973) NA 0.21

Wautoma 0.36 (1973) NA NA NA

Amherst Junction 1.40 (1962) 0.92 (1999) NA 0.92

STPC: Step Increase in Precipitation Covariate

PC1: Pumping Covariate One

PC2: Pumping Covariate Two

WLI: Water Level Increase (Amherst Junction)

WLD: Water Level Decrease (Amherst Junction)

Conclusions

Surface and groundwater levels have declined in some regions of the study area

possibly due to groundwater withdrawals. Groundwater levels have also increased in

other regions due to a suggested step increase in precipitation. Three questions were

addressed in this study: 1) Is there a change in groundwater levels potentially due to

precipitation and/or pumping and where do they occur in the study region? 2) If there is a

change, when does it show up in the groundwater records? 3) What are the quantitative

differences in groundwater levels associated with increases or decreases in groundwater

levels?

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66

Annual and seasonal trends revealed that precipitation increases occurred in the

southern part of the study area and were generally associated with summer rainfall. In

the northern part of the study region, no significant trend was detected so a spatial

difference between the northern and southern part of the study area had to be taken into

account when examining the potential pumping/precipitation interaction. The Mann-

Whitney test confirmed trend tests and identified those locations where a step increase in

precipitation occurred between 1970 and 1971.

The year that the implied effect of pumping and precipitation may have become

measureable in the record was identified using the bivariate test. At the Hancock and

Wautoma monitoring wells, the suggested step increase in precipitation resulted in an

increase in groundwater elevations between 1972 and 1973. At the monitoring wells of

Plover and Coloma, pumping potentially started to influence groundwater levels between

1973 and 1974. Plover area may have experienced an increase in the magnitude of

groundwater withdrawals between 1989 and 1999. The Hancock location experienced a

decrease in groundwater levels beginning in 1999. The Bancroft monitoring well was

potentially affected by groundwater withdrawals starting in 1991, which was the

beginning of a time period where both Hancock and Plover experienced declines in

groundwater levels that spanned over multiple years. These time breaks were used to

quantify changes which may have been due to pumping and precipitation.

Multiple regression equations developed using binary covariate variables

represented the potential impacts of pumping and precipitation and revealed declines in

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groundwater levels. An increase in precipitation added an average of 0.42 m to

groundwater levels at Hancock and Wautoma. At Hancock, the increase in groundwater

levels was thought to mask the effects of pumping earlier in the record, making the

quantification of groundwater declines before 1999 difficult. The net decline in

groundwater levels at the Plover monitoring well was 1.28 m. The monitoring wells at

Coloma and Bancroft experienced smaller decreases, and had an average decline of 0.25

m. The smaller decreases were associated with smaller groundwater fluctuations thought

to be caused by the closer proximity to groundwater discharge areas.

The conclusions confirm the hypothesis for this study. Increases in precipitation

have changed monitoring well levels by increasing groundwater levels in some regions of

the study area. Groundwater levels have declined in other regions of the study area

despite increases in precipitation. The use of multiple statistical approaches and the

corroboration with recent studies by Clancy et al., (2009) and Kraft and Mechenich (2010)

give a strong inference that there is limit to the sustainability of surface and groundwater

systems. My hope is twofold: 1) that these conclusions will help managers of

groundwater resources understand the interaction between changes in precipitation and

groundwater, and 2) that the results will supplant the concept of an unending supply of

groundwater in Wisconsin.

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Appendices

Appendix 1

Lake Level Records

Long Lake-Saxeville was considered an additional long term data source. It was

representative of a data source in a LDW (Figure 4) and it had long, continuous records.

For these reasons, Long Lake-Saxeville was analyzed using multiple regression analysis

with ANCOVA. Data for Long Lake, Saxeville was recorded by the Saalsaa/Ziemer

family who live on the lake. The measurements were taken from a high water mark

down to the water’s edge, representing beach length. Beach length was converted to lake

surface elevations through a process explained in Appendix 2. Average yearly values

were calculated from measurements taken one to three times per year from 1947 to 2007.

Fifteen other lakes with stage measurements were chosen for closer examination

of groundwater fluctuations (records available from Waushara County and WDNR).

These lakes’ surface elevations were compared to the monitoring wells water elevations

at Amherst Junction and Wautoma using multiple regression with ANCOVA. Lakes

were located in areas with both LDW and HDW. These analyses and results can be

found in Appendix 3. Quantified results from the examination of lake stages were used

to corroborate quantified results of changes at monitoring wells.

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Appendix 2

Lake Level Records: Long Lake Saxeville

Raw Data: Excel Workbook “Long Lake Saxeville”

Workbook Location: G:\usr\projects\Centrallake&streams\lake levels

Summary

Long Lake Saxeville is located approximately five miles northeast of Wild Rose (Figure

26) in an area with few high capacity pumping wells. Because there is little groundwater

pumping at this location, lake surface elevations should respond similarly to the

monitoring well located at Wautoma where there is little groundwater pumping.

Initially Long Lake Saxeville had too few measurements to warrant an analysis of the

data. Additional data was acquired from the Saalsaa/Ziemer family who live on the lake.

The additional data were shoreline measurements that extended from a high water mark

to the water’s edge. Measurements were made from 1947 to 2007. Shoreline

measurements were plotted against the lake’s surface elevation measurements obtained

from the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (WDNR) in Waushara County.

The equation from the regression line of the plot was used to convert the Saalsaa/Ziemer

reported beach length into elevations. Converted Long Lake Saxeville elevations were

compared to water level elevations at Wautoma.

Figure 26. The location of Long Lake Saxeville not to be confused with Long Lake Oasis near Plainfield

Wisconsin.

0 2.51.25 Miles$ 0 2.5 51.25 Kilometers

LONG

LAKE

WILD

ROSE

PO

RT

AG

EW

AU

PA

CA

PORTAGEWAUSHARA

WAUPACAWAUSHARA

Explanation

County Boundary

Wild Rose

Long Lake Saxeville

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Data

The Saalsaa/Ziemer family measured the beach distance from a shoreline high water

mark, which they established as a benchmark, to the edge of the water on Long Lake

Saxeville. The beach length above water was used as the proxy for lake surface levels.

Lower values indicated higher Lake surface levels. The Saalsaa/Ziemer lake

measurements date from 6-1-1947 to 6-1-2007. Prior to 1958 measurements were made

periodically. After 1958 measurements were made one to three times per year.

In addition to the Saalsaa/Ziemer shoreline measurements, there were 14 lake surface

elevations taken by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (WDNR) between

11-4-1987 and 7-31-2007. The WDNR values were used to convert the Saalsaa/Ziemer

measured beach lengths into lake surface elevations. Converted values expanded the

Long Lake Saxeville data and allowed further evaluation of water level changes through

time.

To convert the measured beach lengths to lake elevations, WDNR elevations were

matched with the Saalsaa/Ziemer beach lengths for similar dates. These two data sets

were plotted against each other (Figure 27). Measurements from the WDNR and

Saalsaa/Ziemer family were made during the same month or within a month or two of

each other. The dates and values for these matches can be found in the excel file named

“Long Lake Saxeville”, which is located at G:\usr\projects\Centrallake&streams\lake.

The equation from the trend line in Figure 27 was rearranged and used to convert

citizen’s measurements into water surface elevations. The equation is:

X = (y – 10343) / -11.81 Eq. 7

where X is the converted lake surface elevations (ft), and y is the citizen’s reported beach

length. The citizen’s converted elevations were plotted against time and are illustrated in

Figure 28.

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77

Figure 27. WDNR lake surface elevations and citizen measured beach length for similar dates at Long

Lake Saxeville.

Figure 28. Long Lake Saxeville lake surface elevations converted from beach length using regression

equation 1. Measurements were taken from 6-1-1947 to 6-1-2007.

Conclusions

The Saalsaa/Ziemer measurements of beach length at Long Lake Saxeville were

successfully converted to water surface elevations using data from the WDNR. Multiple

regression analysis with ANCOVA was used to identify and quantify changes to the

converted Long Lake elevations. Wautoma monitoring well water elevations were used

as the main explanatory variable and threshold years were established by Kraft and

Mechenich (2010). An example of regression analysis can be found in Appendix 7 and

results for Long Lake Saxeville regression analysis can be found in Appendix 3.

y = -11.81x + 10343

R² = 0.95

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

870 871 872 873 874 875 876

Cit

izen

Rep

orte

d B

each

Len

gth

(ft

)

WDNR Lake Surface Elevations (ft)

866

868

870

872

874

876

878

1945 1955 1965 1975 1985 1995 2005

Co

nve

rted

Lak

e Su

rfac

e El

evat

ion

s (f

t)

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78

Appendix 3

Lake Level Records: Regression Analysis (ANCOVA) Results

Raw Data: Excel Workbook “lakewell”

Workbook Location: G:\usr\projects\Centrallake&streams\lake levels

Summary

Fifteen lakes with extended records used to identify and quantify changes in lake levels

(Table 9). The records for 14 of the 15 lakes came from Waushara County DNR lake

surface elevations files. Data from the 15th lake, Long Lake Saxeville, was discussed in

Appendix 2.

Lake surface elevations were analyzed using water elevations at two monitoring wells

within the study area: Wautoma and Amherst Junction. These two monitoring wells were

used as the main explanatory variables in multiple regression with ANCOVA. Multiple

regression was used to determine pumping impacts between an earlier (prior to large

scale pumping) and later time period (after pumping began to affect lake records).

Presumably these two monitoring wells show less influence from pumping and thus serve

as controls.

When the Wautoma monitoring well was used in the regression models, the results

indicated that lakes in areas where there was little influence from groundwater pumping

showed little to no change through time. Lakes located in regions where groundwater

pumping was heavy show a decline. This change was thought to be the result of

increased development of high capacity pumping wells.

When Amherst Junction was used in the regression models, lakes in areas with little

groundwater pumping showed an increase in surface elevations. Lakes in areas where

there is a greater density of high capacity wells show no change. The difference between

the results using Amherst Junction and using Wautoma may be due to differences in the

climate or the development of pumping in the Amherst Junction area.

Lake Records

A majority of the lakes are located in Waushara County and were grouped according to

their geographic proximity to each other. Sharon Lake is located in Marquette County

and represents one of the two lakes not grouped with any other lakes due to distance

(Pleasant Lake is the second). Groups were referred to as clusters. Lake clusters are

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given in Table 8 and illustrated in Figure 29. Clusters 1 and 5 were thought to be

influenced by groundwater pumping while the other clusters were not.

Table 9. Name, county, period of record, and the cluster number for lakes used in this analysis.

Lake Name County

# of

levels

First

Measurement

Last

Measurement

Ave. #

Years

Between

Levels

Cluster

#

Fish Lake Waushara 11 7/10/1973 8/3/2007 3.1 1

Huron Lake Waushara 13 7/3/1973 8/3/2007 2.62 1

Long Lake Oasis Waushara 23 8/16/1961 8/3/2007 2 1

Pine Lake Hancock Waushara 15 7/10/1973 8/3/2007 2.27 1

Gilbert Lake Waushara 28 5/10/1962 7/30/2007 1.62 2

Kusel Lake Waushara 26 9/30/1963 7/30/2007 1.69 2

Long Lake Saxeville Waushara 82 6/1/1947 7/1/2007 1.35 2

Pine Lake Springwater Waushara 27 2/8/1961 7/30/2007 1.72 2

Big Silver Lake Waushara 23 5/15/1966 8/1/2007 1.79 3

Burghs Lake Waushara 18 9/7/1973 8/1/2007 1.88 3

Irogami Lake Waushara 24 1/1/1931 8/1/2007 3.19 3

Lake Lucerne Waushara 22 9/30/1963 8/1/2007 1.99 3

Witter's Lake Waushara 20 10/6/1963 8/3/2007 2.19 3

Sharon Lake Marquette 72 11/17/1984 5/31/1994 0.13 4

Pleasant Lake Waushara 21 7/9/1964 8/3/2007 2.05 5

Figure 29. The location of lakes and clusters used in data analysis. Lakes were grouped into clusters

according to geographic proximity.

0 52.5 Miles

0 5 102.5 Kilometers

GR

EE

N

LA

KE

MA

RQ

UE

TT

E

$Explanation

County Boundary

Lakes

Cluster #1

Cluster #2

Cluster #3

Cluster #4Cluster #5

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Monitoring well water elevations (Amherst Junction and Wautoma) were used as

explanatory variables in multiple regression models to determine if lake surface

fluctuations were impacted by groundwater pumping. An earlier time period (Table 10)

was compared to a later time period (Table 10) using a binary variable that was “off”

during the early period and “on” during the later time period. An example of this

approach can be found in Appendix 7. Many of the lakes had few measurements taken

over a long period of time. Due to spotty and inconsistent measurements, most threshold

years occurred pre and post 1993 (Table 10). Without long term consistent lake

measurements, conclusions were only used as a comparison to other thesis data analyses.

Table 10. Time breaks for binary regression variables and the number of measurements during each time

period for lakes in data analysis.

Lake Name

Cluster

# Early

Early

n Late

Late

n

Fish Lake 1 1973-1989 3 1993-2007 8

Huron Lake 1 1973-1987 4 1993-2007 9

Long Lake Oasis 1 1961-1972 10 1981-2007 10

Pine Lake Hancock 1 1973-1987 4 1993-2007 11

Gilbert Lake 2 1962-1987 16 1993-2007 12

Kusel Lake 2 1963-1989 15 1993-2007 11

Long Lake Saxeville 2 1959-1974 29 1999-2007 12

Pine Lake Springville 2 1961-1989 15 1993-2007 12

Big Silver Lake 3 1966-1989 13 1993-2007 8

Burghs Lake 3 1973-1987 7 1993-2007 11

Lake Irogami 3 1961-1988 7 1993-2007 10

Lake Lucern 3 1963-1987 11 1993-2007 11

Witter's Lake 3 1963-1987 9 1993-2007 11

Sharon Lake 4 1984-1989 39 1990-1994 33

Pleasant Lake 5 1964-1989 7 1993-2007 14

Lake Levels vs. the Wautoma Monitoring Well

Lake surface elevations were analyzed using water elevations from the Wautoma

monitoring well as the main explanatory variable in multiple regression models. Binary

variables were included which were “off” during the early time period and “off” during

the late time period (Table 10). P-values less than 0.05 indicate a significant increase or

decrease in lake surface elevations between the two time periods (Table 11). Declines

are positive numbers and increases in lake surface elevations are negative numbers.

These results are given in Table 11.

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Table 11. Change in lake levels between the early and late time period. Positive numbers represent a

decline and negative numbers represent increases in lake surface elevations. All results use the Wautoma

monitoring well as the main explanatory variable. * indicates a significant p-value of less than 0.05.

Lake Name

Cluster

#

Decline

(ft) P-Value 95% CI

Fish Lake 1 2.7 0.029* ± 2.3

Huron Lake 1 3.6 0.009* ± 2.5

Long Lake Oasis 1 0 0.951 ± 1.6

Pine Lake Hancock 1 3.2 0.001* ± 1.6

Gilbert Lake 2 0.3 0.257 ± 0.6

Kusel Lake 2 0.5 0.136 ± 0.7

Long Lake Saxeville 2 0 0.961 ± 0.9

Pine Lake Springville 2 0.8 0.004* ± 0.5

Big Silver Lake 3 -0.6 0.218 ± 1.0

Burghs Lake 3 0.9 0.037* ± 0.8

Lake Irogami 3 0 0.996 ± 0.6

Lake Lucern 3 -1.7 0.004* ± 1.1

Witter's Lake 3 -0.4 0.333 ± 0.8

Sharon Lake 4 -0.1 0.273 ± 0.1

Pleasant Lake 5 1.5 0.001* ± 0.8

Lake results varied according to cluster #. Clusters 1 and 5 are in regions where there is a

high density of high capacity pumping wells and indicate that groundwater pumping may

be affecting water levels. Clusters 2, 3, and 4 are in regions where there are few high

capacity pumping wells and show little change indicating that groundwater pumping may

not be effecting their surface elevations.

Lake Levels vs. the Amherst Junction Monitoring Well

Lake surface elevations were calculated with the Amherst Junction monitoring well as the

main explanatory variable in a similar manner as described with the Wautoma monitoring

well. The Amherst Junction well is located near Lake Emily in Portage County and is

thought to be influenced by recent groundwater pumping development in the area.

Regardless of this, the monitoring well is in an area with a low density of high capacity

wells and serves as a control. Results using the same time periods listed in Table 10 are

given in Table 12.

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Table 12. Change in lake levels between the early and late time period. Positive numbers represent a

decline and negative numbers represent increases in lake surface elevations. All results used the Amherst

Junction monitoring well as the main explanatory variable. * indicates a significant p-value of less than 0.05.

Lake Name

Cluster

#

Decline

(ft) P-Value 95% CI

Fish Lake 1 1.5 0.270 ± 2.9

Huron Lake 1 2.0 0.328 ± 4.3

Long Lake Oasis 1 -1.8 0.009* ± 1.3

Pine Lake Hancock 1 1.4 0.178 ± 2.2

Gilbert Lake 2 -1.0 <0.001* ± 0.5

Kusel Lake 2 -1.0 <0.001* ± 0.5

Long Lake Saxeville 2 -1.5 <0.001* ± 0.7

Pine Lake Springville 2 -0.3 0.295 ± 0.4

Big Silver Lake 3 -3.0 <0.001* ± 1.2

Burghs Lake 3 -1.2 0.061 ± 1.3

Lake Irogami 3 0.9 0.004* ± 0.5

Lake Lucern 3 -2.9 <0.001* ± 0.9

Witter's Lake 3 -1.9 <0.001* ± 0.9

Sharon Lake 4 -0.9 <0.001* ± 0.2

Pleasant Lake 5 0.5 0.233 ± 0.8

The results in Table 12 indicate that in clusters 1 and 5 declines are not significant.

These lakes, although in areas where there is a high density of high capacity wells, do not

show any changes through time when compared to the Amherst Junction monitoring well.

The table also indicates that are significant increases in a majority of the lakes in clusters

2, 3, and 4 where there is a low density of high capacity wells.

Conclusions

When lakes in areas that are not as affected by potential groundwater pumping are

analyzed using Amherst Junction’s monitoring well as the explanatory variable, lake

surface elevations show a significant increase. This could indicate that lakes in clusters 2,

3, and 4 follow the patterns of the Wautoma monitoring well instead of the Amherst

Junction monitoring well. It could also indicate that Amherst Junction was possibly

affected by groundwater pumping from 1999-2008 or that the climate was drier in the

northeastern part of the study area. This is investigated within this study and also in the

report by Kraft and Mechenich (2010).

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Appendix 4

Kendall’s Tau Trend Analysis

Raw Data: Excel Workbook “Monthly and yearly precip records”

Workbook Location: G:\usr\projects\Centrallake&streams\Trend Analysis

Summary

Kendall’s tau was used to determine trends for annual and seasonal cumulative

precipitation. Trends are increases or decreases in the data through time. Kendall’s tau is

a number between 1 and -1. Zero represents no trend and anything close to 1 or -1

represents positive or negative trends. In this report a step by step procedure is

documented to illustrate how trends were calculated. Summer precipitation totals from

the Stevens Point COOP climate stations from 1955-2008 were used in this example.

Procedure

1. Monthly precipitation data was collected from the NOAA website for Stevens Point,

Wisconsin from 1955-2008.

http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/oa/climate/climatedata.html#monthly.

2. Missing data was interpolated using a weighted average, based on distance, with the

three closest climate stations.

3. Data was sorted by month and grouped according to season. Summer months

consisted of June through August. Summer records were totaled to produce a cumulative

summer precipitation amount. Summer precipitation data is given in Table 13.

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Table 13. Cumulative summer (June-August) precipitation from the NOAA COOP climate station in

Stevens Point.

year Summer Precip. @ St. Pt. (mm) year

Summer Precip. @ St. Pt. (mm)

1955 207.8 1993 398.5 1956 307.3 1994 377.7 1957 229.1 1995 344.9 1958 258.8 1996 320.8 1959 309.4 1997 300.0 1960 213.4 1998 336.3

1961 355.1 1999 407.4 1962 306.6 2000 402.3 1963 197.9 2001 307.8 1964 342.1 2002 438.2 1965 300.2 2003 245.6 1966 230.9 2004 280.4 1967 303.5 2005 307.3 1968 311.7 2006 224.5

1969 274.1 2007 310.4 1970 264.9 2008 224.8

1971 300.5 1972 317.8 1973 244.6 1974 243.8 1975 279.7

1976 200.4 1977 218.7 1978 368.0 1979 311.7 1980 365.8 1981 261.6 1982 339.1 1983 233.4 1984 446.8

1985 239.8 1986 327.2 1987 286.5 1988 225.6 1989 188.7 1990 355.6 1991 173.2 1992 241.6

5. An online statistical calculator was used to determine if there was a significant trend

in the precipitation data. The website is called “Free Statistics and Forecasting Software”

and can be found at http://www.wessa.net/rwasp_kendall.wasp.

6. Years were entered into the X data box and precipitation was entered into the Y data

box as shown below.

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7. The data were computed and the output table was called “Kendall tau Rank

Correlation”. The 2-sided P-value and Kendall tau were examined. If the 2-sided P-

value was less than <0.05 then there was a significant trend. The Kendall tau number

indicated the direction of the trend. In example shown below there was no trend but the

data tracked positively.

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Appendix 5

Mann-Whitney Test

Raw Data: Excel Workbook “Monthly and yearly precip records”

Workbook Location: G:\usr\projects\Centrallake&streams\Trend Analysis

Summary

The Mann-Whitney test, a non-parametric version of the t-test, was used to corroborate

findings from the trend tests and to determine if a step increase in precipitation occurred

between 1970 and 1971. The Mann-Whitney test calculates a difference in median data

values. This test was used for the precipitation data. In this example yearly cumulative

precipitation from Stevens Point was compared for two time periods: 1933-1970 and

1971-2008 to determine if there was a difference in median value.

Procedure

1. Monthly precipitation data was collected from the NOAA website for Stevens Point,

Wisconsin from 1933-2008.

http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/oa/climate/climatedata.html#monthly.

2. Missing data was interpolated using a weighted average, based on distance, with the

three closest climate stations.

3. Monthly values were totaled to produce cumulative yearly precipitation at the Stevens

Point COOP climate station. Yearly totals were divided into two groups: group 1

contained data from 1933-1970 and group 2 contained data from 1971-2008. Data values

are given in Table 14.

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Table 14. . Yearly cumulative precipitation from NOAA COOP climate station in Stevens Point. Data was

divided into two groups between 1970 and 1971 to compare median values between the two time periods.

Year

St. Pt. Precip. (mm) Year

St. Pt. Precip. (mm)

1933 690.9

1971 863.6 1934 858.8

1972 822.2

1935 936.0

1973 982.5 1936 631.7

1974 652.5

1937 755.9

1975 725.2

1938 1324.1

1976 548.9 1939 661.9

1977 924.3

1940 990.1

1978 812.3 1941 899.9

1979 831.6

1942 1093.7

1980 862.3 1943 850.6

1981 708.2

1944 785.6

1982 944.4 1945 1036.8

1983 816.4

1946 733.3

1984 1139.7 1947 795.3

1985 845.6

1948 521.5

1986 881.4 1949 677.9

1987 718.8

1950 743.2

1988 636.0 1951 869.2

1989 736.1

1952 647.4

1990 847.3 1953 725.4

1991 820.4

1954 999.2

1992 921.3 1955 657.6

1993 929.1

1956 694.4

1994 803.9 1957 694.9

1995 836.4

1958 647.7

1996 791.2 1959 943.4

1997 672.6

1960 677.9

1998 734.6 1961 883.2

1999 786.1

1962 739.9

2000 880.4 1963 620.5

2001 861.6

1964 788.4

2002 989.1 1965 999.5

2003 712.2

1966 626.1

2004 912.6 1967 763.0

2005 772.7

1968 893.3

2006 726.4 1969 853.7

2007 752.9

1970 881.4 2008 763.8

5. These data were entered into Minitab version 10 and the Mann-Whitney test was

chosen from the nonparametric stats tab. The first sample was yearly precipitation at

Stevens Point from 1933-1970. The second sample was yearly precipitation at Stevens

Point from 1971-2008, as shown below.

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6. The results were given in the Minitab output displayed below. St. PT. Precip. (mm) is

the record from 1933-1970. St. Pt. Precip. (mm)_1 is the record from 1971-2008. The

last line gives the p-value for the difference in median between the two time periods. The

p-value of 0.4864 indicated that there was no significant difference between the median

precipitation values at Stevens Point for the two time periods 1933-1970 vs. 1971-2008.

Mann-Whitney Test and CI: St. Pt. Precip. (mm), St. Pt. Precip. (mm)_1 N Median

St. Pt. Precip. (mm) 38 774.3

St. Pt. Precip. (mm)_1 38 818.4

Point estimate for ETA1-ETA2 is -27.4

95.1 Percent CI for ETA1-ETA2 is (-85.8,38.4)

W = 1395.5

Test of ETA1 = ETA2 vs ETA1 not = ETA2 is significant at 0.4864

The test is significant at 0.4864 (adjusted for ties)

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Appendix 6

Bivariate Test

Raw Data: Excel Workbook “bivariate control wells” and “bivariate test wells”

Workbook Location: G:\usr\projects\Centrallake&streams\Bivariate Analysis

Summary

The bivariate test was used to determine the year that changes in groundwater levels

occurred at monitoring wells. This was accomplished with a series of equations

calculated in Microsoft Excel 2007. Depth to water measurements were used from each

monitoring well. In this example the test well at Bancroft was being compared to the

control well at Wautoma. Wautoma was used as the stationary regional series.

Procedure

1. Depth to water measurements for Bancroft and Wautoma were collected from the

USGS website http://nwis.waterdata.usgs.gov/wi/nwis/gwlevels.

2. An average was taken of daily and monthly values to obtain yearly data.

3. Records from 1972-2008 were used because of the stationary period established at the

Wautoma control monitoring well.

4. The first set of equations standardized both series. The equations are given below and

the raw data for this standardization is given in Table 15.

Let xj' be the regional series and yj

' the series to be tested, both of length n.

Step 1 : Standardize series.

Let X 1 n x j'

j =1

n

; Y 1 n yj'

j1

n

; Sx 1 n xj' X

2

j1

n

1 2

; S y 1 n yj' Y

2

j1

n

1 2

.

For all 1 j n, let xj x j' X Sx and yj yj

' Y Sy .

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Table 15. Raw data for the first step of the bivariate analysis, which is the standardization of the two data

sets.

year

xj' Wautoma (ft below

land surface)

yj' Bancroft (ft below

land surface) xj yj

1972 4.22 4.7 1.554736164 -0.71362049

1973 2.27 4.23 -1.10921175 -1.41615378

1974 2.24 4.68 -1.15152682 -0.74589234

1975 2.59 4.99 -0.67346009 -0.28663913

1976 3.35 5.24 0.364381488 0.086969565

1977 4.40 5.35 1.7948163 0.249570026

1978 4.12 4.61 1.423057296 -0.84767278

1979 2.99 3.95 -0.1214397 -1.83817024

1980 3.22 4.52 0.19241326 -0.98048384

1981 3.80 5.00 0.987360534 -0.26677953

1982 3.53 4.53 0.615613789 -0.96818443

1983 2.42 4.32 -0.9031398 -1.28582517

1984 1.92 4.29 -1.58466889 -1.32430314

1985 2.47 4.47 -0.83223158 -1.05743979

1986 1.96 4.15 -1.52444269 -1.52662279

1987 2.66 5.05 -0.57786908 -0.19602971

1988 3.49 5.39 0.554316369 0.320319845

1989 4.40 5.34 1.803674195 0.237157777

1990 3.68 4.68 0.811413868 -0.74340989

1991 3.46 4.61 0.511249755 -0.84519033

1992 3.10 5.92 0.026910178 1.104773977

1993 1.86 5.28 -1.66557593 0.146209844

1994 2.17 6.03 -1.24709479 1.267374438

1995 2.54 5.70 -0.74096044 0.768402031

1996 2.44 5.36 -0.8800923 0.263471745

1997 2.69 5.50 -0.52817863 0.480437856

1998 3.15 5.46 0.098986969 0.417135387

1999 2.97 5.52 -0.15274886 0.511468479

2000 3.10 5.59 0.02430204 0.606591441

2001 2.68 5.21 -0.55308934 0.046009144

2002 2.49 5.66 -0.80669149 0.708823236

2003 2.94 6.58 -0.19276133 2.080624987

2004 3.19 5.45 0.151959857 0.403481913

2005 3.77 6.41 0.936218537 1.825925639

2006 4.20 6.43 1.528470279 1.858693976

2007 4.20 6.13 1.522030596 1.4150802

2008 3.33 5.34 0.343272031 0.243895855

Average Average

n=37 3.08 5.18

St. Deviation St. Deviation

0.732476016 0.671379811

5. The second set of equations computed the test statistic which determined the

difference between the two data sets. The raw data including all equation results are

given in Table 16 and the equations are given below.

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Table 16. The raw data for equations that calculate the test statistic for the change in mean in the bivariate

analysis. i xj’ cumulative Xi Yj’ cumulative Yi Sxy Fi Di Ti

1 1.554736164 1.554736164 -0.71362049 -0.71362 -1.10949 34.51565 1.20714 1.407596

2 0.445524412 0.222762206 -2.12977427 -1.06489 1.570814 36.89508 1.186969 2.828714

3 -0.70600241 -0.23533414 -2.87566661 -0.95856 0.858915 36.81919 0.985018 2.832742

4 -1.3794625 -0.34486562 -3.16230573 -0.79058 0.19304 36.46661 0.802967 2.412729

5 -1.01508101 -0.2030162 -3.07533617 -0.61507 0.03169 36.76172 0.657727 1.978114

6 0.779735291 0.129955882 -2.82576614 -0.47096 0.447932 36.87906 0.602197 1.933808

7 2.202792587 0.314684655 -3.67343892 -0.52478 -1.20629 36.14507 0.760156 3.409716

8 2.081352884 0.26016911 -5.51160916 -0.68895 0.223227 36.30912 0.978849 6.274497

9 2.273766144 0.252640683 -6.492093 -0.72134 -0.18866 36.24091 1.056921 7.931013

10 3.261126678 0.326112668 -6.75887253 -0.67589 -0.26341 35.54262 1.078509 8.677694

11 3.876740467 0.352430952 -7.72705696 -0.70246 -0.59603 35.05567 1.185173 10.94791

12 2.973600663 0.247800055 -9.01288213 -0.75107 1.16128 35.90945 1.238201 12.83974

13 1.388931774 0.106840906 -10.3371853 -0.79517 2.098582 36.77122 1.274236 14.48127

14 0.556700191 0.039764299 -11.3946251 -0.8139 0.880035 36.96439 1.326315 16.27709

15 -0.9677425 -0.06451617 -12.9212478 -0.86142 2.327249 36.895 1.426131 19.2506

16 -1.54561158 -0.09660072 -13.1172776 -0.81983 0.11328 36.73693 1.412684 19.15032

17 -0.99129521 -0.05831148 -12.7969577 -0.75276 0.177559 36.89306 1.370062 18.30409

18 0.812378987 0.045132166 -12.5597999 -0.69777 0.427755 36.9286 1.383074 18.78121

19 1.623792855 0.085462782 -13.3032098 -0.70017 -0.60321 36.71474 1.493921 21.7854

20 2.13504261 0.10675213 -14.1484001 -0.70742 -0.4321 36.50394 1.618469 25.27386

21 2.161952788 0.102950133 -13.0436262 -0.62113 0.02973 36.4853 1.515939 21.90103

22 0.496376861 0.022562585 -12.8974163 -0.58625 -0.24352 36.97237 1.46084 20.2414

23 -0.75071793 -0.03263991 -11.6300419 -0.50565 -1.58054 36.93524 1.317481 16.0483

24 -1.49167837 -0.06215327 -10.8616399 -0.45257 -0.56936 36.73613 1.253552 14.00155

25 -2.37177067 -0.09487083 -10.5981681 -0.42393 -0.23188 36.30621 1.258834 13.41785

26 -2.8999493 -0.11153651 -10.1177303 -0.38914 -0.25376 35.91203 1.253612 12.54805

27 -2.80096233 -0.10373935 -9.70059487 -0.35928 0.041291 35.92489 1.271984 12.20019

28 -2.95371119 -0.10548969 -9.18912639 -0.32818 -0.07813 35.71904 1.287196 11.59401

29 -2.92940915 -0.10101411 -8.58253495 -0.29595 0.014741 35.63141 1.302132 10.8962

30 -3.48249848 -0.11608328 -8.53652581 -0.28455 -0.02545 34.8632 1.436228 11.74025

31 -4.28918997 -0.13836097 -7.82770257 -0.25251 -0.5718 33.34035 1.495374 10.7802

32 -4.4819513 -0.14006098 -5.74707758 -0.1796 -0.40106 32.35468 1.228581 6.074469

33 -4.32999144 -0.13121186 -5.34359567 -0.16193 0.061313 31.74465 1.398185 6.368212

34 -3.39377291 -0.09981685 -3.51767003 -0.10346 1.709465 32.82201 1.097437 3.134502

35 -1.86530263 -0.05329436 -1.65897606 -0.0474 2.840959 35.16091 0.667813 0.85332

36 -0.34327203 -0.00953533 -0.24389586 -0.00677 2.153795 36.87889 0.164517 0.027935

37 8.60423E-15 2.32547E-16 -6.3283E-14 -1.7E-15 0.083723 #DIV/0! #DIV/0! #DIV/0!

sum

To max

9.091696 25.27386

Step 2 : Compute test statistics.

For all 1 i n, let Xi 1 i xj

j1

i

; Yi 1 i yj

j1

i

; Sxy xj

j1

n

yj ;

Fi n Xi2ni n i ; Di SxyXi nYi n n i Fi

Ti i n i Di2Fi n2 Sxy

2 ; T0 max Ti .

Let i0* be the value of i for which Ti is a maximum.

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92

6. The third step is to conduct the test as written below.

7. The Ti column in Table 16 is the calculated difference between the two data sets. To is

the maximum value of all the Tis and represents the peak difference. The year after To is

considered the year that the change in mean took place.

8. To determine if the year after To represented a significant change in the mean between

the two data sets, To is measured against critical values in Table 17. In this case To is

greater than the critical value and therefore represented a change in the mean at the

Bancroft monitoring well in 1992. To and the year where a change in mean occurred are

highlighted in Tables 15 and 16.

Table 17. Critical values for To for different levels of significance.

Critical Values of To

Significance Level

n 0.25 0.10 0.05 0.01

10 4.7 6.0 6.8 7.9

15 4.9 6.5 7.4 9.3

20 5.0 6.7 7.8 9.8

30 5.3 7.0 8.2 10.7

40 5.4 7.3 8.7 11.6

70 5.9 7.9 9.3 12.2

100 6.0 7.9 9.3 12.5

Step 3 : Conduct test.

Compare T0 to the critical value for the appropriate n and the desired significance level.

If T0 exceeds the critical value, reject the null hypothesis; that is, assume that the mean

of y j' has changed in the year after i0

* by an amount equal to SyD

i0* .

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93

Appendix 7

Multiple Regression with ANCOVA

Raw Data: Excel Workbooks located in monitoring well folders “SAS Output”

Workbook Location: G:\usr\projects\Centrallake&streams\Multiple Regression and

ANCOVA

Summary

Multiple regression equations were developed for each monitoring well. Regression

models used growing season (May-September) water elevations for 1960-2008.

Equations were developed using the Standard Precipitation Index (SPI), the step increase

in precipitation covariate and pumping covariates. In this example the Hancock

monitoring well was used to show the steps taken to calculate the multiple regression

model.

Procedure

1. Depth to water measurements for Hancock were collected from the USGS website

http://nwis.waterdata.usgs.gov/wi/nwis/gwlevels. Depth to Water measurements were

converted to water elevations by subtracting the well elevation datum (329.18 meters).

2. Monthly water elevations at Hancock were sorted to include only growing season

values (May - September.

3. The Standard Precipitation Index (SPI) data was obtained from the National Climate

Data Center (NCDC) for Central Wisconsin Division 5 at

http://www7.ncdc.noaa.gov/CDO/CDODivisionalSelect.jsp#.

4. The 24-month SPI values were sorted by month to include growing season values.

The raw data for the Hancock water elevations and the SPI for the growing season, 1960-

2008 are given in Table 18.

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94

Table 18. Raw input data for multiple regression analysis with ANCOVA for the Hancock monitoring well

from the 1960-2008 growing season (May-September).

Month

Month

# Year

Hancock

Well

Elevations

(m)

Step

Increase in

Precipitation

Covariate

Pumping

Covariate SPI24

may con. 5 1960 325.98 0 0 0.49

june 6 1960 326.20 0 0 0.65

july 7 1960 326.18 0 0 0.50

august 8 1960 326.10 0 0 0.75

september 9 1960 326.05 0 0 0.92

may con. 5 1961 326.18 0 0 0.65

june 6 1961 326.23 0 0 0.88

july 7 1961 326.14 0 0 0.99

august 8 1961 326.10 0 0 0.68

september 9 1961 326.04 0 0 0.86

may con. 5 1962 326.42 0 0 0.32

june 6 1962 326.47 0 0 0.42

july 7 1962 326.40 0 0 0.52

august 8 1962 326.32 0 0 0.51

september 9 1962 326.24 0 0 0.26

may con. 5 1963 325.97 0 0 0.05

june 6 1963 325.94 0 0 0.02

july 7 1963 325.93 0 0 0.05

august 8 1963 325.95 0 0 -0.13

september 9 1963 325.89 0 0 -0.53

may con. 5 1964 325.19 0 0 -1.33

june 6 1964 325.12 0 0 -1.62

july 7 1964 325.04 0 0 -1.35

august 8 1964 324.96 0 0 -1.67

september 9 1964 324.93 0 0 -1.27

may con. 5 1965 324.93 0 0 -1.04

june 6 1965 324.98 0 0 -1.12

july 7 1965 324.95 0 0 -1.11

august 8 1965 324.89 0 0 -0.79

september 9 1965 324.91 0 0 0.10

may con. 5 1966 325.67 0 0 0.75

june 6 1966 325.67 0 0 0.72

july 7 1966 325.67 0 0 0.48

august 8 1966 325.66 0 0 0.57

september 9 1966 325.59 0 0 -0.10

may con. 5 1967 325.45 0 0 -0.19

june 6 1967 325.41 0 0 0.62

july 7 1967 325.52 0 0 0.29

august 8 1967 325.46 0 0 0.02

september 9 1967 325.39 0 0 -1.14

may con. 5 1968 324.96 0 0 -1.03

june 6 1968 325.13 0 0 -0.29

july 7 1968 325.33 0 0 -0.23

august 8 1968 325.38 0 0 -0.39

september 9 1968 325.39 0 0 0.26

may con. 5 1969 325.60 0 0 0.58

june 6 1969 325.69 0 0 0.42

july 7 1969 325.79 0 0 0.60

august 8 1969 325.78 0 0 0.38

september 9 1969 325.71 0 0 0.41

may con. 5 1970 325.21 0 0 0.34

june 6 1970 325.60 0 0 -0.34

july 7 1970 325.63 0 0 -0.40

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95

august 8 1970 325.51 0 0 -0.49

september 9 1970 325.44 0 0 -0.53

may con. 5 1971 325.80 0 0 -0.30

june 6 1971 325.92 0 0 -0.80

july 7 1971 325.92 0 0 -0.57

august 8 1971 325.83 0 0 -0.35

september 9 1971 325.76 0 0 -0.24

may con. 5 1972 325.92 0 0 -0.54

june 6 1972 325.92 0 0 -0.47

july 7 1972 325.83 0 0 -0.38

august 8 1972 325.75 0 0 0.38

september 9 1972 325.86 0 0 0.69

may con. 5 1973 327.19 1 0 2.24

june 6 1973 327.34 1 0 1.97

july 7 1973 327.31 1 0 1.60

august 8 1973 327.16 1 0 1.65

september 9 1973 327.03 1 0 1.74

may con. 5 1974 326.89 1 0 2.13

june 6 1974 326.90 1 0 2.12

july 7 1974 326.84 1 0 1.98

august 8 1974 326.73 1 0 1.52

september 9 1974 326.63 1 0 0.58

may con. 5 1975 326.59 1 0 -1.07

june 6 1975 326.60 1 0 -0.88

july 7 1975 326.49 1 0 -0.94

august 8 1975 326.44 1 0 -0.36

september 9 1975 326.65 1 0 -0.55

may con. 5 1976 326.67 1 0 -0.43

june 6 1976 326.58 1 0 -0.79

july 7 1976 326.40 1 0 -0.57

august 8 1976 326.26 1 0 -0.92

september 9 1976 326.14 1 0 -1.07

may con. 5 1977 325.48 1 0 -1.45

june 6 1977 325.44 1 0 -1.44

july 7 1977 325.37 1 0 -1.11

august 8 1977 325.25 1 0 -1.78

september 9 1977 325.21 1 0 -1.46

may con. 5 1978 325.85 1 0 -1.58

june 6 1978 325.91 1 0 -1.05

july 7 1978 325.97 1 0 -0.72

august 8 1978 325.91 1 0 -0.35

september 9 1978 326.03 1 0 0.52

may con. 5 1979 326.70 1 0 1.41

june 6 1979 326.78 1 0 1.18

july 7 1979 326.71 1 0 1.21

august 8 1979 326.66 1 0 1.59

september 9 1979 326.73 1 0 1.09

may con. 5 1980 326.47 1 0 0.68

june 6 1980 326.54 1 0 0.66

july 7 1980 326.50 1 0 0.18

august 8 1980 326.52 1 0 1.01

september 9 1980 326.63 1 0 0.88

may con. 5 1981 326.68 1 0 -0.07

june 6 1981 326.54 1 0 0.01

july 7 1981 326.40 1 0 -0.12

august 8 1981 326.22 1 0 -0.21

september 9 1981 326.13 1 0 0.16

may con. 5 1982 326.17 1 0 0.36

june 6 1982 326.14 1 0 0.09

july 7 1982 326.14 1 0 0.55

august 8 1982 326.16 1 0 -0.30

september 9 1982 326.14 1 0 -0.72

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96

may con. 5 1983 326.54 1 0 0.51

june 6 1983 326.65 1 0 0.27

july 7 1983 326.55 1 0 0.29

august 8 1983 326.42 1 0 0.48

september 9 1983 326.52 1 0 0.75

may con. 5 1984 326.73 1 0 0.87

june 6 1984 326.75 1 0 1.39

july 7 1984 326.72 1 0 1.01

august 8 1984 326.62 1 0 1.10

september 9 1984 326.55 1 0 1.45

may con. 5 1985 327.05 1 0 1.41

june 6 1985 326.90 1 0 1.45

july 7 1985 326.76 1 0 1.49

august 8 1985 326.60 1 0 1.39

september 9 1985 326.50 1 0 1.55

may con. 5 1986 326.77 1 0 1.67

june 6 1986 326.64 1 0 1.25

july 7 1986 326.58 1 0 1.57

august 8 1986 326.54 1 0 1.43

september 9 1986 326.50 1 0 2.46

may con. 5 1987 326.68 1 0 1.23

june 6 1987 326.63 1 0 1.22

july 7 1987 326.63 1 0 1.31

august 8 1987 326.46 1 0 0.93

september 9 1987 326.34 1 0 0.62

may con. 5 1988 326.22 1 0 0.11

june 6 1988 326.04 1 0 -0.46

july 7 1988 325.86 1 0 -0.80

august 8 1988 325.73 1 0 -0.60

september 9 1988 325.70 1 0 -1.41

may con. 5 1989 325.76 1 0 -0.88

june 6 1989 326.01 1 0 -1.07

july 7 1989 325.92 1 0 -1.18

august 8 1989 325.75 1 0 -1.22

september 9 1989 325.65 1 0 -1.45

may con. 5 1990 325.42 1 0 -0.85

june 6 1990 325.59 1 0 0.10

july 7 1990 325.78 1 0 -0.03

august 8 1990 325.82 1 0 0.20

september 9 1990 325.93 1 0 -0.08

may con. 5 1991 326.13 1 0 0.15

june 6 1991 326.36 1 0 0.13

july 7 1991 326.34 1 0 0.31

august 8 1991 326.22 1 0 0.35

september 9 1991 326.11 1 0 0.67

may con. 5 1992 326.14 1 0 0.81

june 6 1992 326.17 1 0 -0.02

july 7 1992 326.06 1 0 0.06

august 8 1992 325.95 1 0 -0.41

september 9 1992 325.91 1 0 0.40

may con. 5 1993 326.52 1 0 0.86

june 6 1993 326.77 1 0 1.68

july 7 1993 327.02 1 0 2.04

august 8 1993 327.20 1 0 2.27

september 9 1993 327.21 1 0 2.41

may con. 5 1994 326.85 1 0 1.52

june 6 1994 326.87 1 0 1.58

july 7 1994 326.80 1 0 2.15

august 8 1994 326.74 1 0 2.38

september 9 1994 326.65 1 0 1.93

may con. 5 1995 326.15 1 0 0.83

june 6 1995 326.18 1 0 -0.14

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97

july 7 1995 326.10 1 0 -0.78

august 8 1995 325.99 1 0 -0.21

september 9 1995 326.13 1 0 -0.42

may con. 5 1996

1 0 0.29

june 6 1996 326.36 1 0 0.88

july 7 1996 326.51 1 0 0.35

august 8 1996

1 0 0.01

september 9 1996 326.25 1 0 -0.45

may con. 5 1997 326.01 1 0 -0.28

june 6 1997 326.04 1 0 0.10

july 7 1997 326.11 1 0 0.38

august 8 1997 326.23 1 0 -0.10

september 9 1997 326.16 1 0 -0.01

may con. 5 1998 325.96 1 0 -0.39

june 6 1998 325.92 1 0 -0.23

july 7 1998 325.90 1 0 -0.60

august 8 1998

1 0 -0.23

september 9 1998

1 0 -0.08

may con. 5 1999 325.59 1 1 0.04

june 6 1999 325.46 1 1 0.11

july 7 1999 325.38 1 1 0.79

august 8 1999 325.62 1 1 0.58

september 9 1999 325.63 1 1 0.36

may con. 5 2000 325.24 1 1 0.16

june 6 2000 325.40 1 1 0.19

july 7 2000 325.56 1 1 0.38

august 8 2000 325.46 1 1 0.48

september 9 2000 325.43 1 1 0.76

may con. 5 2001 325.55 1 1 0.96

june 6 2001 325.73 1 1 1.22

july 7 2001 325.67 1 1 0.19

august 8 2001 325.53 1 1 0.36

september 9 2001 325.56 1 1 0.86

may con. 5 2002 325.43 1 1 1.25

june 6 2002 325.86 1 1 1.11

july 7 2002 326.55 1 1 1.14

august 8 2002 326.39 1 1 1.00

september 9 2002 326.35 1 1 1.00

may con. 5 2003 325.68 1 1 0.57

june 6 2003 325.69 1 1 0.15

july 7 2003 325.51 1 1 0.24

august 8 2003 325.30 1 1 0.06

september 9 2003 325.15 1 1 -0.12

may con. 5 2004 325.10 1 1 0.71

june 6 2004 325.53 1 1 0.51

july 7 2004 325.82 1 1 0.47

august 8 2004 325.68 1 1 0.49

september 9 2004 325.61 1 1 0.00

may con. 5 2005 325.29 1 1 0.09

june 6 2005 325.19 1 1 0.04

july 7 2005 325.02 1 1 0.23

august 8 2005 325.08 1 1 0.29

september 9 2005 325.04 1 1 0.36

may con. 5 2006 324.94 1 1 -0.46

june 6 2006 325.01 1 1 -1.12

july 7 2006 324.85 1 1 -1.09

august 8 2006 324.72 1 1 -1.10

september 9 2006 324.72 1 1 -0.76

may con. 5 2007 324.82 1 1 -0.62

june 6 2007 324.69 1 1 -0.65

july 7 2007 324.48 1 1 -0.83

august 8 2007 324.43 1 1 -0.08

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98

september 9 2007 324.69 1 1 -0.28

may con. 5 2008 325.22 1 1 0.45

june 6 2008 325.39 1 1 1.22

july 7 2008 325.43 1 1 1.53

august 8 2008 325.36 1 1 1.18

september 9 2008 325.27 1 1 1.01

5. The step increase in precipitation covariate and the pumping covariate were added to

the raw data in Table 18. The covariates were switch from “off” (0) to “on” (1) based on

dates determined by the bivariate test.

6. The data set from Table 18 was imported into SAS statistical software version 9.2.

PROC REG was coded into the program editor. The consisted of the Hancock well

elevations (hwellele) equal to the SPI for 24-months (SP24), the step increase in

precipitation covariate (z) and the pumping covariate (z2) as shown below.

7. The regression test was run and the output file is shown below. P-values at the bottom

of the output indicate that all variables in the model are significant (p-value <0.05).

Under the parameter estimates column are the slope coefficients for each variable. These

coefficients also indicate the amount of change that occurs for each variable. For

Page 112: PRECIPITATION AND PUMPING EFFECTS ON …

99

example the slope coefficient for the pumping covariate (z2) is -0.96819 indicating that

pumping has contributed to a decline of 0.97 meters in Hancock well water elevations.

R2 values are located in the middle of the output sheet and indicate how well the

regression equation predicated Hancock water elevations.

Page 113: PRECIPITATION AND PUMPING EFFECTS ON …

100

Appendix 8

Magnitude of Seasonal Precipitation from 1955-2008

y = 0.6923x - 1158.10

100

200

300

400

500

600

1955 1965 1975 1985 1995 2005 2015

Precip

itati

on

(m

m)

Hancock Spring 1955-2008

y = 0.3431x - 4530

100

200

300

400

500

600

1955 1965 1975 1985 1995 2005 2015

Precip

itati

on

(m

m)

Montello Spring 1955-2008

y = -0.1296x + 473.370

100

200

300

400

500

600

1955 1965 1975 1985 1995 2005 2015

Precip

itati

on

(m

m)

Wisconsin Rapids Spring 1955-2008

y = 0.2406x - 259.20

100

200

300

400

500

600

1955 1965 1975 1985 1995 2005 2015

Precip

itati

on

(m

m)

Stevens Point Spring 1955-2008

y = 0.1095x + 8.24360

100

200

300

400

500

600

1955 1965 1975 1985 1995 2005 2015

Precip

itati

on

(m

m)

Waupaca Spring 1955-2008

y = 0.1556x - 88.6760

100

200

300

400

500

600

1955 1965 1975 1985 1995 2005 2015

Precip

itati

on

(m

m)

Composite Spring 1955-2008

Page 114: PRECIPITATION AND PUMPING EFFECTS ON …

101

y = 2.0435x - 3750.70

100

200

300

400

500

600

1955 1965 1975 1985 1995 2005 2015

Precip

itati

on

(m

m)

Hancock Summer 1955-2008

y = 2.3905x - 4439.10

100

200

300

400

500

600

1955 1965 1975 1985 1995 2005 2015

Precip

itati

on

(m

m)

Montello Summer 1955-2008

y = 0.9397x - 1569.20

100

200

300

400

500

600

1955 1965 1975 1985 1995 2005 2015

Precip

itati

on

(m

m)

Stevens Point Summer 1955-2008

y = 0.7696x - 1229.10

100

200

300

400

500

600

1955 1965 1975 1985 1995 2005 2015

Precip

itati

on

(m

m)

Waupaca Summer 1955-2008

y = 0.4107x - 518.220

100

200

300

400

500

600

1955 1965 1975 1985 1995 2005 2015

Precip

itati

on

(m

m)

Wisconsin Rapids Summer 1955-2008

y = 1.4115x - 2500.20

100

200

300

400

500

600

1955 1965 1975 1985 1995 2005 2015

Precip

itati

on

(m

m)

Composite Summer 1955-2008

Page 115: PRECIPITATION AND PUMPING EFFECTS ON …

102

y = -0.5088x + 12110

100

200

300

400

500

600

1955 1965 1975 1985 1995 2005 2015

Precip

itati

on

(m

m)

Hancock Fall 1955-2008

y = 0.0599x + 93.610

100

200

300

400

500

600

1955 1965 1975 1985 1995 2005 2015

Precip

itati

on

(m

m)

Montello Fall 1955-2008

y = -0.4645x + 1127.20

100

200

300

400

500

600

1955 1965 1975 1985 1995 2005 2015

Precip

itati

on

(m

m)

Stevens Point Fall 1955-2008

y = -0.8195x + 18330

100

200

300

400

500

600

1955 1965 1975 1985 1995 2005 2015

Precip

itati

on

(m

m)

Waupaca Fall 1955-2008

y = -0.6777x + 15480

100

200

300

400

500

600

1955 1965 1975 1985 1995 2005 2015

Precip

itati

on

(m

m)

Wisconsin Rapids Fall 1955-2008

y = -0.4247x + 1049.60

100

200

300

400

500

600

1955 1965 1975 1985 1995 2005 2015

Precip

itati

on

(m

m)

Composite Fall 1955-2008

Page 116: PRECIPITATION AND PUMPING EFFECTS ON …

103

y = 0.4964x - 908.15

0

100

200

300

400

500

600

1955 1965 1975 1985 1995 2005 2015

Precip

itati

on

(m

m)

Hancock Winter1955-2008

y = 0.417x - 729.84

0

100

200

300

400

500

600

1955 1965 1975 1985 1995 2005 2015

Precip

itati

on

(m

m)

Montello Winter1955-2008

y = 0.4768x - 860.32

0

100

200

300

400

500

600

1955 1965 1975 1985 1995 2005 2015

Precip

itati

on

(m

m)

Stevens Point Winter1955-2008

y = 0.5018x - 899.1

0

100

200

300

400

500

600

1955 1965 1975 1985 1995 2005 2015

Precip

itati

on

(m

m)

Waupaca Winter1955-2008

y = 0.4042x - 716.17

0

100

200

300

400

500

600

1955 1965 1975 1985 1995 2005 2015

Precip

itati

on

(m

m)

W isconsin Rapids Winter1955-2008

y = 0.5653x - 1032.8

0

100

200

300

400

500

600

1955 1965 1975 1985 1995 2005 2015

Precip

itati

on

(m

m)

Composite Winter1955-2008