

Geological Survey: Frac Sand in the United States-A Geological and Industry Overview: Description of frac sand deposits and locations, and estimates of production, consumption, and reserves. Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources-Silica Sand Mining Report: Overview of the industry and potential impacts (PDF).Wisconsin Center for Investigative Journalism: Covers a variety of topics about frac sand mining.Interactive map shows locations and types of frac sand mining operations


Mine locations map: Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources-Industrial Sand Mining For more informationĬontact the following staff at the Wisconsin Geological and Natural History Survey for more details about frac sand in Wisconsin: For a summary of Wisconsin’s nonmetallic mining regulations, visit the DNR website. The Department of Natural Resources provides technical assistance to local authorities for these plans. Mine reclamation plans, required by NR 135, must be in place before mining begins. Mine siting is regulated at the local zoning level. Permits and regulationsĬoncerns have been raised regarding environmental and nuisance problems as sand mines proliferate. In these cases, only pressurized water is injected into the well-no sand is added. In Wisconsin, a different kind of fracking is used to increase the productivity of water supply wells in relatively impermeable rocks, such as the granite in the central part of the state. In recent years, the development of new horizontal drilling technology using hydraulic fracturing has made possible the production of previously unrecoverable natural gas resources in the eastern, western, and southwestern United States. Fracking has been used by our domestic oil and gas industry for more than 75 years.
