Minnesota water use data were gathered from permit holders who report the volume of water used each year.
Power generation
Water used for cooling at electrical power generating plants. This is historically the category with the largest water use volume and relies almost entirely on surface water sources. Power Generation use is primarily non-consumptive, in that most of the water withdrawn is returned to its original source.
Water supply
Water distributed by community suppliers for domestic, commercial, industrial, and public users. The category relies on both surface and groundwater sources.
Industrial processing
Water used in mining activities, paper mill operations, food processing. Three-fourths or more of withdrawals are from surface water sources.
Irrigation
Water withdrawn from both surface water and groundwater sources for agricultural crop and non-crop uses. All irrigation is considered consumptive.
Other
Water withdrawn for activities including air conditioning, construction dewatering, water level maintenance, livestock watering and pollution confinement.
Consumptive use
Defined as water withdrawn that is not directly returned to its original source. Under this definition, all groundwater withdrawals are consumptive unless the water is returned to the aquifer from which it was obtained. Surface water withdrawals are considered consumptive if the water is not directly returned to the source so that it is available for immediate further use. In accordance with the Great Lakes Compact, for that part of Minnesota that is within the Great Lakes Basin, the definition of consumptive use also "means that portion of the water withdrawn or withheld from the basin that is lost or otherwise not returned to the basin due to evaporation, incorporation into products, or other processes."
Hover your mouse over the chart to see all values for specific years. Click the category names to hide or reveal a series. Use the tools in the upper-right corner of the chart to zoom in on a specific range of years and scroll the series timeline.
Data table
YEAR OTHER IRRIGATION INDUSTRIAL PROCESSING WATER SUPPLY 1985 49 19 109 171 1986 42 30 76 170 1987 38 67 69 192 1988 68 102 98 209 1989 73 86 99 180 1990 66 71 102 164 1991 57 59 110 171 1992 69 63 114 174 1993 68 30 70 164 1994 71 58 66 178 1995 64 60 111 181 1996 69 80 113 189 1997 73 58 115 184 1998 61 77 112 191 1999 69 72 114 185 2000 61 83 117 197 2001 58 97 106 211 2002 55 70 108 199 2003 53 106 104 222 2005 67 89 102 209 2006 65 117 102 222 2007 66 132 103 227 2008 65 117 102 218 2009 62 106 102 216 2010 68 70 101 198 2011 72 75 103 198 2012 72 126 105 213 2013 64 134 102 199 2014 73 95 100 190 2015 73 101 98 189 2016 81 100 89 185 2017 80 103 93 188 2018 74 99 100 190 2019 85 82 83 178 2020 72 109 71 190 2021 69 178 70 203 2022 74 140 72 196 2023 74 173 70 207 2024 79 95 73 185
Water use resources
Permit index report
The permit index report has detailed information on water use permits from the MPARS database. Updated Sept. 16, 2025.
Permit location map
Permit Location Map (sized for larger printing)
