Publications Archives - Center for Water Policy

Center for Water Policy releases “AI-Data Centers: Legislative Model to Promote Transparency and Environmental Protections”

Cami Armendariz — Mon, 09 Mar 2026 15:06:47 +0000

AI-data centers are rapidly proliferating across the United States. These facilities promise technological and economic benefits but have associated steep increases in electricity and water use that can strain local resources and infrastructure. Communities are reporting growing concerns over water scarcity, higher utility rates, pollution, and stability of local power grids. Despite sustainability pledges from major tech companies, energy and cooling needs from AI-data centers continue an unchecked rise, and state incentives have often encouraged development without requiring adequate transparency and environmental protections. With no uniform federal framework and significant impacts emerging, lawmakers in many states are beginning to propose policies that strengthen disclosure, assess cumulative impacts, and establish efficiency and public engagement requirements. In our legislative framework, we articulate policy goals and offer options for comprehensive legislative responses. The model includes draft legislative language that can be customized by states and local governments to suit their needs.

See a PDF version of our legislative model, also available below, or a version of the model.

Citation:

Emilie Washer, Tressie Kamp and Melissa Scanlan, AI-Data Centers: Legislative Model to Promote Transparency and Environmental Protections, Legislative Model, Center for Water Policy (2026).��

Legislative Model for Data Centers 2026 Download

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Director Melissa Scanlan Co-Authors��“Water Law in a Nutshell”��

wmatuska@uwm.edu — Thu, 05 Feb 2026 17:52:58 +0000

Center for Water Policy Director, Professor, and Lynde B. Uihlein Endowed Chair Melissa Scanlan co-authored the 7^th edition of “Water Law in a Nutshell,” published by West Academic. This newest edition, co-authored with water law professors Sandra Zellmer from the University of Montana School of Law and Adell Amos from the University of Oregon School of Law, adds dozens of recent decisions and key statutory changes. The 7^th edition explains legal changes in evolving areas like climate disruption, groundwater-surface water conflicts, public recreational uses, instream flow protection, federal water development, takings claims, and water access and equity. Center for Water Policy alumni Daniel McLennon and Emma Ehrlich provided research assistance.

This book is an excellent aid for students, practitioners, and judges. Copies are available to purchase on the in both eBook and softbound formats.

Water-in-a-Nutshell-Flyer Download

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Check out our 2025 Water Policy Publications!��

Cami Armendariz — Wed, 10 Dec 2025 17:44:51 +0000

In 2025, the Water Policy Program at the UW-Milwaukee School of Freshwater Sciences continued its multidisciplinary research on the most urgent freshwater policy challenges. Our work—featured in academic articles, policy briefs, and other reports—examines a broad set of issues shaping the future of water sustainability and governance. This year’s publications highlight policy needs and emerging solutions related to AI-data center water consumption and transparency, flood protection, the evolving PFAS regulatory landscape, abandoned boats, and more.

Read more below and find links to each of our 2025 Water Policy Publications!

2025WaterPolicyPublicationsReport Download

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PFAS Contamination in Wisconsin’s Public Drinking Water Supplies: Regulatory Context

wmatuska@uwm.edu — Fri, 14 Nov 2025 17:45:34 +0000

PFAS, a large class of human-made chemicals, continues to present a major public health concern in Wisconsin and beyond. Since the Center published its PFAS policy brief in 2023, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (“EPA”) issued an April 2024 final rule establishing drinking water standards—also referred to as MCLs—for six PFAS compounds. EPA signaled in May 2025 an intent to rescind standards for four of those compounds, but no formal rulemaking has begun.

Our updated Policy Brief breaks down the legal context, timelines, and key implications—and offers recommendations for navigating what comes next.

Citation:

Andrian Lee, Tressie Kamp and Melissa Scanlan, Update to PFAS Contamination in Wisconsin’s Public Drinking Water Supplies: Regulatory Context, Policy Brief, Center for Water Policy (2025).

Read the updated Policy Brief:��November 2025 PFAS Contamination in Wisconsin’s Public Drinking Water Supplies Brief (PDF)

For those interested in health risk assessment tools, don’t miss Dr. Laura Suppes’ work on PFAS exposure risks, featured in our 2023 Earth Month Webinar.

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Rutgers Computer and Technology Law Journal Published “Powering Progress or Peril? The Hidden Environmental Costs of Data Centers and AI”��

Tressie Kamp — Thu, 09 Oct 2025 16:22:37 +0000

Data centers are rapidly developing across the country to meet demands for artificial intelligence, data storage, and cloud computing. But their environmental impact, especially regarding water use, is largely obscured from public view.

That’s the subject of the Center for Water Policy’s recent article. Water Policy Specialist Peyton McCauley, Interim Assistant Director Cora Sutherland, and Director Melissa Scanlan investigate the environmental footprint of data centers. Some data centers use as much as one-quarter of local water supplies, which has raised alarm. However, the industry’s collective impact isn’t transparent; incomplete government records, inconsistent voluntary reporting, and limited reporting requirements produce fragmented data.

Ultimately, this published academic research sheds light on the hidden water use of our increasing reliance on AI-data centers and highlights the need for greater sustainability and transparency in the industry.

Quick Facts: What you need to know

Incomplete Environmental Data. While incomplete, early evidence suggests data centers are undermining decarbonization and water conservation progress.

Massive Amounts of Water. Lawrence Berkeley Lab estimated that in 2023 U.S. data centers consumed 228 billion gallons of water.

Lack of Transparency. In addition to obscured data showing environmental impacts, there’s very little public debate or analysis before data centers are announced. This undermines local control and the ability to understand and make informed decisions about hosting data centers.

Read the research:

Peyton McCauley, Cora Sutherland and Melissa Scanlan, Spring 2025 Symposium Special Edition, Powering Progress or Peril? The Hidden Environmental Costs of Data Centers and AI, .

Check out CWP’s previous work and involvement on data centers:

| Chicago Tribune, featuring quotes from CWP Director Melissa Scanlan (September 2025)

| The Conversation (August 2025)

| American Bar Association (April 2025)

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Policy Brief “Abandoned Boats in State Waters: Achieving a Clear and Efficient Response in Wisconsin”��

Cami Armendariz — Wed, 03 Sep 2025 15:28:09 +0000

Abandoned boats are being left on the shores of Wisconsin’s rivers and lakes. Not only are these boats difficult and expensive to remove, but it can be unclear who is responsible for removing them when the owner will not or cannot. After months of watching one of these boats sit on the shores of Milwaukee throughout the winter and well into the spring, Wisconsin lawmakers proposed changing state policy to address the state’s abandoned boat problem. In the policy brief below, we take a deeper look at the issue, the proposed legislation, and potential responsive actions that could deter boat owners from abandoning vessels while at the same time quickening government response time for boat removals.

Citation:
Emma Ehrlich and Melissa Scanlan, Abandoned Boats in State Waters: Achieving a Clear and Efficient Response in Wisconsin, Policy Brief, Center for Water Policy (2025).

Read our policy brief here:

CenterforWaterPolicy_AbandonedBoatsinStateWaters Download

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Center for Water Policy Publishes “Too Close for Comfort: State Regulation of Setbacks From the Great Lakes” Executive Summary and Table��

Cami Armendariz — Tue, 12 Aug 2025 14:15:00 +0000

The Great Lakes water levels fluctuate over a variety of time scales. One way to protect homes and other structures located along the coasts of the Great Lakes from the dangers of fluctuating water levels, floods, waves, and erosion is to place the structures further from the water. Laws dictating how far a structure should be built from a lake and adjacent landforms, such as bluffs or dunes, are called setbacks. Setback requirements exist in state law and in local ordinances. However, states that choose to regulate setbacks vary in how much protection they afford homeowners. The table and executive summary below compare the setback regulations of the eight Great Lakes states: Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin. The table contains key provisions from each state’s shoreland zoning laws that relate to setbacks from the Great Lakes, and the accompanying executive summary discusses the major commonalities and differences among the states. This research highlights the risks of placing structures close to the Great Lakes and asks readers to consider the effectiveness of their state or local Great Lakes shoreland zoning laws and the necessity of updates to setbacks laws throughout the Great Lakes region.

Citation:

Emma Ehrlich, Susanne Anderson, Cora Sutherland, and Melissa Scanlan, Too Close for Comfort: State Regulation of Setbacks From the Great Lakes, Executive Summary and Table of Laws, Center for Water Policy (2025).

Read the Executive Summary:

Too Close for Comfort: State Regulation of Setbacks From the Great Lakes

Too Close for Comfort_State Regulation of Setbacks From the Great Lakes Download

Download the excel table comparing Great Lakes states laws here:

Great Lakes Shorland Setback Regulations Table Download

Featured Image Credit: / The Grand Rapids Press

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Is the Proposed Dredged Material Management Facility an Opportunity for the Community?

Mon, 19 May 2025 16:54:58 +0000

The Milwaukee Estuary Area of Concern spans roughly 10 miles spread across three rivers and includes Milwaukee’s inner and outer harbor. Cleaning this area requires dredging the riverbeds and lakebed to remove contaminated sediment, but where does it go? The plan is to send it to a new Dredged Material Management Facility — an in-lake landfill on the east side of Jones Island, next to the Port of Milwaukee. This approximately $500M historic cleanup should result in extensive benefits to the public.

In 2022, the Center for Water Policy’s published research explained why the Dredged Material Management Facility must be consistent with the state’s public trust doctrine. The Center’s researchers Sarah Martinez and Melissa Scanlan conducted a legal analysis and you may read their published findings, “” in Sea Grant Law & Policy Journal Vol 12:1 (2022). This research explores the legal issues around this facility including: What is public enough to satisfy the public trust doctrine? Can the state and other developers exclude the public? What are the permissible uses on the newly created 42 acres of lakefront?

You may watch our January 2022 Public Rights in Milwaukee’s Fresh Coast panel discuss this topic and others��and read our short analysis in this��October 2022 Public Rights in MKE Fresh Coast Policy Brief (PDF).

We identified the Clean Water Act’s Section 401 Water Quality Certification as a decision point where the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (WDNR) could require the protection of public trust rights. The WDNR issued the Certification on October 5, 2023, and included protections for public rights. You may read our short analysis of the Certification decision in this November 2023 Public Rights Policy Brief (PDF) and link to the decision.

View the full Water Quality Certification (PDF) here.

Explore the work of Professor James Wasley, the Center for Water Policy’s 2024–2025 Water Policy Scholar, as he examines the future of the Dredged Material Disposal Facility at the Port of Milwaukee. This evolving lakefront site presents an opportunity to create new public space, ecological habitat, and community resilience in the heart of the city. Watch our short video and Earth Day webinar below to see how this local project fits into a broader movement across the Great Lakes to transform post-industrial waterfronts for public good.

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School of Freshwater Sciences Graduate Students Provide Water Consulting Services to Wisconsin DNR��

Cami Armendariz — Mon, 12 May 2025 15:17:21 +0000

Graduate students in Professor Melissa Scanlan’s course ”Water Consulting” at UW-Milwaukee’s School of Freshwater Sciences partnered with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (WDNR) to develop actionable strategies for long-term resilience as climate change intensifies flooding and reshapes coastal landscapes along Wisconsin’s Great Lakes shorelines. The two student consulting teams focused on shoreline regulation and inland flooding. One team analyzed strategies for how Wisconsin might determine its 1848 shoreline boundaries, depending on the location, under a new law governing longstanding fill on Great Lakes lakebeds. The second team assessed the growing impacts of inland flooding, especially in underserved communities, and outlined how the WDNR can close insurance gaps and promote mitigation efforts. Their reports offer thorough assessments and provide data-driven recommendations to support the WDNR’s decision-making around permitting, planning, and public outreach.

Rising Waters, Rising Costs: Understanding Flood Risk, Insurance, & the Price of Inaction report here.

Great Lakes Shoreline Identification Analysis report here.

Read the full story here.

School of Freshwater Sciences Graduate Students Provide Water Consulting Services to Wisconsin DNR��

Citations:

Joe McCormack, Cami Armendariz, Frank Ferrante, Evelyn Grimm, and Stephanie Gruenloh, Rising Waters, Rising Costs: Understanding Flood Risk, Insurance, & the Price of Inaction,��University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee Publications��(2025).

Elizabeth Modahl, Daniel Wroblewski, Dan Vrobel, Mutadhid (Avid) Obaidi, Great Lakes Shoreline Identification Analysis,��University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee Publications��(2025).

Rising Waters, Rising Costs: Understanding Flood Risk, Insurance, & the Price of Inaction Download

Great Lakes Shoreline Identification Analysis Report Download

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Notre Dame Law School’s Journal on Emerging Technologies Published “Great Lakes Offshore Wind: An Analysis of Coastal Management Planning Tools”��

Cami Armendariz — Tue, 01 Apr 2025 21:18:49 +0000

In 2023, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory identified extensive potential offshore wind resource in the Great Lakes. All eight Great Lakes states have some type of clean, renewable, or alternative energy goal, and five of the eight Great Lakes states have a commitment to reach 100% clean or renewable energy by 2040 or 2050. Offshore wind energy is one resource to achieve these goals. The offshore wind industry expanded quickly off the ocean coasts during the Biden-Harris Administration. In the early days of the Trump Administration, the federal government announced a reversal in federal support for offshore wind, which will reverberate along the ocean coastal states.

The Great Lakes region presents a different context. The Great Lakes states have not been as influenced by federal offshore wind policy; they were neither spurred to action nor should they be thwarted by changes at the federal level. This is due in part to the federal leasing agency not having the same jurisdiction and authority in the Great Lakes as it has in the oceans. The onus for offshore wind in the Great Lakes rests upon Great Lakes states because they are trustees of the public lakebed and have exclusive jurisdiction over lakebed leasing.

Thorough planning must precede any development to ensure environmental, social, and financial factors are considered and to determine whether a site is suitable for development. Building on the recommendations for a legal framework we described in a , this article emphasizes the need for thorough planning and identifies existing coastal management tools available to states in that effort. We compare two state-based offshore wind projects as case studies and identify key differences that suggest why one project successfully reached operation while the other stalled out after years of delays. Finally, we explore several options and benefits of regional planning for offshore wind in the Great Lakes.

This law review article:

Identifies Special Area Management Plans (SAMPs) under the Coastal Zone Management Act as existing legal authority states may use to assess feasibility and suitability of offshore wind development in their waters;

Highlights opportunities and benefits of regional collaboration and planning; and

Recommends that Great Lakes states position themselves for future opportunities arising with the next pendulum swing of attitude at the federal level towards offshore wind.

Read the research:��
Cora Sutherland and Melissa Scanlan, Great Lakes Offshore Wind: An Analysis of Coastal Management Planning Tools, .

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