Dry wells spark concern in Monroe County, Michigan

Concerns are growing in Monroe County, Michigan, where some residents in Whiteford Township say their wells are running dry. 

For Lindsay Daschner, water is everything. 

"Without a quality source of water, we literally can't function. Plants require day-to-day care, and not knowing whether or not we're going to have something good come out of the faucet is a really scary feeling," said Daschner.

Daschner owns Forget Me Not Farms, where she says her well suddenly ran dry earlier this year.

"So, in February, one of our wells ran out of water, and it was a very scary feeling. Granted, we were only out of water for a couple days, but we had the well driller come out, and we found out that our static water level dropped over 20 feet in a 10-month period," said Daschner.

Daschner is not alone, as township leaders say complaints have been growing over the past few years.

"A lot of people in our township over the last three to five years have had wells that are going dry. What we in the township are embarking on is to kind of find out what the cause is, probably not just one cause, which makes it a more complex issue," said Township Supervisor Jeff Thomas.

Part of that complexity is the ground beneath it all.

"All the groundwater is connected, so when you change flow somewhere, it can affect the flow somewhere else, and that can go both directions," said Sarah Brownlee, professor of Environmental Science & Geology and Wayne State University.

Experts say that with this kind of terrain, water can move quickly, and changes in one place can impact wells miles away.

"They drive by the pit, and they see this water come through these strong pumps. They wonder why the pit has so much water to pump, but they have none," said John Chandler, chairperson of the Karst Aquifer Coalition of Monroe County.

A consulting firm hired by the township says it's still too early to draw conclusions.

"We haven't found any evidence of anything yet. We're still in the preliminary stage of obtaining the data and putting in the machine to see how everything works," said Dave Kubiske, Principal Engineer, David Arthur Consultants.

CBS News Detroit reached out to StoneCo Michigan, which owns the quarry, for comment, and was given the following statement, saying in part: 

Stoneco has applied to the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy (EGLE) for approval to relocate some wetlands and a drainage ditch within the existing permit boundaries on land owned by Stoneco. This is to facilitate future extraction activity in a dormant area of the property located within our existing permitted footprint.

Stoneco carefully and responsibly manages groundwater conditions at Ottawa Lake Quarry in full compliance with permitting and regulations. 

It has worked closely with the local community, met with local citizens, invested in and continuously monitors groundwater conditions at the Quarry using third-party engineering models and on-site environmental experts to help closely monitor groundwater data. 

These evaluations are updated regularly, and when a resident reports water loss to Stoneco, we investigate promptly. 

If our operations are found to impact a well, our policy is to provide the homeowner with a replacement well or an alternative water source. 

While water levels can be impacted by a variety of factors, in 2025, Stoneco assisted over 60 residents experiencing well issues.

A spokesperson with the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) sent the following statement: 

"EGLE has received two Aquifer Dispute Resolution complaint forms and 30 additional informal complaints in Whiteford Township since fall 2025. We received eight older Aquifer Dispute Resolution complaints in 2005. Because state law (NREPA Part 317) establishes an exception in aquifer dispute resolution for large-volume water users who dewater for mining, EGLE is not investigating the cause of these dry wells and therefore cannot evaluate conditions or reach a conclusion on any impact. In attempting to answer questions from people who have contacted us, EGLE has evaluated the area geology documented in both state and federal USGS datasets, current and historical water levels available in public records, pump test information, and groundwater monitoring data obtained from the mine property."