Historical Public Waters Inventory (PWI) Maps

To create this raster layer of Minnesota DNR’s original county Public Waters Inventory (PWI) maps, the maps were scanned, their collars removed, and then georectified and mosaiced together into a statewide map. When the collars were removed, the map legends and some labels were removed and there is some overlap of labels at county boundaries. This raster layer shows the general location of the public waters (lakes, wetlands, and watercourses) as mapped on the original PWI maps published in the 1980’s and revised in 1996. The PWI has been further revised since these maps were originally published and a vector GIS layer of the PWI is available on the Minnesota Geospatial Commons at: https://gisdata.mn.gov/dataset/water-mn-public-waters. Public waters are all water basins, wetlands, and watercourses that meet the criteria set forth in Minn. Stat. 103G.005, subd. 15 and subd. 15a. The DNR has regulatory jurisdiction over public waters and the regulatory boundary of a public water is the Ordinary High Water Level (OHWL), as defined in Minn. Stat. 103G.005, subd. 14. Before conducting work in a public water, contact your local DNR area hydrologist for a correct OHWL determination (https://files.dnr.state.mn.us/waters/area_hydros.pdf). Individual original county PWI maps and county PWI lists are available in PDF format at: https://www.dnr.state.mn.us/waters/watermgmt_section/pwi/maps.html.