Livestock production has declined in the county over the past 10 years. Some continued decline is anticipated in the next 20 years, resulting in less water consumption. In Hancock County current water use is about 132 mgy for industry and 347 mgy for mining. There are no power production facilities consuming water in Hancock County. Any future change in water uses for industry, mining, and power production could have a large impact on total water use in the county.
Wells supply water for many communities, farms, and industries in north-central Iowa.
The water from these wells comes from deposits of unconsolidated materials and layered rocks with characteristics consistent enough to allow fairly reliable predictions of their water-yielding potential. Rocks and sediments that store and transmit water are called aquifers. In north-central Iowa, there are three different surficial aquifer types and five bedrock aquifers available for use as sources of water supplies. The unconsolidated deposits of sediment near the land surface comprise the surficial aquifers and confining beds. Beneath these deposits are layers of consolidated sedimentary rock.