Water Detail - Buena Vista Creek [Ditch #2 ], Fourmile and Fivemile Creek Watershed (CW10)

Buena Vista Creek [Ditch #2 ], Fourmile and Fivemile Creek Watershed (CW10)

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Buena Vista Creek [Ditch #2 ] (1391300)

Size

9.61 Miles

Segment

9.48 - 19.09

Natural Community

Natural communities (stream and lake natural communities) represent model results that use predicted flow and temperature based on landscape features and related assumptions. Ranges of flow and temperature associated with specific aquatic life communities (fish, macroinvertebrates) help biologists identify appropriate resource management goals. Wisconsin Natural Communities.

Cool-Cold Mainstem, Coldwater

Year Last Monitored

This is the most recent date of monitoring data stored in SWIMS. Additional surveys for fish and habitat may be available subsequent to this date.

2023

General Condition

Good

County

Portage

Trout Water

Trout Waters are represented by Class I, Class II or Class III waters. These classes have specific ecological characteristics and management actions associated with them. For more information regarding Trout Classifications, see the Fisheries Trout Class Webpages.

Yes

Outstanding or Exceptional

Wisconsin has designated many of the state's highest quality waters as Outstanding Resource Waters (ORWs) or Exceptional Resource Waters (ERWs). Waters designated as ORW or ERW are surface waters which provide outstanding recreational opportunities, support valuable fisheries and wildlife habitat, have good water quality, and are not significantly impacted by human activities. ORW and ERW status identifies waters that the State of Wisconsin has determined warrant additional protection from the effects of pollution. These designations are intended to meet federal Clean Water Act obligations requiring Wisconsin to adopt an 'antidegradation' policy that is designed to prevent any lowering of water quality - especially in those waters having significant ecological or cultural value.

Impaired Water

A water is polluted or 'impaired' if it does not support full use by humans, wildlife, fish and other aquatic life and it is shown that one or more of the pollutant criteria are not met.

Fish and Aquatic Life

Current Use

The use the water currently supports. This is not a designation or classification; it is based on the current condition of the water. Information in this column is not designed for, and should not be used for, regulatory purposes.

Supported Aquatic Life

Waters that support fish and aquatic life communities (healthy biological communities).

Attainable Use

The use that the investigator believes the water could achieve through managing "controllable" sources. Beaver dams, hydroelectric dams, low gradient streams, and naturally occurring low flows are generally not considered controllable. The attainable use may be the same as the current use or it may be higher.

Cold (Class II Trout)

Streams supporting a cold water sport fishery, or serving as a spawning area for salmonids and other cold water fish species. Representative aquatic life communities, associated with these waters, generally require cold temperatures and concentrations of dissolved oxygen that remain above 6 mg/L through natural reproduction and selective propagation. Since these waters are capable of supporting natural reproduction, a minimum dissolved oxygen concentration of 7 mg/L is required during times of active spawning and support of early life stages of newly-hatched fish.

Designated Use

This is the water classification legally recognized by NR102 and NR104, Wis. Adm. Code. The classification determines water quality criteria and effluent limits. Waters obtain designated uses through classification procedures.

Cold

Streams capable of supporting a cold water sport fishery, or serving as a spawning area for salmonids and other cold water fish species. Representative aquatic life communities, associated with these waters, generally require cold temperatures and concentrations of dissolved oxygen that remain above 6 mg/L. Since these waters are capable of supporting natural reproduction, a minimum dissolved oxygen concentration of 7 mg/L is required during times of active spawning and support of early life stages of newly-hatched fish.

Overview

Buena Vista Creek is classified as a Class I and II trout stream. The upstream portion of the stream has been ditched and is now referred to as Ditch No. 2. The upper reach is characterized by moderate brook trout densities with natural reproduction and is limited by sedimentation, lack of adult fish cover, and shallow stream depth. The lower meandering portions of Buena Vista Creek are stocked with brown trout and have low densities of brook trout. Sedimentation, high water temperatures, and high phosphorus concentrations impact this stretch. Stream bank erosion is a source of sediment in the lower portion of Buena Vista Creek generating from just above CTH F down to Lake Wazeecha (Kruger). Unfortunately, it is not feasible or practical to control streambank erosion and sediment bed load movement in this section of Buena Vista Creek. This is due to limited access and the expense for riprapping, and structures to control bed load movement will not work in the low wide flood plain (Kruger). Further investigations are recommended for a complete understanding of the local land use effects and remedies.

The Upper Buena Vista Creek Watershed is a source of nutrients, particularly nitrates, because of the large percentage of irrigated farmland. Sediments tend to settle out in the upper ditches of the watershed and are not considered major nonpoint sources of pollution to Buena Vista Creek (Kruger, 1986). Nitrate values approaching 4 ppm have been detected in Buena Vista Creek. Pesticides have also been detected.

Biotic index sampling results indicate excellent, good, fair and poor water quality depending on location and the time sampled.

Date 2002

Author Aquatic Biologist

Buena Vista Creek [Ditch #2 ], Fourmile and Fivemile Creek Watershed (CW10) Fish and Aquatic Life

Buena Vista Creek [Ditch #2 ], Fourmile and Fivemile Creek Watershed (CW10) Recreation

Buena Vista Creek [Ditch #2 ], Fourmile and Fivemile Creek Watershed (CW10) Fish Consumption

Condition

Wisconsin has over 84,000 miles of streams, 15,000 lakes and milllions of acres of wetlands. Assessing the condition of this vast amount of water is challenging. The state's water monitoring program uses a media-based, cross-program approach to analyze water condition. An updated monitoring strategy (2015-2020) is now available. Compliance with Clean Water Act fishable, swimmable standards are located in the Executive Summary of Water Condition in 2018. See also the 'monitoring and projects' tab.

Reports

2020 Comprehensive WQ Assessments

2018 List of Healthy (Category 2) Waters

Comprehensive 2018 River/Stream Water Quality Assessments

Comprehensive 2016 Rivers Stream Assessments

Comprehensive 2014 TP IBI Rivers Assessment

Macroinvertebrate Assessment Package Report CW10 2003 to 2013

CW10_mIBI_Rprt_2002-2013_chart

Recommendations

Shoreland Ordinance

Wood County proposes to amend or create a shoreland zoning ordinance that complies with the requirements of NR 115, Wisconsin Administrative Code (as revised effective February 1, 2010) and retain existing regulations that exceed the water resource protections of NR 115 or are specific or unique to local needs.

Water Quality Planning

The Fourmile and Fivemile Creek Watershed is 213.96 square miles located in Wood and Portage Counties. Seventy-eight streams (654.12 miles) and twenty-four lakes and flowages (3538.98) are located in the watershed. Much of the watershed lies within the townships of Plover, Buena Vista, and Grant in Portage County. The Portage County Soil Erosion Control Plan (1986) ranked these towns as high priority for erosion control work because of both wind and water erosion.

Management Goals

Wisconsin's Water Quality Standards provide qualitative and quantitative goals for waters that are protective of Fishable, Swimmable conditions [Learn more]. Waters that do not meet water quality standards are considered impaired and restoration actions are planned and carried out until the water is once again fishable and swimmable

Management goals can include creation or implementation of a Total Maximum Daily Load analysis, a Nine Key Element Plan, or other restoration work, education and outreach and more. If specific recommendations exist for this water, they will be displayed below online.

Monitoring

Monitoring the condition of a river, stream, or lake includes gathering physical, chemical, biological, and habitat data. Comprehensive studies often gather all these parameters in great detail, while lighter assessment events will involve sampling physical, chemical and biological data such as macroinvertebrates. Aquatic macroinvertebrates and fish communities integrate watershed or catchment condition, providing great insight into overall ecosystem health. Chemical and habitat parameters tell researchers more about human induced problems including contaminated runoff, point source dischargers, or habitat issues that foster or limit the potential of aquatic communities to thrive in a given area. Wisconsin's Water Monitoring Strategy was recenty updated.

Grants and Management Projects

Project Name (Click for Details)	Year Started
GOLDEN SANDS RC&D: Regional AIS Specialist	2008
WOOD COUNTY: LCO-Shoreland Ordinance Rev.	2010
Fourmile and Fivemile Creek (CW10) Watershed Planning	2011

Monitoring Projects

WBIC	Official Waterbody Name	Station ID	Station Name	Earliest Fieldwork Date	Latest Fieldwork Date	View Station	View Data
1391300	Buena Vista Creek	10022681	Buena Vista Creek(Ditch #2) Above Townline Rd.	1/1/2015	8/31/2023	Map	Data
1391300	Buena Vista Creek	10022683	Buena Vista Creek Above 95th St.	5/17/2011	8/31/2023	Map	Data
1391300	Buena Vista Creek	10053912	Buena Vista 110th	7/13/2020	7/13/2020	Map	Data
1391300	Buena Vista Creek	10043507	Buena Vista Creek at 130th Ave			Map	Data
1391300	Buena Vista Creek	503076	Buena Vista Creek at 100th St			Map	Data
1391300	Buena Vista Creek	10022682	Buena Vista Creek Below Co. Tr. F	1/1/2015	1/1/2015	Map	Data
1391300	Buena Vista Creek	10020818	Buena Vista Creek-At Buena Vista Dr & Cth F	9/1/2022	8/31/2023	Map	Data
1391300	Buena Vista Creek	10041786	Buena Vista Creek at 110th ST	1/1/2015	8/31/2023	Map	Data
1391300	Buena Vista Creek	10022680	Buena Vista Creek (Ditch #2) - Taft Road	5/5/2014	8/31/2023	Map	Data
1391300	Buena Vista Creek	10016701	Buena Vista Creek - 100th St. (15 M Above Bridge)	5/1/1979	7/13/2020	Map	Data

Watershed Characteristics

Buena Vista Creek is located in the Fourmile and Fivemile Creek watershed which is 213.96 mi². Land use in the watershed is primarily agricultural (41.80%), forest (33.10%) and a mix of grassland (12.20%) and other uses (12.80%). This watershed has stream miles, lake acres and 13,528.97 wetland acres.

Nonpoint Source Characteristics

This watershed is ranked Medium for runoff impacts on streams, Medium for runoff impacts on lakes and High for runoff impacts on groundwater and therefore has an overall rank of High. This value can be used in ranking the watershed or individual waterbodies for grant funding under state and county programs.However, all waters are affected by diffuse pollutant sources regardless of initial water quality. Applications for specific runoff projects under state or county grant programs may be pursued. For more information, go to surface water program grants.

Natural Community

Buena Vista Creek [Ditch #2 ] is considered a Cool-Cold Mainstem, Coldwater under the state's Natural Community Determinations.

Natural communities (stream and lake natural communities) represent model results and DNR staff valiation processes that confirm or update predicted conditions based on flow and temperature modeling from historic and current landscape features and related variables. Predicated flow and temperatures for waters are associated predicated fish assemblages (communities). Biologists evaluate the model results against current survey data to determine if the modeled results are corect and whether biological indicators show water quaity degradation. This analysis is a core component of the state's resource management framework. Wisconsin's Riverine Natural Communities.

Cool (Cold-Transition) Mainstem streams are moderate-to-large but still wadeable perennial streams with cold to cool summer temperatures. Coldwater fishes are common to uncommon, transitional fishes are abundant to common, and warm water fishes are uncommon to absent. Headwater species are common to absent, mainstem species are abundant to common, and river species are common to absent.

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