Details

The Trout Run and Robinson Creek watershed drains land from both sides of the Black River. The Black River Falls municipal wastewater treatment plant is the only point source in the watershed. The eastern portion of the watershed drains extensive public lands held by Jackson County, State of Wisconsin, and Fort McCoy. Wetlands and cranberry marshes are pervasive in this portion of the watershed also. Most agricultural activities are found west of the Black River in the Squaw Creek and Trout Run sub-watersheds.

Date  1999

Nonpoint and Point Sources

The streams flowing into the Black River from the west are mainly affected by agricultural land management. Water resource problems associated with agricultural land management are addressed by NR120, the DNR nonpoint source pollution abatement code. Many of these streams rank high due to their likely improvement if best management practices contained in NR120 were implemented. However, more total stream miles in the watershed flow into the Black River from the east, where they are utilized by the cranberry industry. The impoundment of water, return of water that may be warmer than the upstream source and may contain pesticides and/or nutrients, and unnatural fluctuations of stream flows are not problems addressed in NR120. Consequently the nonpoint source ranking for the entire watershed is low. However, this rank does not mean that problems do not exist, only that many of the problems cannot, at this time, be addressed by the best management practices listed in NR120.

Date  1999

Ecological Landscapes

The Trout Run and Robinson Creeks Watershed is primarily located in the Central Sand Plains Ecological Landscape which is located in central Wisconsin, occurs on a flat, sandy lake plain, and supports agriculture, forestry, recreation, and wildlife management. The Ecological Landscape formed in and around what was once Glacial Lake Wisconsin, which contained glacial meltwater extending over 1.1 million acres at its highest stage. Soils are primarily sandy lake deposits, some with silt-loam loess caps. Sandstone buttes carved by rapid drainage of the glacial lake, or by wave action when they existed as islands in the lake, are distinctive features of this landscape. The historic vegetation of the area included extensive wetlands of many types, including open bogs, shrub swamps, and sedge meadows. Prairies, oak forests, savannas and barrens also occurred in the Ecological Landscape. An area of more mesic forest with white pine and hemlock was found in the northwest portion, including a significant pinery in eastern Jackson County. Today, nearly half of the Ecological Landscape is nonforested, in agriculture and grassland. Most of the historic wetlands were drained early in the 1900s and are now used for vegetable cropping. The forested portion is mostly oak-dominated forest, followed by aspen and pines. A minor portion is maple-basswood forest and lowland hardwoods.

Date  2010

Wildlife and Habitat

Numerous aquatic dependent species of concern have been documented in this watershed. Management decisions should consider potential affects to these species. Other species may be present but not yet documented.

Date  1999

A study conducted in Black River basin streams between 1996-97 documented significant increases of temperature and total kjeldahl nitrogen (TKN) concentrations below both cranberry and recreational impoundments. Additionally, significant increases in ammonium and total phosphorus, extremely low dissolved oxygen levels, and low flows were documented below the cranberry impoundment that was monitored. Since only one cranberry impoundment was monitored, additional studies to examine the effects of cranberry impoundments was recommended (Greb et.al.). Water temperatures can strongly influence a stream’s ecology and water chemistry. Some fish species can tolerate only a certain range of temperatures. Temperature also affects how much oxygen and ammonium are dissolved in the water. Not enough oxygen or too much ammonia can cause fish kills and reduce the aquatic insect population in a stream. Trout reproduction and survival has been severely reduced in Robinson Creek and its tributary streams by the discharge of warm water from cranberry operations on the streams. Reservoirs developed to provide water for cranberry culture raise water temperatures to levels that impair trout survival and reproduction. Robinson Creek and several of its tributary streams were previously Class I trout streams, and have potential to once again become high quality Class I trout streams if the impacts of cranberry culture can be reduced (Talley, Babros). The nonpoint source rankings for the waterbodies in this watershed are found in the watershed table at the end of this chapter. The streams flowing into the Black River from the west are mainly affected by agricultural land management. Water resource problems associated with agricultural land management are addressed by NR120, the DNR nonpoint source pollution abatement code. Many of these streams rank high due to their likely improvement if best management practices contained in NR120 were implemented. However, more total stream miles in the watershed flow into the Black River from the east, where they are utilized by the cranberry industry. The impoundment of water, return of water that may be warmer than the upstream source and may contain pesticides and/or nutrients, and unnatural fluctuations of stream flows are not problems addressed in NR120. Consequently the nonpoint source ranking for the entire watershed is low. However, this rank does not mean that problems do not exist, only that many of the problems cannot, at this time, be addressed by the best management practices listed in NR120. Numerous aquatic dependent species of concern have been documented in this watershed. A list of species documented in the Black River can be found in the Black River Mainstem Report of this plan. Management decisions should consider potential affects to these species. The following list includes species documented in the watershed other than the Black River. Other species may be present but not yet documented.

Date  1999

Lakes and Impoundments

Impaired Waters

Projects including grants, restoration work and studies shown below have occurred in this watershed. Click the links below to read through the text. While these are not an exhaustive list of activities, they provide insight into the management activities happening in this watershed.

The Trout Run and Robinson Creek Watershed includes the City of Black River Falls, an historic community in the heart of west central Wisconsin. A fur traders post was located in Black River Falls by 1795. In 1839, an expedition of 20 men came to the area to log as the area was predominately forest at that time. The crew built a sawmill at the mouth of Town Creek utilizing the waterpower of the Black River. The mill was sold to the Mormons who improved and operated the property until their leader, Joseph Smith, was killed in 1844. Some of the lumber produced was used in the construction of the Mormon temple at Nauvoo, Illinois. Jackson County was established in 1853 and Black River Falls was designated the County Seat. It was incorporated as a village in 1866 and in 1872, Black River Falls became the first village in the state to establish a free city Library. Black River Falls became a city in 1883. Photo at right from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_River_Falls,_Wisconsin

Date  2010