Watershed - West Fork Kickapoo River (LW04)
West Fork Kickapoo River Watershed

Details

The West Fork Kickapoo River watershed lies within Vernon County. Land use in the watershed is predominately agricultural with an emphasis on dairy. Agricultural lands in the watershed have an annual soil loss of 8.6 tons per acre per year according to the Vernon County Erosion Control Plan. The watershed lies within the unglaciated "driftless" area of the state and streams in the watershed have a high gradient. Excessive grazing, and runoff from barnyards, are causing water quality and stream habitat problems in the watershed. Many of the streams in this watershed have the potential to be upgraded if nonpoint source water pollution is controlled.

Date  1994

Ecological Landscapes for West Fork Kickapoo River Watershed

Ecological Landscapes

The Western Coulee and Ridges Ecological Landscape in southwestern and west central Wisconsin is characterized by its highly eroded, driftless topography and relatively extensive forested landscape. Soils are silt loams (loess) and sandy loams over sandstone residuum over dolomite. Several large rivers including the Wisconsin, Mississippi, Chippewa, Kickapoo and Black flow through or border the Ecological Landscape. Historical vegetation consisted of southern hardwood forests, oak savanna, scattered prairies, and floodplain forests and marshes along the major rivers. With Euro-American settlement, most of the land on ridgetops and valley bottoms was cleared of oak savanna, prairie, and level forest for agriculture. The steep slopes between valley bottom and ridgetop, unsuitable for raising crops, grew into oak-dominated forests after the ubiquitous presettlement wildfires were suppressed. Current vegetation is a mix of forest (40%), agriculture, and grassland with some wetlands in the river valleys. The primary forest cover is oak-hickory (51%) dominated by oak species and shagbark hickory. Maple-basswood forests (28%), dominated by sugar maple, basswood and red maple, are common in areas that were not subjected to repeated presettlement wildfires. Bottomland hardwoods (10%) are common in the valley bottoms of major rivers and are dominated by silver maple, ashes, elms, cottonwood, and red maple. Relict conifer forests including white pine, hemlock and yellow birch are a rarer natural community in the cooler, steep, north slope microclimates.

Date  2010

Watershed Documents
Watershed Grants
Grant Details
Lake Protection Grant
Date
9/1/2010
Waters Involved
Coe Hollow Creek
Status
Complete

Vernon County: Lco-Shoreland Ordinance Rev.: Vernon 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.

Project deliverables include: 1. Copies of any fact sheets or handouts created for public hearings. 2. A summary of the comments received at public hearings. 3. A certified copy of the County Board-approved updated shoreland ordinance or ordinance language (if integrated into other codes). 4. Any GIS maps of the shoreland zone or shoreland condition surveys related to the project.

Specific conditions for this Project: The WDNR will be provided electronic and hard copies of all data and or reports or surveys generated as a result of this project.


Grant Details
Lake Protection Grant
Date
2/1/1999
Waters Involved
Field Veterans Memorial Lake
Status
Complete

Vernon County: Lmi-Hillsboro Lake Improvement: The Vernon County Land Conservation Department proposes to reduce sedimentation to Hillsboro Lake by 1404 tons over a five year period through implementation of Best Management Practices approved, but unlikely to be funded at any time soon, by the state's Nonpoint Source Program. High Residue Management, Conservation Cropping Plans, Grassed Waterway, Critical Area Stabalization, Grade Stabalization Structures, Streambank Riprapping, Streambank Fencing, Stream Crossings and Streambank Shaping and Seeding.


Grant Details
Lake Protection Grant
Date
9/1/2010
Waters Involved
Kickapoo River
Status
Complete

Crawford County: Lco-Shoreland Ordinance Rev.: Crawford 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.

Project deliverables include: 1. Copies of any fact sheets or handouts created for public hearings. 2. A summary of the comments received at public hearings. 3. A certified copy of the County Board-approved updated shoreland ordinance or ordinance language (if integrated into other codes). 4. Any GIS maps of the shoreland zone or shoreland condition surveys related to the project.

Specific conditions for this Project: 1. The WDNR will be provided electronic and hard copies of all data and or reports or surveys generated as a result of this project.


Grant Details
Lake Protection Grant
Date
9/1/2010
Waters Involved
Lake Tomah
Status
Complete

Monroe County: Lco-Shoreland Ordinance Rev.: Monroe 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.

Project deliverables include: 1. Copies of any fact sheets or handouts created for public hearings. 2. A summary of the comments received at public hearings. 3. A certified copy of the County Board-approved updated shoreland ordinance or ordinance language (if integrated into other codes). 4. Any GIS maps of the shoreland zone or shoreland condition surveys related to the project.

Specific conditions for this Project: The WDNR will be provided electronic and hard copies of all data and or reports or surveys generated as a result of this project.


Grant Details
Lake Protection Grant
Date
9/1/2010
Waters Involved
Sidie Hollow Lake
Status
Complete

Vernon County: Lco-Shoreland Ordinance Rev.: Vernon 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.

Project deliverables include: 1. Copies of any fact sheets or handouts created for public hearings. 2. A summary of the comments received at public hearings. 3. A certified copy of the County Board-approved updated shoreland ordinance or ordinance language (if integrated into other codes). 4. Any GIS maps of the shoreland zone or shoreland condition surveys related to the project.

Specific conditions for this Project: The WDNR will be provided electronic and hard copies of all data and or reports or surveys generated as a result of this project.


Grant Details
Lake Protection Grant
Date
9/1/2010
Waters Involved
South Fork Lemonweir River
Status
Complete

Monroe County: Lco-Shoreland Ordinance Rev.: Monroe 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.

Project deliverables include: 1. Copies of any fact sheets or handouts created for public hearings. 2. A summary of the comments received at public hearings. 3. A certified copy of the County Board-approved updated shoreland ordinance or ordinance language (if integrated into other codes). 4. Any GIS maps of the shoreland zone or shoreland condition surveys related to the project.

Specific conditions for this Project: The WDNR will be provided electronic and hard copies of all data and or reports or surveys generated as a result of this project.


Grant Details
Lake Protection Grant
Date
9/1/2010
Waters Involved
Unnamed
Status
Complete

Crawford County: Lco-Shoreland Ordinance Rev.: Crawford 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.

Project deliverables include: 1. Copies of any fact sheets or handouts created for public hearings. 2. A summary of the comments received at public hearings. 3. A certified copy of the County Board-approved updated shoreland ordinance or ordinance language (if integrated into other codes). 4. Any GIS maps of the shoreland zone or shoreland condition surveys related to the project.

Specific conditions for this Project: 1. The WDNR will be provided electronic and hard copies of all data and or reports or surveys generated as a result of this project.


Grant Details
Large Scale Lake Planning
Date
10/1/2010
Waters Involved
Jersey Valley Lake
Status
Complete

Vernon County Lwcd: Jersey Valley Nutrients: Vernon County proposes to conduct a watershed modeling study to develop reliable estimates of the nutrient and sediment loads from the Jersey Valley Lake watershed and in-lake nutrient recycling, and to develop management actions to reduce these loads and improve water quality.


Grant Details
Large Scale Lake Planning
Date
10/1/2010
Waters Involved
West Fork Kickapoo River
Status
Complete

Vernon County Lwcd: Jersey Valley Nutrients: Vernon County proposes to conduct a watershed modeling study to develop reliable estimates of the nutrient and sediment loads from the Jersey Valley Lake watershed and in-lake nutrient recycling, and to develop management actions to reduce these loads and improve water quality.


Grant Details
Targeted Runoff - Rural Construction
Date
1/1/2008
Waters Involved
Knapp Creek
Status
Cancelled

Vernon County Lcd: Frederick Wang Farm Noi: To cost-share landowner installation of runoff management practices designed to enable the Frederick Wang farm operation to achieve compliance with the agricultural performance standards and prohibitions under Subchapter II of NR 151 relating to prevention of direct runoff from a feedlot or stored manure into waters of the state and prevention of unlimited livestock access to waters of the state.


Grant Details
River Planning Grant
Date
2/15/2016
Waters Involved
Hall Creek
Status
Complete

Valley Stewardship Network: Kickapoo Farmer-Led: The Valley Stewarship Network is sponsoring a project to initiate two farmer-led watershed councils to identify and cooperatively solve nutrient runnoff issues with conservation practices fundable though the Mississippi River Basin Healthy Watersheds Initiative (MRBI). Project activities and deliverables include: 1) mailings, meetings, and events to identify leaders and goals within Tainter and Knapp Creek watersheds, 2) establishment and facilitation of councils, 3) sociological surveys, 4) outreach and training re: MRBI conservation practices including water quality sampling, 5) data summarization with annual reports and mapping, 6) development of outreach materials for field day events, 7) pre and post-practice water quality samping and data entry (SWIMS), and 8) final report. This scope summarizes the project detail provided in the application and does not negate tasks/deliverables described therein. Data, records, and reports, including GIS-based maps and digital images must be submitted to the Department in a format specified by the regional Lake Planner. If consultant is to provide final report, it is recommended that Grantee provide the Lake Planner with a draft for comment on report adequacy prior to making final payment to the consultant. DNR to receive both paper and electronic .pdf copies of the final report along with, or prior to submission of the grantee's final payment request.


Grant Details
River Planning Grant
Date
2/15/2016
Waters Involved
West Fork Kickapoo River
Status
Complete

Valley Stewardship Network: Kickapoo Farmer-Led: The Valley Stewarship Network is sponsoring a project to initiate two farmer-led watershed councils to identify and cooperatively solve nutrient runnoff issues with conservation practices fundable though the Mississippi River Basin Healthy Watersheds Initiative (MRBI). Project activities and deliverables include: 1) mailings, meetings, and events to identify leaders and goals within Tainter and Knapp Creek watersheds, 2) establishment and facilitation of councils, 3) sociological surveys, 4) outreach and training re: MRBI conservation practices including water quality sampling, 5) data summarization with annual reports and mapping, 6) development of outreach materials for field day events, 7) pre and post-practice water quality samping and data entry (SWIMS), and 8) final report. This scope summarizes the project detail provided in the application and does not negate tasks/deliverables described therein. Data, records, and reports, including GIS-based maps and digital images must be submitted to the Department in a format specified by the regional Lake Planner. If consultant is to provide final report, it is recommended that Grantee provide the Lake Planner with a draft for comment on report adequacy prior to making final payment to the consultant. DNR to receive both paper and electronic .pdf copies of the final report along with, or prior to submission of the grantee's final payment request.


Grant Details
River Protection Grant
Date
7/1/2004
Waters Involved
Bishop Br
Status
Complete

Vernon County Lwcd: Bishops Branch Restoration: Vernon County proposes to restore some 2600 linear feet of Bishops Branch, a tributary to the West Fork of the Kickapoo River, in the Town of Liberty.

Major project elements to include 1) placement of lunker structures, boulders, and rock weirs in the stream, 2) deepening of pools, 3) placement of riprap, and 4) revegitation of the streambank.


Grant Details
River Protection Grant
Date
10/18/2000
Waters Involved
West Fork Kickapoo River
Status
Complete

West Fork Sportsman Club: West Fork Of The Kickapoo: The project is located on the West Fork of the Kickapoo River. Proposing to stabilize over 2000 feet of streambank and place 24 LUNKERS(trout habitat overhead cover). Between the bank stabilization sites we propose to shape and stablize additional feet of bank and place additional in water structures for trout.


Monitoring & Projects

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.

Grants and Management Projects
West Fork Kickapoo River Watershed
Watershed Recommendations
Best Management Practices, Implement
Vernon County NOD
Date
Status
This project is a landowner installation of nonpoint source best management practices to contribute to the restoration of Wisconsin's waters and was funded by the 319 grant.
6/4/2018
In Progress
Projects
 
Best Management Practices, Implement
Vernon County Nonpoint Source BMPs
Date
Status
This project is a landowner installation of nonpoint source best management practices to contribute to the restoration of Wisconsin's waters and was funded by the 319 grant.
6/4/2018
In Progress
Projects
 
Citizen-Based Stream Monitoring
Citizen Stream Monitoring
Date
Status
Collect chemical, physical, and/or biological water quality data to assess the current overall stream health. The data can inform management decisions and may be used to identify impaired waters for biennial lists.
1/1/2012
In Progress
Projects
 
Citizen-Based Stream Monitoring
Citizen Stream Monitoring
Date
Status
Collect chemical, physical, and/or biological water quality data to assess the current overall stream health. The data can inform management decisions and may be used to identify impaired waters for biennial lists.
1/1/2012
In Progress
Projects
 
Citizen-Based Stream Monitoring
Citizen Stream Monitoring
Date
Status
Collect chemical, physical, and/or biological water quality data to assess the current overall stream health. The data can inform management decisions and may be used to identify impaired waters for biennial lists.
1/1/2012
In Progress
Projects
 
Citizen-Based Stream Monitoring
Citizen Stream Monitoring
Date
Status
Collect chemical, physical, and/or biological water quality data to assess the current overall stream health. The data can inform management decisions and may be used to identify impaired waters for biennial lists.
1/1/2012
In Progress
Projects
 
Citizen-Based Stream Monitoring
Citizen Stream Monitoring
Date
Status
Collect chemical, physical, and/or biological water quality data to assess the current overall stream health. The data can inform management decisions and may be used to identify impaired waters for biennial lists.
1/1/2012
In Progress
Projects
 
Citizen-Based Stream Monitoring
Citizen Stream Monitoring
Date
Status
Collect chemical, physical, and/or biological water quality data to assess the current overall stream health. The data can inform management decisions and may be used to identify impaired waters for biennial lists.
1/1/2012
In Progress
Projects
 
Citizen-Based Stream Monitoring
Citizen Stream Monitoring
Date
Status
Collect chemical, physical, and/or biological water quality data to assess the current overall stream health. The data can inform management decisions and may be used to identify impaired waters for biennial lists.
1/1/2012
In Progress
Projects
 
Citizen-Based Stream Monitoring
Citizen Stream Monitoring
Date
Status
Collect chemical, physical, and/or biological water quality data to assess the current overall stream health. The data can inform management decisions and may be used to identify impaired waters for biennial lists.
1/1/2012
In Progress
Projects
 
Monitor Water Quality or Sediment
Monitor W. Fk. Kickapoo River for TP
Date
Status
Our analysis shows a median of 73 ug/l. Please provide the data used for analysis. The 924 ug/L value seems anomalous and without it the median is 74.6 ug/L and lower confidence value is 73.6 ug/L. I recommend we don't list this water right now. More monitoring recommended.
8/21/2019
Proposed
 
West Fork Kickapoo River WatershedWatershed History Note

An Old Order Amish Settlement, located in the southwest part of the state in Cashton, Wisconsin, and in the West Fork of the Kickapoo River watershed. Wisconsin has attracted the Amish because of its rural character and reputation as the "Dairy State". The Supreme Court ruling in Wisconsin v. Yoder (1972), deciding that no state could require Amish children to attend high school, drew attention to this part of the country and triggered small migrations from Ohio and Indiana. In 1986 there were 14 Amish settlements in Wisconsin. Most of these are one-congregation communities. The Cashton settlement was founded in 1966. It had four congregations in 1984 and was still growing by virtue of families moving in from smaller settlements. The Amish community at Cashton had fewer than 800 persons after 20 years, but seems to have the foundations to become a permanent settlement.

Date  2010