Details

The Mullet River watershed is approximately 88 square miles in size and is located in eastern Fond du Lac and western Sheboygan counties. The Mullet River watershed ultimately connects to and is part of the Sheboygan River watershed and is located within the Lake Michigan Basin. Crop farming and public and private forestry make up the majority of the land uses in the watershed, with 57% of the land cover in agriculture, followed by 21% in forest. Forested lands occur primarily within the Kettle Moraine sub-watershed and landscape. The City of Plymouth, which encompasses approximately 4% of the land use within the watershed, is the principal urban area. The watershed includes 3.9 miles of Class I trout water, 9.6 miles of Class II trout water, and 33.9 miles of warm water sport fishery. Water quality is impacted by rural and urban nonpoint source pollution.

Date  2010

Population, Land Use

Land use in the watershed is primarily agricultural. The City of Plymouth is the major urban area in the watershed. About half of the land area of the Village of Glenbeulah rests in the watershed, as well as small portions of the Village of Elkhart Lake and the City of Sheboygan Falls. Water quality ranges from good to fair in the watershed, and is affected by agricultural and urban runoff, point source discharges in the urban areas, stream channelization and dams. Dairy and row crop farming along with pasturing are the main types of agricultural activity within the watershed. Over the years, a number of conservation practices have been employed on farms within the watershed including contour plowing, crop rotation, nutrient management planning, designed manure storage installations, grassed waterways, filter strips, stream buffers, and barnyard runoff measures. Use of these farm practices has a beneficial impact on water quality. Traditionally, installation of agricultural conservation practices has been voluntary and some federal, state and local cost share dollars have been made available for this purpose. However, runoff from agricultural lands continues to impact water quality in the watershed and there is a need to further reduce sediment and nutrient impacts to waterways in the Mullet River watershed. Urban land uses within the watershed are relatively low (about 4%). Most of this land use is within the City of Plymouth. Even though land that contributes runoff from this category is relatively small in area in this watershed, urban runoff can have a significant negative impact to water quality. Impervious surfaces and storm sewer drains provide immediate delivery of pollutants to the waterways without any filtering capabilities. Construction sites within urban or suburban areas can also lead to significant delivery of sediment to waterways. Sediment covers habitat for fish and carries nutrients which further degrade water quality. Sheboygan County has an erosion control and stormwater ordinance for development in the unincorporated areas. The City of Sheboygan Falls has a WDNR municipal stormwater permit that includes a number of requirements to reduce pollutant loadings from storm sewers and other runoff. As part of their permit, the City of Sheboygan Falls is also required to have and implement a stormwater runoff management ordinance. The City of Plymouth is not currently required to have a WDNR municipal stormwater permit.

Date  2010

Nonpoint and Point Sources

There are a number of general wastewater and stormwater permits that cover a variety of runoff sources including stormwater permits for construction sites, stormwater runoff permits for industrial sites, and general permits for runoff from non-metallic mining. Most of these general permits include standard conditions or best management practices that must be followed to be in compliance with the permits. Changes in state law will require changes in the permits as they are reviewed by the WDNR. Although permits regulate the discharge, there is always the potential for an accidental or unplanned bypass or discharge. The Northern Moraine Utility Commission Sewage Plant provides wastewater treatment for the Elkhart Lake, Crystal Lake, Glenbeulah and Greenbush communities. It has monthly average wastewater inflows between 221,000 and 475,000 gallons per day. Treatment consists of fine screening, conventional activated sludge, and final clarification. Treated wastewater (effluent) is discharged to 3 seepage ponds near the Mullet River below Glenbeulah. The Northern Moraine wastewater treatment plant is currently in substantial compliance with their State WPDES permit which was issued in December 2008. The Plymouth Wastewater Treatment Plant has monthly average wastewater inflows between 1.38 and 2.72 million gallons per day. Treatment consists of primary clarification, conventional activated sludge, secondary clarification, anthracite filtration, and seasonal ultraviolet disinfection. Treated wastewater (effluent) is discharged directly to the Mullet River near the south corporate limits of the City of Plymouth. The City of Plymouth wastewater treatment plant is currently in substantial compliance with the State WPDES permit which was issued in March, 1997. Sartori Foods discharges approximately 200,000 gallons per day of non-contact cooling water and reverse osmosis water to the Mullet River via the City of Plymouth storm sewer system.

Date  2010

Ecological Landscapes

The Mullet River Watershed is covered by two ecological landscapes: the Southeast Glacial Plains and the Central Lake Michigan Coastal. The Southeast Glacial Plains Ecological Landscape makes up the bulk of the non-coastal land area in southeast Wisconsin. This Ecological Landscape is made up of glacial till plains and moraines. Most of this Ecological Landscape is composed of glacial materials deposited during the Wisconsin Ice Age, but the southwest portion consists of older, pre-Wisconsin till with a more dissected topography. Soils are lime-rich tills overlain in most areas by a silt-loam loess cap. Agricultural and residential interests throughout the landscape have significantly altered the historical vegetation. Most of the rare natural communities that remain are associated with large moraines or in areas where the Niagara Escarpment occurs close to the surface. Historically, vegetation in the Southeast Glacial Plains consisted of a mix of prairie, oak forests and savanna, and maple-basswood forests. Wet-mesic prairies, southern sedge meadows, emergent marshes, and calcareous fens were found in lower portions of the Landscape. End moraines and drumlins supported savannas and forests. Agricultural and urban land use practices have drastically changed the land cover of the Southeast Glacial Plains since Euro-American settlement. The current vegetation is primarily agricultural cropland. Remaining forests occupy only about 10% of the land area and consist of maple-basswood, lowland hardwoods, and oak. No large mesic forests exist today except on the Kettle Interlobate Moraine which has topography too rugged for agriculture. Some existing forest patches that were formerly savannas have succeeded to hardwood forest due to fire suppression. The Central Lake Michigan Coastal Ecological Landscape stretches from southern Door County west across Green Bay to the Wolf River drainage, then southward in a narrowing strip along the Lake Michigan shore to central Milwaukee County. Owing to the influence of Lake Michigan in the eastern part of this landscape, summers there are cooler, winters warmer, and precipitation levels greater than at locations farther inland. Dolomites and shales underlie the glacial deposits that blanket virtually all of the Central Lake Michigan Coastal Ecological Landscape. The dolomite Niagara Escarpment is the major bedrock feature, running across the entire landscape from northeast to southwest. Series of dolomite cliffs provide critical habitat for rare terrestrial snails, bats, and specialized plants. The primary glacial landforms are ground moraine, outwash, and lakeplain. The topography is generally rolling where the surface is underlain by ground moraine, variable over areas of outwash, and nearly level where lacustrine deposits are present. Important soils include clays, loams, sands, and gravels. Certain landforms, such as sand spits, clay bluffs, beach and dune complexes, and ridge and swale systems, are associated only with the shorelines of Lake Michigan and Green Bay. Historically, most of this landscape was vegetated with mesic hardwood forest composed primarily of sugar maple, basswood, and beech. Hemlock and white pine were locally important, but hemlock was generally restricted to cool moist sites near Lake Michigan. Areas of poorly drained glacial lakeplain supported wet forests of tamarack, white cedar, black ash, red maple, and elm, while the Wolf and Embarrass Rivers flowed through extensive floodplain forests of silver maple, green ash, and swamp white oak. Emergent marshes and wet meadows were common in and adjacent to lower Green Bay, while Lake Michigan shoreline areas featured beaches, dunes, interdunal wetlands, marshes, and highly diverse ridge and swale vegetation. Small patches of prairie and oak savanna were present in the southwestern portion of this landscape.

Date  2010

Hydrologic Features

The Mullet River originates from the outflow of Mullet Lake and the Mullet Creek State Wildlife Area in Fond du Lac county and flows in an easterly direction for approximately 40 miles to its confluence with the Sheboygan River in the Town of Sheboygan Falls, 17 miles upstream of Lake Michigan. The water quality of the Mullet River is considered good from its headwaters to Plymouth (approximately 25 miles) and fair from Plymouth downstream to its confluence with the Sheboygan River (approximately 15 miles) (WDNR 1968, 1995). The middle of the river, from Glenbeulah to Plymouth, has an increase in spring flow that lowers stream water temperatures and is classified as a Cold Water Community stream (trout). Upstream of Glenbeulah, and downstream of STH 67 near Plymouth, the Mullet River is classified as a Warm Water Sport Fish Community stream. This classification difference is due primarily to the increase in spring flow between Glenbeulah and Plymouth. The Mullet River is unique in that it flows from the warm water headwaters into a cold water segment. All of the other major tributaries in the Sheboygan Basin, including the Sheboygan and Onion Rivers, originate as coldwater streams and change over to warm water further downstream. The existing chemical and biological water quality information supports the Mullet River's current biological classification. The river segment that flows through the Mullet Creek State Wildlife Area, Northern Unit-Kettle Moraine State Forest, and the Old Wade House Historic Site are all located within the warm water sport fish community segment.

Date  2010

Fisheries

La Budde Creek Class I Trout Reach (RM 7.0-3.1) This reach of LaBudde Creek originates as a series of small springs southwest of Rhine Center and ends at Badger Road. The 3.9-mile segment is Class I trout stream and has good water quality for the entire reach. Stream improvements have upgraded the trout habitat and encouraged natural brook trout reproduction. A fish community survey in 2009 rated fair. Low gradient and sedimentation may be limiting the fish population here. Class II Trout Reach (RM 3.1-0) This reach of the creek is classified as a Class II trout stream, and extends from its confluence with the Mullet River up to Badger Road. Water quality is rated as good. The low gradient of the stream and some sedimentation from upstream agricultural runoff limit fish and aquatic life habitat. Fish community surveys within this reach were done in 2002 and 2009, and rated fair and poor, respectively. Again, sedimentation may be having an impact on the fish community. The benthic macroinvertebrate community rated good, as did the stream habitat.

Date  2010

Wildlife and Habitat

Approximately 65% of the Mullet River watershed is located within the "North to Mid Kettle Moraine" Terrestrial Conservation Opportunity Area, as defined in the Wisconsin Wildlife Action Plan (WAP, WDNR 2005). The WAP is the result of a statewide effort to identify native Wisconsin wildlife species that have low or declining populations that are in need of conservation action. These are classified as Species of Greatest Conservation Need (SGCN). The "North to Mid Kettle Moraine" is defined by a complex mosaic of savanna, prairie, sedge meadow, marsh, calcareous fen, and southern forest communities. It is the largest forested block in Southeastern Wisconsin and, as such, is extremely important habitat for forest interior birds and other species that require large blocks of continuous forest. Interlobate moraines with this combination of natural features at this scale are exceedingly rare globally.

Date  2010

The Mullet River watershed can be divided into five sub-watersheds including: the Mullet Creek, Kettle Morraine, La Budde Creek, Municipal Plymouth and Lower Mullet subwatersheds. The Mullet Creek sub-watershed represents 24% of the Mullet River watershed and is located at the river headwaters, primarily in Fond du Lac County. This sub-watershed is dominated by wetland and agricultural land cover. Little or no monitoring has been done within this stream reach. Therefore, the water quality conditions and stream biology are unknown, but the water quality is generally perceived to be in good condition. There are few springs in this reach, combined with altered flows resulting from channelization and impoundments. Because of these limiting factors the fishery is classified as a warm water sport fishery. Two impoundments are present in the Mullet Creek State Wildlife Area to provide habitat for waterfowl. The Kettle Moraine sub-watershed encompasses 28.3% of the Mullet River watershed. It includes that portion of the Mullet River watershed below the Mullet Creek sub-watershed. This sub-watershed is dominated by forest and agricultural land cover. Water quality within this segment of the Mullet River is rated as generally good, but is limited by a dam located at the Camp Evelyn Girl Scout facility. This impoundment alters the natural water temperature regime. The Northern Moraine Utility Commission wastewater treatment plant discharges treated effluent to the groundwater of the Mullet River watershed. It is believed that after some additional treatment by the soil, the effluent mixes with the groundwater, which discharges directly to the Mullet River during part or all of the year. The fishery is represented by a good diversity of intolerant species, including brook and brown trout. This section of stream is a Class II stream for brown trout and the diversity and number of individuals indicates a good fishery. The macroinvertebrate community is represented by a wide diversity of both intolerant and tolerant genera. The high water temperatures and sedimentation in the Camp Evelyn impoundment does impair the trout habitat. WDNR personnel surveyed the Mullet River downstream of the Crystal Lake Golf Course in August 1999. The fish community rated poor, possibly due to the lack of fish cover. Stream habitat analysis showed excellent buffer area and shading; moderate streambank erosion; bottom substrate with a mixture of rock, gravel, and sand; and moderate fish cover. Benthic macroinvertebrate ratings for this location were good to very good. The La Budde Creek sub-watershed comprises 11% of the Mullet River watershed and is dominated by cool/cold water resources. It includes the total area drained by La Budde Creek, which flows directly into the Mullet River. La Budde Creek is one of three streams in Sheboygan County where significant amounts of naturally reproduced trout are found. The stream obtains the majority of its flow from several seepage springs along its upper mile. The steam averages 8-feet in width, 10-inches in depth, and has a relatively low gradient of 5.6-feet of drop per mile. Management on the fishery area is aimed specifically at brook trout, which have a fair amount of natural reproduction in the headwaters of the stream. The native brook trout are supplemented with hatchery fish to provide additional recreational opportunities. The Municipal Plymouth sub-watershed, which composes 25.1% of the Mullet River watershed, includes that portion of the watershed between the Kettle Moraine sub-watershed and the Lower Mullet sub-watershed. This sub-watershed represents the most urban portion of the Mullet River watershed. Nonpoint source discharges and excess pollutant loading can have an impact on the water quality and biological integrity of streams in this sub-watershed. Water chemistry, fish and benthic macroinvertebrate communities, and stream habitat were assessed upstream and downstream of the City of Plymouth on the Mullet River in 2008. Bacteria and turbidity were significantly higher downstream of the city limits when compared to upstream concentrations. Bacteria concentrations did exceed water quality criteria standards. The other water quality pollutants did not exceed water quality criteria or did not have standards for comparison. The fish and macroinvertebrate community, and stream habitat was slightly degraded within the city limits. Study results show that nonpoint source runoff from the City of Plymouth does impact the Mullet River. The Lower Mullet sub-watershed, which comprises approximately 11% of the Mullet River Watershed, includes the remainder of the watershed below the confluence. The reach is classified as a warm-water sport fish community stream. Water quality in this segment of the Mullet River is fair to good. Water chemistry and macroinvertebrate samples collected during 1994 indicate an increase in nutrients and solids from upstream to downstream but overall are not limiting the stream's biological potential. A survey was done in 2003 and the fish community rated fair. Benthic macroinvertebrate and stream habitat rated good. Point source dischargers as well as stormwater runoff, and cropland runoff result in increased nutrients, sedimentation, and bacteria to the stream.

Date  2010

Lakes and Impoundments

Mullet Lake, Surface Acres = 200, Maximum Depth = 7 feet This is a shallow, hard-water, seepage lake valued primarily for waterfowl hunting and wildlife. Considerable numbers of ducks use the lake all year and the lake receives moderate hunting pressure during the open season. Its shallow depth of about seven feet and abundance of rooted aquatic plants contribute to annual winterkill conditions that limit the fishery to an occasional northern pike and perch. A few property owners recently installed a small aeration system, which may promote fish carryover during the winter months. Public access is absent. Mullet Lake is located within the (currently) proposed 495-acre Mullet Lake State Natural Area. The lake is surrounded by a wetland complex of tamarack, shrub carr, sedge meadow, and swamp forest. This undeveloped inland lake with intact wetland vegetation provides important breeding, nesting, and migratory habitat for numerous bird, reptile, and amphibian species. The lake’s outlet stream is the Mullet River, also called Mullet Creek in this section. The lake and swamp complex is the headwaters of the Mullet River. Glenbeulah Millpond, Surface Acres = 7, Maximum Depth = 11 feet Glenbeulah Millpond is an impoundment of the Mullet River in Glenbeulah at the site of an old sawmill formed by a 12-foot head dam. The water quality problems identified in the 1968 Water Resources of Sheboygan report (WDNR 1968) likely exist today; nutrient enrichment, sedimentation, and abundant carp are consistent with impounded rivers. Thermal increases associated with this impoundment and the Camp Evelyn impoundment warm the trout water portion of the Mullet River, which is a short distance downstream. No recent water quality data are available for this impoundment. The fishery does support a warm water sport fish population that includes bluegill, pumpkinseed, northern pike, and largemouth bass. Otter Pond, Surface acres = 6.1, maximum depth = 10 feet Otter Pond is a small natural lake with a maximum depth of 10 feet. The bottom is primarily muck and peat, with marl in the spring areas. The shoreline is bog marsh, with points of rock and gravel at various places around the pond. There is abundant aquatic plant growth is some areas of the pond. Otter Pond receives some of its water budget from Glenbeulah Springs, but the majority comes from its own springs. The major springs are located in the south side of the pond, near the railroad grade. The current water quality and biological community is unknown. Camp Evelyn, Surface acres = 1.8, maximum depth = 6 feet This is a small impoundment in the trout water section of the Mullet River. The dam at the Camp Evelyn Girl Scout facility creates a fish barrier and increases water temperatures which are detrimental to trout and other cold water species. No recent water quality data have been collected in this impoundment. Crystal Lake, Surface acres = 152, maximum depth = 61 feet At 152 acres, Crystal Lake is a moderately fertile, natural lake, heavily used for fishing and boating. The lake's shoreline is intensively developed with residential dwellings. Many property owners have reinforced the shoreline with seawalls that have detracted from the aesthetic quality as well as the fisheries value. In the autumn of 1966, a sanitary district was organized and sewers were installed in the late 1970s. Due to lake level fluctuations, the sanitary district has been conducting groundwater and lake water balance studies. Information on these studies and other lake information can be found at their website, www.sanitarydistrict.com. Crystal Lake is currently on the State of Wisconsin’s impaired waters (303(d)) list, due to elevated mercury levels found in fish tissue. The source of the mercury is atmospheric deposition from industrial pollution. There is no way to remove the lake from the impaired waters list at this time. However, there is a fish consumption advisory in place for Crystal Lake to reduce the risk of human health exposure to mercury. The lake's fishery has undergone several major changes over the past 45 years due to shifts in management philosophy. Over time it has been managed for walleye and northern pike, then trout and panfish, then largemouth bass and panfish. It is currently being managed for the native fish community: largemouth bass, panfish and with limited walleye due to stocking by private organizations. The existing bass and panfish community is improving due in part to the new bass size limit restrictions. Historically, the lake was chemically treated to control aquatic plants and algae. In 1989, the DNR conducted a Sensitive Area Survey of the lake and as a result prohibited the use of aquatic herbicides and algicides in an attempt to protect the fish habitat and the water quality. Since 1986, the water quality, aquatic plant community, and phyto- and zooplankton have been surveyed to obtain baseline water quality data and to assess trends. The results from this survey indicate that the water quality is excellent. The lake boasts some of the clearest water found in southeastern Wisconsin. A significant amount of Eurasian water milfoil is present in Crystal Lake. The DNR, in cooperation with the Crystal Lake Property Owners Association, attempted to displace the Eurasian water milfoil with a native species, Large Leaf Pondweed during the summer of 1994. The control program was effective for only a few years. By 1997 Eurasian water milfoil had again moved into the area displacing the newly planted native species (Wakeman 1998). A public boat launch with adequate parking is available in the southwest bay. A unique boating ordinance on the lake prohibits the use of motors on Sundays. This is strongly supported by residents on the lake. Plymouth Mill Pond, Surface acres = 27.6, maximum depth = 6 feet Plymouth Millpond is a moderately sized impoundment within the city of Plymouth on the Mullet River. The impoundment is very shallow with a soft mud bottom and very little rooted aquatic plant life. Periphytic blue-green algae are a problem as is high turbidity during months when carp activity is high. Carp have dominated the fish community and carp numbers are currently very high (pers. comm. John Nelson). Up to 1,000 Canada Geese roost on the pond causing some nuisances to riparian landowners and providing some hunting opportunities during feeding flights. Several broods of geese are produced on the pond each year (pers. comm. Steve Klock). Public access is available by several city streets, navigable water from the upper end of the pond, approximately two acres of city property at the dam site, and by approximately 1,000 feet of shoreline on city school property. A comprehensive management plan was developed for the mill pond in 2008. A sediment quality assessment was conducted by WDNR on June 29, 1999 on the Plymouth Millpond. Samples were collected at two sites in the soft sediment that has accumulated behind the dam. The first site was 15m upstream from the dam and consisted of two cores. The top halves of all the core samples were composited for a single sample and the bottoms of all of the cores were composited for a second sample. This enabled us to look at sediment quality that represents different time periods. The sediment that is buried to the greatest depth represents deposition that would have settled at an earlier date. A third sample was collected 100m upstream in the mid-channel of the impoundment. Two cores were collected and composited to make a single sample. Pollutant concentrations in the two sample locations showed low to moderate levels of heavy metals, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, and phosphorus. This is typical with waterbodies receiving urban stormwater runoff. In 2005, the City of Plymouth formed a mill pond committee to evaluate alternatives and measures that could be taken to improve the water quality and aesthetics of the Plymouth Mill Pond. A consultant was retained to collect information and provide recommendations which were provided to the City in a report dated January, 2008. In 2009, a summer drawdown was implemented as part of a low cost alternative measure that was identified in the report. The results of this drawdown were not formally reported although cursory observations by DNR staff indicate very little improvement in impoundment water depths was attained. The drawdown temporarily decreased water quality conditions downstream as some sediment was transported downstream by temporary erosion of the pond bottom. New Paris Impoundment, Surface acres = 6.9, maximum depth = unknown This is an old dam on the Mullet River located within a historic settlement area within the City of Plymouth. The dam has partially failed and much of the river flow is within the historic millrace. No water quality data is available for this impoundment.

Date  2010

Wetland Health

Wetland Status: The Mullet River Watershed drains about 88 square miles in Fond du Lac and Sheboygan Counties. An estimated 7% of the current land uses in the watershed are wetlands. Almost 59% of the original wetlands in the watershed are estimated to exist. Of these wetlands, forested wetlands (64%) and emergent wetlands (25%), which include wet meadows and marshes, dominate the landscape. Wetland Condition: Little is known about the condition of the remaining wetlands but estimates of reed canary grass infestations, an opportunistic aquatic invasive wetland plant, into different wetland types has been estimated based on satellite imagery. This information shows that reed canary grass dominates 71% of the existing emergent wetlands and 21% of the remaining forested wetlands. Reed Canary Grass domination inhibits successful establishment of native wetland species. Wetland Restorability: Of the 3,814 acres of estimated lost wetlands in the watershed, approximately 87% are considered potentially restorable based on modeled data, including soil types, land use and land cover (Chris Smith, DNR, 2009).

Date  2010

Impaired Waters

Since 1998, Crystal Lake has been on the State of Wisconsin’s impaired waters (303(d)) list, due to elevated mercury levels found in fish tissue. The source of the mercury is atmospheric deposition from industrial pollution. There is no way to remove the lake from the impaired waters list at this time. However, there is a fish consumption advisory in place for Crystal Lake to reduce the risk of human health exposure to mercury.

Date  2010

Aquatic Invasive Species

Today, carp and rusty crayfish are assumed to be present throughout the watershed. Zebra mussels also were found in Crystal Lake in 2001. These non-native invasive species replace native species like emerald shiners, sculpin and northern clearwater crayfish. The movement of other non-native invasive species like sea lamprey and round goby migrating up the Sheboygan River from Lake Michigan has been stopped by several dams on the Sheboygan River in Sheboygan, Kohler and Sheboygan Falls. Purple loosestrife, Eurasian water milfoil, Phragmites, reed canary grass, hybrid cattail, bush honeysuckle, garlic mustard, buckthorn, and Japanese knotweed are the primary non-native invasive plants present in the watershed. Reed canary grass is present in most wetlands in the Mullet River watershed. The degree to which the reed canary grass dominates a wetland determines the wetland restoration potential. Vegetation management by landowners and land management agencies is essential in curtailing further establishment of this invasive plant.

Date  2010

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.

Monitoring Studies

Little or no monitoring has been done on the streams or lakes in this watershed. Throughout this watershed, there are no water quality data for 145 out of the 154 water bodies. Additional support is needed to adequately inventory, monitor and assess the water resources in this watershed. There is some macroinvertebrate biological data from 1980 that rates the Mullet River as fair to fairly poor. These two samples were collected upstream of County Highway U. The overall water quality of lakes and streams within the Mullet Creek sub-watershed is perceived to be good.

Date  2010

Priorities

The Mullet River Watershed Plan was updated in 2010. This plan was developed by the WDNR, UW Extension, and local partners. For more information contact Vic Pappas, WDNR Water Manager.

Date  2010

The city of Plymouth is located along the banks of the Mullet River in the center of Sheboygan County. Like many other Wisconsin communities, Plymouth started as a stagecoach stop on a Native American trail and wilderness road from Sheboygan to the interior of the state. The Mullet River was what first attracted settlers from New England and New York, shortly followed by the Germans escaping the social upheaval in their homelands. The Smith family adopted the local Native American name, Ta Quit Qui Oc, meaning "Crooked River", while Henry and Thomas Davidson named it Plymouth. The State Legislature changed the name to Ta Quit Qui Oc in 1851, but reversed itself, naming the whole settlement Plymouth a year later. Division Street is what evidence remains of the rivalry between the two factions. The arrival of the Sheboygan and Mississippi Railroad in 1859, and the Milwaukee and Northern Railroad in 1871, made Plymouth a small railroad center with an underlying agricultural economy. Local cheese factories added to this economy in the 1860's and 1870's, bringing to downtown the National Cheese Exchange, which helped to establish and influence national cheese prices. Plymouth has been known as the Hub City because of its central location and for the manufacture of wooden hubs used in early transportation. In 2002, Plymouth celebrated its 125th anniversary.

Date  2010