Vernon County, Wisconsin
LW05
1195500
0.00 - 4.65
4.65
Water is impaired due to one or more pollutants and associated quality impacts.
Notes
Jug Creek was put on the impaired waters list for sediment and degraded habitat in 1998. A TMDL addressing these issues was approved in 2003. Jug Creek was evaluated in the 2018, 2022, and 2024 cycles for temperature, phosphorus, bugs, and fish; these metrics showed good conditions. Pollutant
Sediment/Total Suspended Solids
Listed For
Fish and Aquatic Life
Impairments
Degraded Habitat
Current Use
Unsupported Aquatic Life
Listing Status
TMDL Approved
Attainable Use
Coldwater - natural reproduction
Priority
Not Applicable
Designated Use
Coldwater - natural reproduction
303(d) ID
4214-212
Listing Date
4/1/1998
Impaired Water Notes
Jug Creek, a 3.6 miles long stream located in Vernon County is listed as impaired on the 1998 Wisconsin 303(d). Jug Creek is located in the driftless area of southwestern Wisconsin about 25 miles east of the Mississippi. Jug Creek flows in a westerly direction and spills into the Kickapoo River inside the Army Corps of Engineers land just south of the village of Rockton. It has a high gradient of 71 feet per mile. Land use in the 5.2 square mile Jug Creek Watershed is 27% agricultural, 62% woodland, and 11% grassland, roads, quarries, and wetland. The agricultural land is located either along the stream or on ridge tops; typical of the “two-story” farming in the coulee area. Jug Creek was listed as a medium priority for TMDL development.
Jug Creek is specifically listed as impaired due to the lack of trout or other sport fish in the stream. Minnows and other species dominate the fish community in Jug Creek. The 1990 fish survey found 14 species of minnow and other forage species, but the species are generally “pollution tolerant” species. The temperatures of the stream are adequate to support a coldwater fishery. Based on the Hilsenhoff Biotic Index (HBI) of 4.28 - indicating “slight organic pollution” - dissolved oxygen is unlikely to be a concern. Water clarity is good.
The stream habitat is rated as “good”. The stream bottom is generally coarse or fine gravel with some sand. Near the mouth of Jug Creek the stream bottom is 40% silt. However, at a mid-stream location, only 10% of the stream bottom is covered with silt. The runs and riffle are clean of silt and one pool shows about 0.1 feet of deposited sediment. The typical embeddedness is less than 5%. There is no aquatic vegetation and instream cover is generally scare and limited to non-woody debris. However, the overall stream habitat shows a tendency to be unstable. This situation compares very closely to the habitat of Reads Creek a similarly sized class I trout stream tributary to the Kickapoo River north of Jug Creek. Reads Creek, however, has more in-stream cover.
Date
12/26/2002
Impaired Water Notes
The sediment TMDL for Jug Creek was approved by the USEPA March 13, 2003.
Date
3/13/2003