Buffalo County, Wisconsin
BT06
1813600
0.00 - 6.50
6.50
Water is impaired due to one or more pollutants and associated quality impacts.
Notes
Cochrane Ditch (Rose Valley) was put on the Waters In Restoration list in 2006; the TMDL was approved in 2005. New water quality data reviewed in the 2024 cycle indicated no additional pollutants.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 - stocked, reproduction
Priority
Not Applicable
Designated Use
Coldwater - stocked, reproduction
303(d) ID
22521-88
Listing Date
4/1/1998
Impaired Water Notes
From the mouth at Whitman Wildlife Area near Cochrane, crossing STH 35 into Rose Valley and ending in Belvidere township. (Total: 9 miles). Existing use is WWFF, codified use is WWSF (default), and potential use is Cold III.
Source of impairment: Streambank erosion, ditching.
Date
3/4/2002
Impaired Water Notes
The Waumandee Creek Watershed is located in Buffalo County, Wisconsin and drains 204 square miles and is characterized by steep topography, narrow valleys and numerous streams. Surface water drains to the Mississippi River by direct runoff or via Waumandee Creek and its tributaries.
Each of the impaired stream’s immediate watersheds has been delineated to determine the land use and total acreage draining to the stream (see Appendix A for maps and land use percentages).
Forested land dominates land use. Due to the steep topography of the regions, agriculture occurs in the valleys by the streams. Cropland erosion, trampled streambanks, and loss of streambank vegetation are the primary nonpoint sources of sediment pollution to these impaired waters.
In most cases, the gravel substrate is extensively covered by sand, silt, and soft organic matter preventing a suitable habitat for fish and macroinvertebrate communities. Filling-in of pools reduces the amount of available cover for juvenile and adult fish. Sedimentation of riffle areas
reduces the reproductive success of fish by reducing the exposed gravel substrate necessary for appropriate spawning conditions. Sedimentation also affects macroinvertebrate biomass (fish food source) which tends to be lower in areas with predominantly sand substrate than a stream substrate with a mix of gravel, rubble, and sand. Sedimentation also causes elevated turbidity
which reduces the penetration of light necessary for photosynthesis in aquatic plants, reduces the feeding efficiency of visual predators and filter feeders, and lowers the respiratory capacity of aquatic invertebrates by clogging their gill surfaces. In addition, other contaminants such as
nutrients (phosphorus) attached to sediment particles can be transported to streams during runoff events.
Coverage of the substrates with sediment constitutes “an objectionable deposit” under the water quality standards criterion noted in S.NR 102.04(1) (a) cited below. The creeks are limited by excessive sediment loading and habitat unsuitable to support a coldwater fishery.
Date
4/7/2005
Impaired Water Notes
Feral Brook trout should be stocked in Cochrane Ditch upstream Rose Valley Road.
Date
12/20/2011
Impaired Water Notes
Cochrane Ditch (1813600, miles 0-6.5) is part of the Waumandee Creek Watershed and sediment TMDLs were approved by the USEPA November 22, 2005.
Date
11/22/2005