Impaired Water - Unnamed (Wuerches Creek)
Green Lake County, Wisconsin
UF07
148300
0.00 - 4.40
4.40
Water is impaired due to one or more pollutants and associated quality impacts.
Notes
Werches Creek was put on the Impaired Waters List in 1998 for the following: low dissolved oxygen, degraded habitat, and elevated water temperature. These impairments are caused by elevated sediment/TSS and and total phosphorus concentrations.

This creek was evaluated every two-year cycle from 2012 to 2024; elevated phosphorus and temperature were confirmed. Fish communities were in good condition.

This water is covered by the Upper Fox & Wolf River Basins TMDL, approved by the US EPA on February 27, 2020.
Listing Details
Pollutant
Total Phosphorus
Listed For
Fish and Aquatic Life
Impairments
Elevated Water Temperature, Low DO
Current Use
Unsupported Aquatic Life
Listing Status
TMDL Approved
Attainable Use
WWSF - Warmwater Sport Fishery
Priority
Not Applicable
Designated Use
WWSF - Warmwater Sport Fishery
303(d) ID
543
Listing Date
4/1/2008
Impaired Water Notes
Data collected in 2007 iindicate it should also be listed for phosphorus pollution, low D.O. and temperature impairment as well. 2007 TMDL monthly sampling was conducted between April and September.

Three D.O. water quality exceedances occurred June to Sept. at both sites with D.O.s as low as 2.8. The cause of the downstream Site low D.O. appears likely (at least in part) due to a connected enlargement located between the sample sites. Phos. Levels were very high (up to 2.16 mg/l TP with a range of 0.21-2.16 mg/l for Site W1 and 0.049-0.529 for Site W2).

Summer conitinuous daily avg. TidBit temp levels for the summer were higher than expected for a cold water stream. It appears at least in part due to an in-stream connected enlargement located between Site W1 and W2. See SWIMs for all data and WATER for Use Guidance Assessment write-up (2008). Since Wurchs Cr. has much potential for cold water fish migration from Green Lake the low D.O. and temp. problems are significant and can be addressed.
Date
3/18/2010

Impaired Water Notes
New data: Impairments appear to be caused at least in part from a cattle feedlot located upstream from Luedtke Rd. Phosphorus increased with rainfall events. Low dissolved oxygen recorded in the summer of 2007 possibly partly from the same source but other Non-point sources cearly exist.
Date
4/1/2008

Impaired Water Notes
This water was assessed during the 2016 listing cycle; total phosphorus sample data exceed 2016 WisCALM listing criteria for the Fish and Aquatic Life use, however, available biological data do not indicate impairment (i.e. no macroinvertebrate or fish Index of Biotic Integrity (IBI) scored in the "poor" condition category).
Date
10/5/2015

Impaired Water Notes
This water is covered by the Upper Fox & Wolf River Basins TMDL, approved by the US EPA on February 27, 2020.
Date
3/4/2020

 
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
WWSF - Warmwater Sport Fishery
Priority
Not Applicable
Designated Use
WWSF - Warmwater Sport Fishery
303(d) ID
543
Listing Date
4/1/1998
Impaired Water Notes
This water is covered by the Upper Fox & Wolf River Basins TMDL, approved by the US EPA on February 27, 2020.
Date
3/4/2020