Lower Black River PWS Plan - Nine Key Element Plan
Return to Search

Purpose

The Lower Black River Watershed is located in northwest La Crosse County and southern Trempealeau County. The watershed includes 167 square miles of land draining to the Black River and its tributaries form the confluence with Fleming Creek downstream to the Mississippi River and to Lake Onalaska. It is the downstream most watershed in the Black River Basin. Slightly less than 8 square miles are in urban land use. The remaining rural area is about equally distributed between woodland and agricultural use. Dairy farming is the main agricultural use, with a small number of beef operations occurring throughout the watershed, primarily near the upper reaches of Fleming Creek and along Long Coulee Creek. Small hobby type farms of 20 or less animals occur northeast of Onalaska. In the steep, eastern two-thirds of the watershed, small irregular farm fields are common, with larger more uniform fields in the flatter prairie areas in the western third of the watershed. The potential for increasing urban development pressure is greatest between Onalaska and Holmen. The Lower Black River Priority Watershed Project plan assesses the nonpoint sources of pollution in the Lower Black River Watershed and guides the implementation of nonpoint source control measures. These control measures are needed to meet specific water resource objectives for Lower Black River and its tributaries. The purpose of this project is to reduce the amount of pollutants originating from nonpoint sources that reach surface water and groundwater within the Lower Black River Priority Watershed Project area.

Objective

The primary objective of the project is to reduce nonpoint source pollution to the surface water and groundwater, and to enhance and protect the water quality of streams in the Lower Black River Watershed. The objectives include: 1) improving the existing trout fishery in Halfway Creek, Jostad Creek, and Creamery Creek 2) protecting smallmouth bass habitat 3) contribute to the preservation of existing warmwater fishery and recreational value of Lake Onalaska.

Outcome

The analysis of information collected for this plan concludes that eroding croplands contribute an estimated 77% of the sediment delivered to the streams, with streambanks, grazed woodlands and pasture on steep slopes contributing about equally to the remaining 23% of the sediment load to the streams. The eroding streambanks have a direct detrimental effect on fish habitat. Barnyard runoff is the major source of organic load to the streams.

Study Design

http://dnr.wi.gov/topic/nonpoint/documents/9kep/expired/LowerBlackRiver.pdf

Related Reports

Run Project Summary Report
View Umbrella-Projects
View Related-Projects

Water Quality Planning
Priority Watershed Plan
NKE57
1983
Complete
 
Reports and Documents
Lower Black River Priority Watershed Plan
The Lower Black River Priority Watershed Project plan assesses the nonpoint sources of pollution in the Lower Black River Watershed and guides the implementation of nonpoint source control measures. These control measures are needed to meet specific water resource objectives for Lower Black River and its tributaries. The purpose of this project is to reduce the amount of pollutants originating from nonpoint sources that reach surface water and groundwater within the Lower Black River Priority Watershed Project area. http://dnr.wi.gov/topic/nonpoint/documents/9kep/expired/LowerBlackRiver.pdf
 
Activities & Recommendations
Nine Key Element Plan
Lower Black River PWS Plan - Nine Key Element Plan - The Lower Black River Priority Watershed Project plan assesses the nonpoint sources of pollution in the Lower Black River Watershed and guides the implementation of nonpoint source control measures. These control measures are needed to meet specific water resource objectives for Lower Black River and its tributaries. The purpose of this project is to reduce the amount of pollutants originating from nonpoint sources that reach surface water and groundwater within the Lower Black River Priority Watershed Project area.
 
Watershed
Black and Upper Nemadji River
 
Waters
Black River
Monitoring Data