Adams County Land and Water Plan
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Purpose

Adams County is located in the Central Sands region of Wisconsin. The County’s whole west border is the Wisconsin River, and Castle Rock and Petenwell Lakes. The City of Adams and the Village of Friendship share a border and are the only incorporated municipalities in the county. Combined, Adams-Friendship have 2,692 residents as of the 2010 Census. The Adams County Land and Water Resource Management Plan 2016-2025 is now in effect and is in implementation.Read the Adams County Land and Water Resource Management Plan 2016-2025/

Adams County is just over 50 percent covered with woodlands, with the majority of these lands in private ownership. A variety of federal and state owned lands are scattered throughout the county, in addition to county, town, city, village and other landowners. Combined federal, state, county and town governments own over 20,000 acres or about 5% of the land in Adams County. Federal ownership is concentrated in the Town of New Chester where a federal prison is located with over 900 acres. Adams County has approximately 411 acres of State Parks and 7,938 acres of wildlife and natural conservancy areas within the county.

Objective

Assessment of water quality condition in this respective county will use protocols described in WisCALM of the year of assessment. Assessments are to be double checked by at least one additional biologist.

Total surface water in Adams County exceeds 26,000 acres. Thirty-two named lakes are located within the county, although they don’t all have public access. Many of the lakes have been heavily developed over the years for recreational purposes. In addition, there are 30 unnamed lakes located in the county. About 73 streams stretch 235 linear miles and cover 450 surface acres. Three drainage districts cover about 28,340 acres, and contain about 17 ditches (about 44 linear miles). As of 2015, 21 of the 22 lakes with public access have approved lake management plans. Since 2004, volunteers have monitored the lakes using the Citizen Lake Monitoring Program and recorded their data in the SWIMS database. Since 2007, thirty streams also have active volunteers monitoring water quality.

In 2014, there were 6 waterbodies in Adams County on the 303(d) list. Petenwell and Castle Rock Lakes have been on the impaired waters list since 1998. Mason Lake was placed on the list in 2002. Lakes Arrowhead, Sherwood, and Friendship were newly listed in 2014. It is expected that Lake Camelot may be listed in 2016. Outstanding and Exceptional Resource Waters Adams County has 1 outstanding water, and 12 exceptional waters, one of which leads into a 303(d) listed lake.

Groundwater is the primary source of drinking water and irrigation water in Adams County. Nearly 14 billion gallons of groundwater are used for irrigation annually, while all other groundwater use equals less than 1 billion gallons annually. Groundwater quality is generally good in Adams County. - 88% of 3,964 private well samples met the health-based drinking water limit for nitrate-nitrogen. The other 12% are considered unsuitable for consumption by infants and women who are pregnant or trying to become pregnant. - 28,817 acres of land in Adams County are in atrazine prohibition areas. Most soils in Adams County are highly susceptible to groundwater contamination.

Study Design

Assessment of water quality condition in this respective county will use protocols described in WisCALM of the year of assessment. Assessments are to be double checked by at least one additional biologist.

Related Reports

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

Water Quality Planning
County Land and Water Plan
COUNTY1
2016
Active
 
Reports and Documents
Adams County Land and Water Plan
Adams County is located in the Central Sands region of Wisconsin. The County whole west border is the Wisconsin River, and Castle Rock and Petenwell Lakes. The City of Adams and the Village of Friendship share a border and are the only incorporated municipalities in the county. Combined, Adams-Friendship have 2,692 residents as of the 2010 Census.
Arrowhead Lake, Adams County
Taken during National Lake Survey 2007
 
Activities & Recommendations
County Land and Water Management Plan
http://www.ncwrpc.org/adams/lwrmp/1_DRAFT%20Adams%20LWRMP_11-10-15%20Wally_CD-ROM.pdf
 
Watershed
Fourteenmile Creek