Bear Lake TWA, Waupaca County

Purpose

This project will evaluate water quality improvement efforts made in the Bear Lake sub-watershed of the Lower Little Wolf RIver 319 Watershed by Waupaca County LWCD and NRCS.[TWA HUC12-040302021704]. This is a Section 319 project.

Objective

The Bear Lake sub-watershed was selected as a National Water Quality Initiative Pilot Project (NRCS EQIP funds) for 2017 to reduce the impact of non-point source pollutants. The sub-watershed was also one of the highest P loads in the Upper Fox-Wolf TMDL preliminary modeling. This TWA will provide baseline water quality data in support of NRCS's and Waupaca County's efforts. [TWA HUC 12-040302021704] This project will collect TP and TSS samples six times (twice in May and June, once in July and October) at 9 locations in the watershed in 2017. Fish and aquatic macroinvertebrate IBI surveys will be conducted at 6 locations. Quantitative habitat assessments will be conducted at 6 locations as well. Monitoring will occur in 5 WBICs: 5018549, 5018179, 280700, 280800, & 280100.

Outcome

Water quality monitoring will be conducted at 9 locations and final report written by 12/31/2018. Aquatic macroinvertebrates will be collected at 6 locations in October 2017. One day of sampling and 1 day to represerve and transport to UWSP. All data will be entered into SWIMS database by UWSP staff by 12/30/2018. Quantitative Habitat surveys will be conducted at 6 locations in FY18. Three sampling days in FY18 are needed to complete this monitoring and 1 day to enter the data into database. All data will be entered into FMDB by Water Resources staff by 12/31/2017. Fish surveys will be conducted at 5 locations in FY18. Two days of sampling will be completed for the field surveys from July through September 2017. All fish data will be entered into the FMDB by Water Resources staff by 12/31/2017. Thermistors will be deployed at 6 locations from May to October 2017 to collect temperature data. Two sampling days will occur to deploy and retrieve the thermistors. All data will be uploaded into SWIMS by Water Resources staff by 12/31/2017. Inorganic chemistry (TP and TSS) monitoring will be conducted at 9 locations. Sampling will occur twice per month May and June 2017 and once per month in July and October 2017 by Water Resources Staff. All samples will be sent to Wisconsin State Lab of Hygiene for analysis and will be entered by the lab into SWIMS by 12/31/2017. A final report will be written and attached to this project by 12/31/2018.

Study Design

Water quality monitoring will be conducted at 9 locations Aquatic macroinvertebrates 6 locations in October 2017. Quantitative Habitat surveys will be conducted at 6 locations in FY18. Fish surveys will be conducted at 5 locations in FY18. Two days of sampling will be completed for the field surveys from July through September 2017. hermistors will be deployed at 6 locations from May to October 2017 to collect temperature data. Two sampling days will occur to deploy and retrieve the thermistors. Inorganic chemistry (TP and TSS) monitoring will be conducted at 9 locations.

Related Reports

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Targeted Watershed Approach
Effectiveness (BMP, Other)
East_TWA_6_2017
2017
Complete
 
Reports and Documents
Report of results from 2017 monitoring within the Bear Lake Sub-watershed of the Little Wolf River Watershed.
9KE for the Bear Lake sub-watershed of the Little Wolf River HUC 10 Watershed. Approved by DNR and EPA in 2018
 
Activities & Recommendations
Monitor Targeted Watershed Area (TWA)
This project will evaluate water quality improvement efforts made in the Bear Lake sub-watershed of the Lower Little Wolf RIver 319 Watershed by Waupaca County LWCD and NRCS.[TWA HUC12-040302021704]. This is a Section 319 project.
Monitor Water Quality or Sediment
This project will evaluate water quality improvement efforts made in the Bear Lake sub-watershed of the Lower Little Wolf RIver 319 Watershed by Waupaca County LWCD and NRCS.[TWA HUC12-040302021704]. This is a Section 319 project.
Grant Awarded
This project will evaluate water quality improvement efforts made in the Bear Lake sub-watershed of the Lower Little Wolf RIver 319 Watershed by Waupaca County LWCD and NRCS.[TWA HUC12-040302021704]. This is a Section 319 project.
Water Quality Planning
The monitoring in 2017 demonstrates water quality in the Bear Lake Watershed ranges from poor to fair, indicating significant impacts from environmental degradation. Some of the land use characteristics observed during the 2017 monitoring project that can have a negative impact to the water quality of the streams in the Bear Lake Watershed were limited buffer protection along the stream corridors, eroding streambanks, wetland drainage, cropland erosion, channelization, tile drainage, presence of aquatic invasive species, and sedimentation of fish and aquatic life habitat (Photo 1-4). There are opportunities to install practices to lower the nutrients and sediment reaching the Little Wolf River. Efforts should be made to continue to work with landowners, farmers, municipalities, the County LWCD and NRCS staff to promote protection and restoration of the streams and wetlands by practices including, but not limited to, streambank and buffer protection, cover crops, nutrient management planning, reduced tillage, wetland restoration, and water and sediment control basins
Best Management Practices, Implement
Efforts should be made to continue to work with landowners, farmers, municipalities, the County LWCD and NRCS staff to promote protection and restoration of the streams and wetlands by practices including, but not limited to, streambank and buffer protection, cover crops, nutrient management planning, reduced tillage, wetland restoration, and water and sediment control basins
 
Watershed
 
Waters