Water Detail - Caves Creek, Montello River Watershed (UF13)

Caves Creek, Montello River Watershed (UF13)

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Caves Creek (166100)

Size

12.10 Miles

Segment

0 - 12.10

Natural Community

Natural communities (stream and lake natural communities) represent model results that use predicted flow and temperature based on landscape features and related assumptions. Ranges of flow and temperature associated with specific aquatic life communities (fish, macroinvertebrates) help biologists identify appropriate resource management goals. Wisconsin Natural Communities.

Cool-Cold Mainstem, Cool-Cold Headwater, Coldwater

Year Last Monitored

This is the most recent date of monitoring data stored in SWIMS. Additional surveys for fish and habitat may be available subsequent to this date.

2024

General Condition

Poor

This river is impaired

Impairments include

Elevated Water Temperature

Pollutants include

Unknown Pollutant

County

Marquette

Trout Water

Trout Waters are represented by Class I, Class II or Class III waters. These classes have specific ecological characteristics and management actions associated with them. For more information regarding Trout Classifications, see the Fisheries Trout Class Webpages.

Yes

Outstanding or Exceptional

Wisconsin has designated many of the state's highest quality waters as Outstanding Resource Waters (ORWs) or Exceptional Resource Waters (ERWs). Waters designated as ORW or ERW are surface waters which provide outstanding recreational opportunities, support valuable fisheries and wildlife habitat, have good water quality, and are not significantly impacted by human activities. ORW and ERW status identifies waters that the State of Wisconsin has determined warrant additional protection from the effects of pollution. These designations are intended to meet federal Clean Water Act obligations requiring Wisconsin to adopt an 'antidegradation' policy that is designed to prevent any lowering of water quality - especially in those waters having significant ecological or cultural value.

Yes

Impaired Water

A water is polluted or 'impaired' if it does not support full use by humans, wildlife, fish and other aquatic life and it is shown that one or more of the pollutant criteria are not met.

Yes

Fish and Aquatic Life

Current Use

The use the water currently supports. This is not a designation or classification; it is based on the current condition of the water. Information in this column is not designed for, and should not be used for, regulatory purposes.

Restricted Aquatic Life

Fish and Aquatic Life communities are not fully supported in this ecosystem.

Attainable Use

The use that the investigator believes the water could achieve through managing "controllable" sources. Beaver dams, hydroelectric dams, low gradient streams, and naturally occurring low flows are generally not considered controllable. The attainable use may be the same as the current use or it may be higher.

Cold (Class I Trout)

Streams supporting a cold water sport fishery, or serving as a spawning area for salmonids and other cold water fish species through natural reproduction. Representative aquatic life communities, associated with these waters, generally require cold temperatures and concentrations of dissolved oxygen that remain above 6 mg/L. Since these waters are capable of supporting natural reproduction, a minimum dissolved oxygen concentration of 7 mg/L is required during times of active spawning and support of early life stages of newly-hatched fish.

Designated Use

This is the water classification legally recognized by NR102 and NR104, Wis. Adm. Code. The classification determines water quality criteria and effluent limits. Waters obtain designated uses through classification procedures.

Cold

Streams capable of supporting a cold water sport fishery, or serving as a spawning area for salmonids and other cold water fish species. Representative aquatic life communities, associated with these waters, generally require cold temperatures and concentrations of dissolved oxygen that remain above 6 mg/L. Since these waters are capable of supporting natural reproduction, a minimum dissolved oxygen concentration of 7 mg/L is required during times of active spawning and support of early life stages of newly-hatched fish.

Overview

Caves Creek is a small stream of moderate gradient tributary to Westfield Creek. The stream originates in spring ponds and marshland north of Lawrence and flows generally southeasterly. Forage fishes and brook trout constitute the fishery. The water is clear over sand and gravel in the headwaters and sand and silt downstream. Access is possible from several town, county and state roads, and along 1.87 miles of land owned publicly, or in permanent easement.

Caves Creek, T16N, R9E, Section 5, Surface Acres = 13.8, Miles = 11.4, Gradient = 9.3 feet per mile

From: Poff, Ronald J. and Threinen, C.W., 1963. Lake and Stream Classification Project. Surface Water Resources of Marquette County, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, Madison, WI.

Date 1963

Author Aquatic Biologist

Caves Creek, Montello River Watershed (UF13) Fish and Aquatic Life

Caves Creek, Montello River Watershed (UF13) Recreation

Caves Creek, Montello River Watershed (UF13) Fish Consumption

Impaired Waters

The 2018 assessments of Caves Creek showed impairment by temperature; new temperature sample data exceeded the 2018 WisCALM listing criteria for the Fish and Aquatic Life use. Available biological data do not indicate impairment (i.e. no macroinvertebrate or fish Index of Biotic Integrity (IBI) scored in the "poor" condition category). Based on the most updated information, this water was proposed for the impaired waters list.

Date 2017

Author Ashley Beranek

Condition

Wisconsin has over 84,000 miles of streams, 15,000 lakes and milllions of acres of wetlands. Assessing the condition of this vast amount of water is challenging. The state's water monitoring program uses a media-based, cross-program approach to analyze water condition. An updated monitoring strategy (2015-2020) is now available. Compliance with Clean Water Act fishable, swimmable standards are located in the Executive Summary of Water Condition in 2018. See also the 'monitoring and projects' tab.

Reports

Caves Creek, Caves Creek at 5th Ave (DS of culvert), Wadeable Macroinvertebrate Field Form

2020 Comprehensive WQ Assessments

Caves Creek, Caves Creek at 5th Ave (DS of culvert), Wadeable Macroinvertebrate Field Form

Final Draft 2018 Impaired Waters List

Caves Creek, Caves Creek at 5th Ave (DS of culvert), Wadeable Macroinvertebrate Field Form

Comprehensive 2018 River/Stream Water Quality Assessments

Caves Creek, Caves Creek at 5th Ave (DS of culvert), Wadeable Macroinvertebrate Field Form

Comprehensive 2016 Rivers Stream Assessments

Comprehensive 2014 TP IBI Rivers Assessment

CAVES CREEK, MARQUETTE COUNTY, NO WWTP USE DESIGNATION

Management Goals

Wisconsin's Water Quality Standards provide qualitative and quantitative goals for waters that are protective of Fishable, Swimmable conditions [Learn more]. Waters that do not meet water quality standards are considered impaired and restoration actions are planned and carried out until the water is once again fishable and swimmable

Management goals can include creation or implementation of a Total Maximum Daily Load analysis, a Nine Key Element Plan, or other restoration work, education and outreach and more. If specific recommendations exist for this water, they will be displayed below online.

Monitoring

Monitoring the condition of a river, stream, or lake includes gathering physical, chemical, biological, and habitat data. Comprehensive studies often gather all these parameters in great detail, while lighter assessment events will involve sampling physical, chemical and biological data such as macroinvertebrates. Aquatic macroinvertebrates and fish communities integrate watershed or catchment condition, providing great insight into overall ecosystem health. Chemical and habitat parameters tell researchers more about human induced problems including contaminated runoff, point source dischargers, or habitat issues that foster or limit the potential of aquatic communities to thrive in a given area. Wisconsin's Water Monitoring Strategy was recenty updated.

Grants and Management Projects

Project Name (Click for Details)	Year Started

Monitoring Projects

WBIC	Official Waterbody Name	Station ID	Station Name	Earliest Fieldwork Date	Latest Fieldwork Date	View Station	View Data
166100	Caves Creek	10022524	Caves Creek-Easment			Map	Data
166100	Caves Creek	10041327	Caves Creek at 7th Ct			Map	Data
166100	Caves Creek	10033833	Caves Creek downstream CTH CH	7/19/2011	12/6/2022	Map	Data
166100	Caves Creek	10057180	Caves Creek, 5th Ave	10/7/2022	10/7/2022	Map	Data
166100	Caves Creek	10053882	Caves Creek at Fishery Area N of Dyke Avenue	6/13/2020	10/22/2022	Map	Data
166100	Caves Creek	393132	Caves Creek at7th Avenue			Map	Data
166100	Caves Creek	10028957	Caves Creekdownstream at 5th	6/26/2008	1/1/2015	Map	Data
166100	Caves Creek	10041323	Caves Creek at Dyke Ave	1/1/2015	11/16/2017	Map	Data
166100	Caves Creek	10041817	Caves Creek at Cty CH (north of Westfield)	7/14/2005	10/2/2024	Map	Data
166100	Caves Creek	10017031	Caves Creek - 30 Feet Downstream Of 6th Avenue	11/5/1998	11/5/1998	Map	Data
166100	Caves Creek	10009760	Caves Creek - CTH E (#1)	9/19/2002	7/14/2005	Map	Data
166100	Caves Creek	10017030	Caves Creek at 5th Ave (DS of culvert)	5/13/1999	8/8/2024	Map	Data
166100	Caves Creek	10022526	Caves Creek - Cth Ch			Map	Data

Watershed Characteristics

Caves Creek is located in the Montello River watershed which is 134.50 mi². Land use in the watershed is primarily forest (46.40%), agricultural (27.10%) and a mix of wetland (15.30%) and other uses (11.00%). This watershed has 156.65 stream miles, 768.66 lake acres and 11,663.70 wetland acres.

Nonpoint Source Characteristics

This watershed is ranked Medium for runoff impacts on streams, Not Ranked for runoff impacts on lakes and High for runoff impacts on groundwater and therefore has an overall rank of High. This value can be used in ranking the watershed or individual waterbodies for grant funding under state and county programs.However, all waters are affected by diffuse pollutant sources regardless of initial water quality. Applications for specific runoff projects under state or county grant programs may be pursued. For more information, go to surface water program grants.

Natural Community

Caves Creek is considered a Cool-Cold Mainstem, Cool-Cold Headwater, Coldwater under the state's Natural Community Determinations.

Natural communities (stream and lake natural communities) represent model results and DNR staff valiation processes that confirm or update predicted conditions based on flow and temperature modeling from historic and current landscape features and related variables. Predicated flow and temperatures for waters are associated predicated fish assemblages (communities). Biologists evaluate the model results against current survey data to determine if the modeled results are corect and whether biological indicators show water quaity degradation. This analysis is a core component of the state's resource management framework. Wisconsin's Riverine Natural Communities.

Cool (Cold-Transition) Mainstem streams are moderate-to-large but still wadeable perennial streams with cold to cool summer temperatures. Coldwater fishes are common to uncommon, transitional fishes are abundant to common, and warm water fishes are uncommon to absent. Headwater species are common to absent, mainstem species are abundant to common, and river species are common to absent.

Cool (Cold-Transition) Headwaters are small, usually perennial streams with cold to cool summer temperatures. Coldwater fishes are common to uncommon (<10 per 100 m), transitional fishes are abundant to common, and warm water fishes are uncommon to absent. Headwater species are abundant to common, mainstem species are common to absent, and river species are absent.

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