Water Detail - Suamico River, Suamico and Little Suamico Rivers Watershed (GB01)

Suamico River, Suamico and Little Suamico Rivers Watershed (GB01)

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Suamico River (410900)

Size

3.01 Miles

Segment

0 - 3.01

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-Warm Mainstem

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.

2023

General Condition

Unknown

County

Brown

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.

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.

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.

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.

Supported Aquatic Life

Waters that support fish and aquatic life communities (healthy biological communities).

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.

WWSF

Streams capable of supporting a warm waterdependent sport fishery. Representative aquatic life communities associated with these waters generally require cool or warm temperatures and concentrations of dissolved oxygen that do not drop below 5 mg/L.

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.

Default FAL

Fish and Aquatic Life - Default Waters do not have a specific use designation subcategory but are considered fishable, swimmable waters.

Historical Description

The Suamico River changes from a clear bubbling stream at its headwaters to a sluggish.
wide and very turbid stream at its mouth. The upper two-thirds of this 16-mile long
stream has a rubble and gravel bottom providing habitat for a variety of invertebrates
and an abundance of crayfish. The lower portion has a sand and silt bottom with few
invertebrates.
A federal navigation channel is maintained at the mouth of the Suamico River. The
project extends from the eastern end of the public boat launch to the river mouth and
approximately 1,800 feet into Green Bay. The harbor and navigation channel were last
dredged in 1989. In 1985, DNR's Bui-eau of Water Resource Management analyzed for
PCB concentration sediment samples taken from the Suamico and Little Suamico rivers.
PCB levels were less than 0.05 micrograms per gram (uglg), indicating that PCBs are not
a problem. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) samples taken in the 1980s indicated nonpolluted
conditions.
The fishery near the mouth consists primarily of species from Green Bay waters.
Further upstream the river supports a forage fishery.

Date 1993

Author Surface Water Inventory Of Wisconsin

Suamico River, Suamico and Little Suamico Rivers Watershed (GB01) Fish and Aquatic Life

Suamico River, Suamico and Little Suamico Rivers Watershed (GB01) Recreation

Suamico River, Suamico and Little Suamico Rivers Watershed (GB01) Fish Consumption

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

2020 Comprehensive WQ Assessments

2018 List of Healthy (Category 2) Waters

Comprehensive 2018 River/Stream Water Quality Assessments

Comprehensive 2016 Rivers Stream Assessments

Suamico, Little Suamico Watershed Plan (GB01)

Comprehensive 2014 TP IBI Rivers Assessment

Suamico and Little Suamico River Watershed Nonpoint Source Pollution Assessment Report

Ordinance 78-120, Ordinance to enforce slow-no-wake speeds on the Suamico River

Suamico River, Brown County, Use Designation Report

Brown County Surface Water Resources 1972

Recommendations

Water Quality Planning

Suamico and Little Suamico (GB01) Watershed Planning

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
Suamico, Little Suamico Rivers (GB01) Watershed Planning	2012

Monitoring Projects

WBIC	Official Waterbody Name	Station ID	Station Name	Earliest Fieldwork Date	Latest Fieldwork Date	View Station	View Data
410900	Suamico River	10019514	Suamico River -- Access at Sunset Beach Road	7/15/2005	9/1/2021	Map	Data
410900	Suamico River	10038645	Suamico River-West of Side Rd.	3/15/2012	3/15/2012	Map	Data
410900	Suamico River	10034555	Suamico River-East of Side Rd.	5/14/2011	5/14/2011	Map	Data
20	Lake Michigan	10012596	Lake Michigan - Riverside Dr 05-003			Map	Data
410900	Suamico River	10035236	Suamico River - Area of Open Water			Map	Data
410900	Suamico River	053227	Suamico River - A Cth J Suamico	3/8/1976	10/16/1980	Map	Data
410900	Suamico River	10058274	Suamico River	6/22/2022	8/16/2023	Map	Data
410900	Suamico River	053487	Suamico River - South Side At Mouth	4/19/1990	4/19/1990	Map	Data
410900	Suamico River	10049739	T25N,R20E,S22,NENE	12/7/2017	12/7/2017	Map	Data
410900	Suamico River	10036445	Suamico River - Area of Open Water			Map	Data
410900	Suamico River	053488	Suamico River - Just Above Mouth	4/25/1990	4/25/1990	Map	Data

Watershed Characteristics

Suamico River is located in the Suamico and Little Suamico Rivers watershed which is 171.78 mi². Land use in the watershed is primarily agricultural (41.10%), wetland (20.10%) and a mix of forest (15.70%) and other uses (23.20%). This watershed has 340.92 stream miles, 10,769.31 lake acres and 15,918.95 wetland acres.

Nonpoint Source Characteristics

This watershed is ranked High 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.This water is ranked High Stream for individual Rivers based on runoff problems and the likelihood of success from project implementation.

Natural Community

Suamico River is considered a Cool-Cold Mainstem, Cool-Warm Mainstem 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.