23.78 Miles
0 - 23.78
Macroinvertebrate, Cool-Cold Headwater, Cool-Warm Mainstem, Cool-Warm Headwater
2022
Poor
Degraded Biological Community
Total Phosphorus
Brown, Oconto, Shawano
No
No
Yes
Fish and Aquatic Life
Overview
Little Suamico River, in the Suamico and Little Suamico Rivers Watershed, is a 23.85 mile river that falls in Brown, Oconto and Shawano Counties. This river is managed for fishing and swimming and is currently considered impaired.
Date 2014
Author Aquatic Biologist
Impaired Waters
The Little Suamico River was assessed during the 2018 listing cycle; total phosphorus sample data clearly exceeded the 2018 WisCALM listing thresholds for the Fish and Aquatic Life use. Available biological data did not indicate impairment (i.e. no macroinvertebrate or fish Index of Biotic Integrity (IBI) scored in the "poor" condition category). This water was not meeting this designated use and was considered impaired.
Date 2017
Author Amanda Smith
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
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 |
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Monitoring Projects
| WBIC | Official Waterbody Name | Station ID | Station Name | Earliest Fieldwork Date | Latest Fieldwork Date | View Station | View Data |
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| 411800 | Little Suamico River | 433066 | Little Suamico River at Schwartz Rd | | | Map | Data |
| 411800 | Little Suamico River | 10009971 | Little Suamico River - Little Suamico River at Cross Rd | 6/12/1980 | 4/24/2003 | Map | Data |
| 411800 | Little Suamico River | 104426 | Little Suamico River | 8/3/2022 | 8/3/2022 | Map | Data |
| 411800 | Little Suamico River | 10040713 | Little Suamico River 3m US Jaworski Rd | 7/8/2013 | 1/1/2015 | Map | Data |
| 411800 | Little Suamico River | 10034570 | Little Suamico River-West of Schwartz Rd. | 6/10/2011 | 6/10/2011 | Map | Data |
| 411800 | Little Suamico River | 10034595 | Little Suamico River-West of Cty J | 5/14/2011 | 3/15/2012 | Map | Data |
| 411800 | Little Suamico River | 433062 | Little Suamico River -at Cth J | | | Map | Data |
| 411800 | Little Suamico River | 10020770 | Little Suamico-Schwartz Rd. | | | Map | Data |
| 411800 | Little Suamico River | 433067 | Little Suamico River at Cth C | | | Map | Data |
| 411800 | Little Suamico River | 10010103 | Little Suamico at Hilbert Rd S of CTH S | 1/1/2015 | 1/1/2015 | Map | Data |
| 411800 | Little Suamico River | 433065 | Little Suamico River at Jaworski Rd | 4/26/1990 | 10/5/2005 | Map | Data |
| 411800 | Little Suamico River | 433069 | Little Suamico River at Ush 41-141 | | | Map | Data |
| 411800 | Little Suamico River | 10056083 | Little Suamico River | 8/20/2021 | 9/23/2021 | Map | Data |
| 411800 | Little Suamico River | 10004150 | Little Suamico River - 20 River Road | | | Map | Data |
| 411800 | Little Suamico River | 10016492 | Little Suamico River - Cth J Downstream Of Bridge About75 Feet | 6/12/1980 | 4/5/1993 | Map | Data |
| 411800 | Little Suamico River | 10032427 | Little Suamico River at 1000 ft. west of Pleasant View Dr. Chase | | | Map | Data |
| 411800 | Little Suamico River | 10034582 | Little Suamico River-East of Schwartz Rd. | 5/23/2012 | 5/23/2012 | Map | Data |
| 5541422 | Unnamed | 10035766 | Unnamed Lake | 6/24/2010 | 9/12/2010 | Map | Data |
| 411800 | Little Suamico River | 433309 | Little Suamico River at Cth J | 3/3/1976 | 1/1/2015 | Map | Data |
| 411800 | Little Suamico River | 10004141 | Little Suamico River - 05 L Suamico | | | Map | Data |
| 411800 | Little Suamico River | 433068 | Little Suamico River at Cross Rd Sobieski | 9/13/1993 | 1/1/2015 | Map | Data |
| 411800 | Little Suamico River | 10041208 | Little Suamico River-East of Grosse Rd. | 4/16/2013 | 4/16/2013 | Map | Data |
| 411800 | Little Suamico River | 433308 | Little Suamico River at Cth C | 4/5/1993 | 9/13/1993 | Map | Data |
| 411800 | Little Suamico River | 10010014 | Little Suamico River - Little Suamico Off South Chase Rd. | 6/12/1980 | 1/1/2015 | Map | Data |
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Watershed Characteristics
Little 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.
Little Suamico River is considered a Macroinvertebrate, Cool-Cold Headwater, Cool-Warm Mainstem, Cool-Warm Headwater 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 (Warm-Transition) Headwaters are small, sometimes intermittent streams with cool to warm summer temperatures. Coldwater fishes are uncommon to absent, transitional fishes are abundant to common, and warm water fishes are common to uncommon. Headwater species are abundant to common, mainstem species are common to absent, and river species are 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.