![Silver Creek, Red River Watershed (WR16) Silver Creek, Red River Watershed (WR16)](wsSWIMSDocument.ashx?documentSeqNo=47601420)
12.38 Miles
0 - 12.38
Cool-Warm Mainstem, Cool-Warm Headwater
2015
Good
Shawano
Yes
Yes
No
Fish and Aquatic Life
Overview
Silver Creek, located in central Monroe County, flows for approximately 10.4 miles in a westerly direction before reaching the La Crosse River at Angelo Pond. Silver Creek not only originates on Fort McCoy, but also flows for approximately 9.5 miles before it leaves the property. It has a slight gradient of 21 feet per mile and drains a portion of Fort McCoy. This stream contains three dams: West Silver wetland, I-90 Impoundment, and East Silver Lake. Silver Creek is a Class I trout stream for its entire length.
The predominant substrate is sand, with small amounts of silt and gravel present. Bank stabilization and installation of LUNKER structures has been ongoing by Fort McCoy staff since 1995. Both brook and brown trout are found in Silver Creek. Brook trout dominate the fishery above the West Silver Wetland, however brown trout have found their way upstream of that dam. Since upper Silver Creek, Cole's Valley Creek and Creek 19-15 all contain healthy brook trout populations, concern exists over competition for food and space from brown trout. Access to Silver Creek is from Fort McCoy and one road crossing near Angelo Pond.
Date 2002
Author Aquatic Biologist
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
Recommendations
Navigability Determination
NE NW S29 T29N R12E; Silver Creek, trib;
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
Monitoring Projects
WBIC | Official Waterbody Name | Station ID | Station Name | Earliest Fieldwork Date | Latest Fieldwork Date | View Station | View Data |
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330700 | Silver Creek | 10030581 | Silver Creek - Silver Creek Rd | | | Map | Data |
330700 | Silver Creek | 10015922 | Silver Creek - Approximately 600 Yards Downstreamof Silver Creek Road. Approximately 1 Mile From Its Confluence W/ The West Branch O | 5/26/1995 | 5/26/1995 | Map | Data |
330700 | Silver Creek | 10030580 | Silver Creek - Bierman Rd / Lake Rd | 8/2/2005 | 1/1/2015 | Map | Data |
330700 | Silver Creek | 10039444 | Silver Creek at Silver Creek Rd | | | Map | Data |
330700 | Silver Creek | 593085 | Silver Creek at Silver Cr Road | 5/15/1979 | 1/1/2015 | Map | Data |
330700 | Silver Creek | 10048953 | Silver Creek - Woodlawn Rd. | 8/2/2005 | 8/2/2005 | Map | Data |
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![](wsWaterEcosystem.ashx?watershed=WR16)
Watershed Characteristics
Silver Creek is located in the Red River watershed which is 207.12 miĀ². Land use in the watershed is primarily forest (54.20%), wetland (20.40%) and a mix of agricultural (15%) and other uses (10.30%). This watershed has 206.51 stream miles, 785.38 lake acres and 24,271.01 wetland acres.
Nonpoint Source Characteristics
This watershed is ranked Low for runoff impacts on streams, Not Ranked for runoff impacts on lakes and Medium for runoff impacts on groundwater and therefore has an overall rank of Medium. 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.
Silver Creek is considered a 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.