Trout Creek, Lower Peshtigo River Watershed (GB07)
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Trout Creek, Lower Peshtigo River Watershed (GB07)
Trout Creek (515900)
2.97 Miles
3.65 - 6.62
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-Warm Headwater
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.
2017
Good
 
Marinette
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.
No
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.
No
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.
No

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.
WWFF
Streams capable of supporting a warm waterdependent forage 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.

Overview

Trout Creek, in the Lower Peshtigo River Watershed, is a 6.62 mile river that falls in Marinette County. This river is managed for fishing and swimming and is currently considered impaired.

Date  2018

Author  Ashley Beranek

Trout Creek, Lower Peshtigo River Watershed (GB07) Fish and Aquatic LifeTrout Creek, Lower Peshtigo River Watershed (GB07) RecreationTrout Creek, Lower Peshtigo River Watershed (GB07) Fish Consumption

Impaired Waters

The 2018 assessments of Trout Creek (WBIC 515900) showed biological impairment; new macroinvertebrate sample data exceeded the 2018 WisCALM listing criteria for the Fish and Aquatic Life use (i.e. at least one macroinvertebrate Index of Biotic Integrity (IBI) average 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

2020 Comprehensive WQ Assessments
2018 List of Healthy (Category 2) Waters
Final Draft 2018 Impaired Waters List
Trout Creek, Trout Creek - Townline Road, Wadeable Macroinvertebrate Field Form
Comprehensive 2018 River/Stream Water Quality Assessments
2015 Total Phosphorus Monitoring Report - Trout Creek - Poplar Ridge Road (formerly Townline) just north of County Highway B
2015 Total Phosphorus Monitoring Report - Trout Creek US @ Jandt Road
Comprehensive 2016 Rivers Stream Assessments
2014 Total Phosphorus Monitoring Report - Trout Creek - Townline Road

Recommendations

Monitor Water Quality or Sediment
After the Split AU...adding to watch water and proposed additional follow-up sampling for TP, Fish, and Macro. AU: 11846; Station ID: 10043555
Monitor Water Quality or Sediment
Conduct additional TP monitoring, Fish and Macroinvertebrate monitoring on Trout Creek upstream of Jandt Road.
Monitor or Propose 303(d) Listing
The lower segment of Trout Creek should be considered for listing on the State�s 303(d) list of impaired waters for a degraded macroinvertebrate community.
Monitor or Propose 303(d) Listing
The lower segment of Trout Creek should be considered for listing on the State's 303(d) list of impaired waters for a degraded macroinvertebrate community.

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
Lower Peshtigo River TWA WQM Plan, 20172014
CITY OF PESHTIGO: Peshtigo Flow/Trout Crk NonPoint Source Project1998
CITY OF PESHTIGO: Peshtigo Flowage Riparian Study and Education1998
Monitoring Recommendations Stemming from CWA / IR Listings2000

Monitoring Projects

WBICOfficial Waterbody NameStation IDStation NameEarliest Fieldwork DateLatest Fieldwork DateView StationView Data
515900Trout Creek10049283Trout Creek 10m US Bundy Rd6/5/20176/5/2017MapData
515900Trout Creek383174Trout Creek - Townline Road3/29/19931/1/2015MapData
515900Trout Creek10043555Trout Creek US Jandt Road1/1/20155/12/2017MapData

Watershed Characteristics

Trout Creek is located in the Lower Peshtigo River watershed which is 194.98 mi². Land use in the watershed is primarily wetland (40.10%), forest (24.10%) and a mix of agricultural (21.90%) and other uses (14.00%). This watershed has 281.45 stream miles, 7,822.68 lake acres and 39,769.86 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.This water is ranked High Stream for individual Rivers based on runoff problems and the likelihood of success from project implementation.

Natural Community

Trout Creek is considered a 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.