Water Detail - Allen Creek, Brule River Watershed (GB18)

Allen Creek, Brule River Watershed (GB18)

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Allen Creek (710100)

Size

9.89 Miles

Segment

0 - 9.89

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 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.

2015

General Condition

Excellent

County

Forest

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.

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.

Cold (Class II Trout)

Streams 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 through natural reproduction and selective propagation. 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

Allen Creek, in the Brule River Watershed, is a 9.89 mile river that falls in Forest County. This river is an outstanding/exceptional resource water under NR102 as well as a Class II Trout Water under the Fisheries Program. This river is managed for fishing and swimming and is currently not considered impaired.

Date 2011

Author Aquatic Biologist

Historical Description

Allen creek is classifled as a Class II trout stream. Extensive beaver damage exist the
entire length of this creek.

Date 1993

Author Surface Water Inventory Of Wisconsin

Allen Creek, Brule River Watershed (GB18) Fish and Aquatic Life

Allen Creek, Brule River Watershed (GB18) Recreation

Allen Creek, Brule River Watershed (GB18) Fish Consumption

General Condition

This water was assessed in 2018 for fish IBI values. Studies from 2010 indicated that the water is a cold-cool headwater and using the intermittent IBI tool, excellent and good values were found.

Date 2018

Author Lisa Helmuth

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

Allen Creek, Forest County, OERW Evaluation

2020 Comprehensive WQ Assessments

2018 List of Healthy (Category 2) Waters

Allen Creek Fish IBI Package Results - 710100 WBIC Cold II Trout Water

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
710100	Allen Creek	10049579	ALLEN CREEK FC 5A			Map	Data
710100	Allen Creek	10039794	ALLEN CREEK - PE 1D - 1300 FEET DOWNSTREAM FROM ROCK CASCADE IN T41N R14E S27 NW SE			Map	Data
710100	Allen Creek	10033954	Allen Cr-1A	1/1/2015	1/1/2015	Map	Data
710100	Allen Creek	213147	Allen Creek - Upstrm Of State Hwy 70	10/19/1994	1/1/2006	Map	Data
710100	Allen Creek	10033953	Allen Cr - 1CFC	1/1/2015	1/1/2015	Map	Data
710100	Allen Creek	10039793	ALLEN CREEK - WHOLE COVER LOG PROJECT (T41N R14E S27 NE NE)			Map	Data
710100	Allen Creek	10049578	ALLEN CREEK FC 1D			Map	Data

Monitoring Studies

Two Fish IBIs were calculated from data collected in 2010 and confirmed excellent to good condition based on fish community assemblage. This is a class II trout water (1980 listed). Habitat project conducted in 1990s showed excellent fish community restoration results.

Date 2018

Author Lisa Helmuth

Watershed Characteristics

Allen Creek is located in the Brule River watershed which is 194.73 mi². Land use in the watershed is primarily forest (76.50%), wetland (17.70%) and a mix of grassland (2.90%) and other uses (2.80%). This watershed has 192.50 stream miles, 2,169.69 lake acres and 13,322.90 wetland acres.

Nonpoint Source Characteristics

This watershed is ranked Low for runoff impacts on streams, Not Ranked for runoff impacts on lakes and Low for runoff impacts on groundwater and therefore has an overall rank of Low. 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

Allen Creek is considered a Cool-Cold 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 (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.

Fisheries & Habitat

Allen Creek, Forest County, is known for its Wild Brook Trout as a Class II Trout Stream and was the subject of a habitat restoration project. The creek channel was excavated and single and double whole logs, and boulders were added to the creek.

Study design: There was a 0.26 mile treatment zone with no reference zone. Pre-development trout population surveys were made in August 1994 and July 1995. Habitat development occurred in August 1996. Post-development trout population surveys were made in August 1998 and July 1999. Average pre- and post-development trout population characteristics
were compared.

SUMMARY OF FINDINGS
The post-development abundance of wild brook trout declined 24% while biomass increased 79% (Table 17). A 50% decline in natural recruitment (abundance) of age 0 fish (trout <4 inches) explained most of the population decline while an increase in larger brook trout accounted
for the increase in biomass. The average abundance of legal-size brook trout (≥7 inches) increased 133% after habitat development and post-development abundance of brook trout ≥9 inches increased 82%.

The post-development abundance of brook trout declined 67% while biomass increased 131%. An 87% decline in the abundance of age 0 trout (trout <4 inches) explains the decline in total abundance of brook trout, while an increase in larger size trout accounted for the
increase in biomass. The average abundance of legal-size brook trout (≥7 inches) increased 487% after habitat development. Brook trout ≥9 inches were absent prior to habitat development. Following development, an average abundance of 71 trout per mile was found representing a 7,100% increase. Wild brown trout occasionally move out of the Brule River upstream and travel into Allen Creek but do not reproduce in the creek. The post-development abundance and biomass of wild brown trout increased 200% and 550%, respectively, but comprised less than 3% of the total trout community.

The post-development abundance of all trout declined 66% while biomass increased 136% (Table 18). Legal-size trout (≥7 inches) increased 524% and consisted primarily of brook trout. The increased biomass of legal-size trout offset the 87% decline in abundance of age 0 brook trout and the related loss in biomass.

Date 2018

Author David Brum

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