5.71 Miles
3.47 - 9.18
Cool-Cold Headwater, Coldwater, Cool-Warm Headwater
2015
Good
Columbia, Sauk
Yes
No
No
Fish and Aquatic Life
Overview
Rowley Creek begins in Columbia County. The creek has a good gradient from the Sauk County line to the Baraboo River. The creek has an excellent brook and brown trout fishery and the lower 2.7 miles of Rowley Creek are considered a Class I trout stream and an exceptional resource water (ERW). The 2 miles upstream of this are Class II trout waters and also an ERW. Baseline surveys conducted in the summer of 2000 found the warm water and cold water fisheries to be in good health.
Date 2002
Author Cynthia Koperski
Historical Description
Rowley Creek T12N, R8E, Section 31, Surface Acres = 2.67, Miles = 5.5, Gradient = 29.10 feet per mile.
A small, high-gradient stream draining from high in the Baraboo Range
westward to Sauk County and eventually the Baraboo River. The stream intermittently originates in
seepage around Lost Lake and has several springs further
downstream which sustain its summer flow. This stream sustains a trout population;
however, in recent years ground water conditions have deteriorated. Two town
roads provide access.
From: Poff, Ronald J. and C.W. Threinen, 1965. Surface Water Resources of Columbia County:
Lake and Stream Classification Project. Wisconsin Conservation Department, Madison, WI.
Date 1965
Author Surface Water Inventory Of Wisconsin
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
Monitor Water Quality or Sediment
Category 2. 2018 TP Results: May Exceed. Station: 573173. AU: 12981.
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 |
|---|
| 1272100 | Rowley Creek | 10029047 | Rowley Creek 7m US of Luebke Rd | 10/21/2002 | 10/9/2003 | Map | Data |
| 1272100 | Rowley Creek | 10029223 | Rowley Creek 27m upstream from Luebke Rd | 1/1/2015 | 1/1/2015 | Map | Data |
| 1272100 | Rowley Creek | 10011354 | Rowley Creek-Upstream Exo Driveway | 9/17/2004 | 1/1/2015 | Map | Data |
| 1272100 | Rowley Creek | 10008273 | Rowley Cr. St. #1 | | | Map | Data |
| 1272100 | Rowley Creek | 10011073 | Rowley Creek South Trib Entrance 145m Up From Property Line | | | Map | Data |
| 1272100 | Rowley Creek | 10011059 | Rowley Creek at Duwards Glen Rd. To Konke Mill Rd. | | | Map | Data |
| 1272100 | Rowley Creek | 10029224 | Rowley Creek 20m Upsteam from Owen Park Rd | 1/1/2015 | 1/1/2015 | Map | Data |
|
Watershed Characteristics
Rowley Creek is located in the Lower Baraboo River watershed which is 150.54 mi². Land use in the watershed is primarily forest (30.10%), agricultural (28.40%) and a mix of wetland (19.70%) and other uses (21.90%). This watershed has 268.11 stream miles, 904.18 lake acres and 15,973.85 wetland acres.
Nonpoint Source Characteristics
This watershed is ranked Not Ranked for runoff impacts on streams, Low 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.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.
Rowley Creek is considered a Cool-Cold Headwater, Coldwater, 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.