Water Detail - Risk Creek, Duck and Plainville Creeks Watershed (LW25)

Risk Creek, Duck and Plainville Creeks Watershed (LW25)

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Risk Creek (1343900)

Size

1.85 Miles

Segment

0 - 1.85

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 Mainstem, Coldwater

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.

2024

General Condition

Good

County

Adams

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.

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

Risk Creek is a Class II trout stream for the bottom 2.5 miles although it is thought that is has the potential to support a Class I fishery. Dam abandonment and removal at Brookside has improved fisheries and habitat of the stream. There is limited information available for this creek.

Date 2002

Author Cynthia Koperski

Historical Description

Risk Creek is a Class II trout stream (WDNR, 1980). Dam abandonment and removal at
Brookside has improved fisheries and habitat of the stream (WDNR, Ironside, 1991).

Date 1994

Author Surface Water Inventory Of Wisconsin

Historical Description

Risk Creek, T16N, R6E, Section 19 Surface Acres = 1.4, Miles = 1.6, Gradient = 17.5 feet per mile.
A short stream which flows westerly into Fairbanks Creek. A small, unnamed
flowage is located on the stream near its mouth at Brookside. At the time of the
investigation, a partially constructed pond was observed further upstream. The stream
has marsh drainage, but picks up more and more spring water as it nears the Brookside
pond. It is managed as a brook trout stream and there is natural reproduction.
That part of the stream from just above the pond at Brookside downstream to its mouth
had open water during the February, 1963, aerial groundwater survey. Mallard and
wood ducks reportedly nest along the stream. Several road crossings provide access.

From: Klick, Thomas A. and C.W. Threinen. 1966. Surface Water Resources of Adams County:
Lake and Stream Classification Project. Wisconsin Conservation Department, Madison, WI.

Date 1966

Author Surface Water Inventory Of Wisconsin

Risk Creek, Duck and Plainville Creeks Watershed (LW25) Fish and Aquatic Life

Risk Creek, Duck and Plainville Creeks Watershed (LW25) Recreation

Risk Creek, Duck and Plainville Creeks Watershed (LW25) Fish Consumption

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

2018 List of Healthy (Category 2) Waters

Comprehensive 2018 River/Stream Water Quality Assessments

Adams County Surface Water Resources 1966

Recommendations

Citizen-Based Stream Monitoring

Collect chemical, physical, and/or biological water quality data to assess the current overall stream health. The data can inform management decisions and may be used to identify impaired waters for biennial lists.

Citizen-Based Stream Monitoring

Monitor Fish Community

Risk Creek should be evaluated to determine if it is capable of supporting a Class I fishery. If so, habitat work should be conducted on the creek to improve the fishery.

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
Risk Creek at 10th Drive	2009
Risk Creek at 9th Dr	2009
Risk Creek at Elk Ave (nearest to STH 13)	2009

Monitoring Projects

WBIC	Official Waterbody Name	Station ID	Station Name	Earliest Fieldwork Date	Latest Fieldwork Date	View Station	View Data
1343900	Risk Creek	10048947	Risk Creek - Elk Ave	5/4/2017	9/12/2024	Map	Data
1343900	Risk Creek	10030211	Risk Creek at Elk Ave	5/17/2009	5/17/2011	Map	Data
1343900	Risk Creek	10053749	Risk Creek - Confluence with Fairbanks Creek to Hwy 13			Map	Data
1343900	Risk Creek	10030209	Risk Creek at 10th Dr	6/28/2009	8/23/2022	Map	Data
1343900	Risk Creek	10051489	Risk Creek downstream of 10th Dr.			Map	Data

Watershed Characteristics

Risk Creek is located in the Duck and Plainville Creeks watershed which is 195.09 mi². Land use in the watershed is primarily forest (56.40%), agricultural (25.70%) and a mix of wetland (7.60%) and other uses (10.30%). This watershed has 218.59 stream miles, 339.26 lake acres and 9,551.62 wetland acres.

Nonpoint Source Characteristics

This watershed is ranked Low 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.

Natural Community

Risk Creek is considered a Cool-Cold Mainstem, Coldwater 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) Mainstem streams are moderate-to-large but still wadeable perennial streams with cold to cool summer temperatures. Coldwater fishes are common to uncommon, transitional fishes are abundant to common, and warm water fishes are uncommon to absent. Headwater species are common to absent, mainstem species are abundant to common, and river species are common to absent.

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