Water Detail - Trout Creek, Reads and Tainter Creeks Watershed (LW03)

Trout Creek, Reads and Tainter Creeks Watershed (LW03)

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Trout Creek (1187200)

Size

5.43 Miles

Segment

0 - 5.43

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, Cool-Cold Headwater, 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.

2017

General Condition

Good

County

Crawford

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 I Trout)

Streams supporting a cold water sport fishery, or serving as a spawning area for salmonids and other cold water fish species through natural reproduction. 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.

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

Trout Creek, located in northeast Crawford County, flows in a westerly direction for 3.8 miles
before reaching the Kickapoo River near Soldiers Grove. This stream has a gradient of 44 feet
per mile and drains forested hillsides and agricultural valleys. Trout Creek is a Class I trout
stream for its entire length.
The most recent survey, conducted in 1998, documented a naturally reproducing brown trout
population and numerous forage fish species. The stream bottom consisted primarily of
cobble with lesser amounts of boulder, gravel and sand. Woody debris, boulders and deep
pools made up the majority of in-stream cover. Trout Creek would benefit from the
acquisition of streambank easements from willing sellers and the restoration of in-stream
habitat. WDNR records indicate that Trout Creek has been stocked with brown trout
consistently since 1967. Access to Trout Creek is from three road crossings.

From: Ripp, Coreen, Koperski, Cindy and Folstad, Jason. 2002. The State of the Lower Wisconsin River Basin. PUBL WT-559-2002. Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, Madison, WI.

Date 2002

Author Cynthia Koperski

Trout Creek, Reads and Tainter Creeks Watershed (LW03) Fish and Aquatic Life

Trout Creek, Reads and Tainter Creeks Watershed (LW03) Recreation

Trout Creek, Reads and Tainter Creeks Watershed (LW03) 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

2020 Comprehensive WQ Assessments

2017 Total Phosphorus Monitoring Report - Trout Creek Station 2-1966-Sw 1/4 Se 1/4 Sec. 20-Starts At Farm Road Crossing(Pansy Ln)

2018 List of Healthy (Category 2) Waters

Comprehensive 2018 River/Stream Water Quality Assessments

Trout Creek, Trout Creek - Hwy 61 Ne Sec 30 T11r3w, Wadeable Macroinvertebrate Field Form

Comprehensive 2016 Rivers Stream Assessments

Crawford County Surface Water Resources 1972

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.

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
Trout Creek east 1.9 miles of HWY 61	2006
Fish Propagation Actions	2001

Monitoring Projects

WBIC	Official Waterbody Name	Station ID	Station Name	Earliest Fieldwork Date	Latest Fieldwork Date	View Station	View Data
1187200	Trout Creek	10013836	Trout Creek Station 4-1966-Ne 1/4 Ne 1/4 Sec. 28-Starts At Farm Road Crossing.			Map	Data
1187200	Trout Creek	10013838	Trout Creek Station 3-1998-Nw 1/4 Ne 1/4 Sec. 28-Starts At Line Fence.			Map	Data
1187200	Trout Creek	10013780	Trout Creek Station 2-1966-Sw 1/4 Se 1/4 Sec. 20-Starts At Farm Road Crossing(Pansy Ln)	1/1/2015	10/30/2017	Map	Data
1187200	Trout Creek	123020	Trout Creek - Hwy 61 Ne Sec 30 T11r3w	5/14/1979	10/20/2016	Map	Data
1187200	Trout Creek	10013779	Trout Creek Station 1-1966-Se 1/4 Se 1/4 Sec. 19			Map	Data
1187200	Trout Creek	10013835	Trout Creek Station 3-1966-Nw 1/4 Nw 1/4 Sec. 28-Starts At Trout Creek Road Bridge Crossing.			Map	Data
1187200	Trout Creek	10034918	Trout Creek - Devitt Drive	1/1/2015	1/1/2015	Map	Data
1187200	Trout Creek	10012477	Trout Creek 1.9 Miles East Of Hwy 61	8/3/2003	1/1/2015	Map	Data
1187200	Trout Creek	10013837	Trout Creek Station 1-1998-Ne 1/4 Ne 1/4 Sec. 30-Starts Appx. 200' Upstream From Hwy. 131 (61?)Bridge.	5/14/1997	10/17/1997	Map	Data

Watershed Characteristics

Trout Creek is located in the Reads and Tainter Creeks watershed which is 135.69 mi². Land use in the watershed is primarily forest (47.20%), agricultural (24%) and a mix of grassland (23.30%) and other uses (5.50%). This watershed has 339.00 stream miles, 221.66 lake acres and 1,867.13 wetland acres.

Nonpoint Source Characteristics

This watershed is ranked High 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.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

Trout Creek is considered a Cool-Cold Mainstem, Cool-Cold Headwater, 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.

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.

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