Water Detail - Reads Creek (Black Bottom Cr), Reads and Tainter Creeks Watershed (LW03)

Reads Creek (Black Bottom Cr), Reads and Tainter Creeks Watershed (LW03)

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Reads Creek (Black Bottom Cr) (1187400)

Size

8.87 Miles

Segment

0 - 8.87

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.

2022

General Condition

Good

County

Vernon

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 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

Reads Creek, also known as Black Bottom Creek, is located in southeast Vernon County. This
stream flows parallel to HWY 14/61 in a southeasterly direction for 6.6 miles before reaching
the Kickapoo River at Readstown. Reads Creek has a gradient of 56 feet per mile and drains
forested hillsides with agricultural activities largely found on the upper headwater plateau.
Reads Creek is a Class I trout stream for its entire length and an Exceptional Resource Water,
(ERW).
The most recent survey was conducted in July 2000 to determine the effects of a flood that
occurred the previous month when more than four inches of rain fell on already saturated
ground. The erosive action of this large volume of water moved the stream channel in some
locations, destroyed culverts and bridges and scoured clean the rocky substrate.
Coincidentally during the July survey another catastrophic flood hit Reads Creek, this time
approximately six inches of rain fell in a 24 hour period. Once again the stream channel
moved in spots, culverts were blown out and the rocky substrate was scoured clean of algae
and aquatic insects. The July survey surprisingly documented healthy brook trout and brown
trout populations with several year classes represented. Additionally, a diverse forage fishery
was also documented. The fishery successfully survived two major floods within 30 days. The
stream bottom was dominated by cobble and gravel followed by sand. In-stream cover
consisted of undercut banks, deep pools, woody debris and overhanging vegetation. Reads
Creek would benefit from the purchase of streambank easements from willing sellers and the
restoration of in-stream habitat. WDNR records indicate that Reads Creek was stocked with
brown trout from 1975 to 1997 and wild brook trout from 1998 to present. Access to Reads
Creek is from five road crossings and one WDNR easement.

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

Historical Description

Reads (Black Bottom) Creek, T11N, R3W, Section 8. Surface Acres = 9.6, Miles = 6.6, Gradient = 56.5 feet per mile.
Often called Black Bottom Creek, this light brown. hard water stream flows in a southeasterly direction and joins the Kickapoo River at Readstown. Forage species dominate the fishery. While sand dominates the bottom types, there is considerable gravel and rubble and a little boulder and silt. Several road crossings provide access. Beaver are present.

From: Klick, Thomas A. and Threinen, C.W., 1973. Lake and Stream Classification Project. Surface Water Resources of Vernon County, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, Madison, WI.

Date 1973

Author Surface Water Inventory Of Wisconsin

Reads Creek (Black Bottom Cr), Reads and Tainter Creeks Watershed (LW03) Fish and Aquatic Life

Reads Creek (Black Bottom Cr), Reads and Tainter Creeks Watershed (LW03) Recreation

Reads Creek (Black Bottom Cr), 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

2018 List of Healthy (Category 2) Waters

Comprehensive 2018 River/Stream Water Quality Assessments

Reads Creek, Reads Creek - STH-61 Bridge, Wadeable Macroinvertebrate Field Form

Comprehensive 2016 Rivers Stream Assessments

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
Reads Creek at Campground 0.3 miles upstream from HWY 131 Bridge	2006

Monitoring Projects

WBIC	Official Waterbody Name	Station ID	Station Name	Earliest Fieldwork Date	Latest Fieldwork Date	View Station	View Data
1187400	Reads Creek	10009014	Reads Cr. #4 Bridge At Riley Rd.			Map	Data
1187400	Reads Creek	10009023	Reads Cr. #7 1200 Feet Downstream Of Terry'S Shop Driveway Bridge			Map	Data
1187400	Reads Creek	10009037	Reads Creek #5 Cth Jj Bridge	1/1/2015	1/1/2015	Map	Data
1187400	Reads Creek	10009020	Reads Cr. #6 50 Ft. Above Green Acres Rd. Bridge			Map	Data
1187400	Reads Creek	10008979	Reads Creek 50 Ft. above Hwy M Bridge	6/12/2012	4/26/2022	Map	Data
1187400	Reads Creek	10015557	Reads Cr. St. 2 - Fiber Optic Signs Near Offerdahl Rd.			Map	Data
1187400	Reads Creek	10012460	Reads Creek At Campground 0.3 Miles Upstream From Hwy 131 Bridge	10/24/2000	1/1/2015	Map	Data
1187400	Reads Creek	10008990	Reads Creek #3 Field Road Xing At Anderson Property			Map	Data
1187400	Reads Creek	10008981	Reads Creek #2 100 Ft. Above Co. M	3/24/2014	7/13/2015	Map	Data
1187400	Reads Creek	633039	Reads Creek - STH-61 Bridge	5/14/1979	10/19/2018	Map	Data

Watershed Characteristics

Reads 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

Reads Creek (Black Bottom Cr) 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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