Water Detail - Bishop Branch, West Fork Kickapoo River Watershed (LW04)

Bishop Branch, West Fork Kickapoo River Watershed (LW04)

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Bishop Branch (1188500)

Size

1.37 Miles

Segment

4.21 - 5.58

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

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.

2019

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

Bishop Branch, located in central Vernon County, flows in a southeasterly direction for 6.0
miles before reaching the West Fork of the Kickapoo River south of Liberty. This stream has
a gradient of 30 feet per mile and drains forested hillsides with agricultural activity limited to
the valleys. Bishop Branch is a Class II trout stream from its mouth upstream for five miles
and then Class I for the next one mile upstream. It is classified as an Exceptional Resource
Water, (ERW).
The most recent survey, conducted in 1995, documented a self-sustaining brown trout
population along with only a few brook trout and rainbow trout. At the time, the stream
bottom was dominated by sand with some areas of cobble and gravel. In-stream cover
consisted of deep pools, woody debris and LUNKER structures. A fish and habitat survey of
Bishop Branch should be conducted to determine its existing condition. Bishop Branch would
benefit from the purchase of streambank easements from willing sellers and the restoration of
in-stream habitat. WDNR records indicate that Bishop Branch was last stocked with brown
trout in 1995. Access to Bishop Branch is from WDNR owned land, WDNR easements and
one road crossing. A rare aquatic species has been found in this creek.

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

Bishop Branch, T12N, R3W, Section 16. Surface Acres = 8.7, Miles = 4.2, Gradient = 30.0 feet per mile.
This tributary of the West Fork Kickapoo River flows in a general southeasterly direction and has clear, hard water. It heads at the junction of Cook Creek and Creek 2-3, which flows through Maple Dale. Bishop Branch is considered a Class II brown trout stream. A large variety of forage fish are present. Sand is the dominant bottom type, with rubble, silt, gravel, boulder, and clay present in that order of abundance. Two road crossings provide access. There is no significant wildlife value.

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

Bishop Branch, West Fork Kickapoo River Watershed (LW04) Fish and Aquatic Life

Bishop Branch, West Fork Kickapoo River Watershed (LW04) Recreation

Bishop Branch, West Fork Kickapoo River Watershed (LW04) Fish Consumption

General Condition

Bishop Branch (miles 0-4.2) was assessed during the 2018 listing cycle; new biological (fish Index of Biotic Integrity (IBI) scores) sample data were clearly below the 2018 WisCALM listing thresholds for the Fish and Aquatic Life use. This water was meeting this designated use and was not considered impaired.

Date 2017

Author Ashley Beranek

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

Bishop Br, Bishop Branch - Bishop Br. Se1/4 Of Nw1/4 Sec.16, 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.

Restore Hydrology, Morphology

Vernon County proposes to restore some 2600 linear feet of Bishops Branch, a tributary to the West Fork of the Kickapoo River, in the Town of Liberty. Major project elements to include 1) placement of lunker structures, boulders, and rock weirs in the stream, 2) deepening of pools, 3) placement of riprap, and 4) revegitation of the streambank.

Restore Hydrology, Morphology

Vernon County proposes to restore some 2600 linear feet of Bishops Branch- a tributary to the West Fork of the Kickapoo River- in the Town of Liberty. Major project elements to include 1) placement of lunker structures- boulders- and rock weirs in the stream- 2) deepening of pools- 3) placement of riprap- and 4) revegitation of the streambank.

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
VERNON COUNTY LWCD: Bishops Branch Restoration	2004
Bishop Creek off HWY 56 At Starr Property	2006

Monitoring Projects

WBIC	Official Waterbody Name	Station ID	Station Name	Earliest Fieldwork Date	Latest Fieldwork Date	View Station	View Data
1188500	Bishop Br	10031589	Bishop Branch upper			Map	Data
1188500	Bishop Br	10010792	Bishop Br - Bishop Branch Station #4 180 M Downstream Of Deaver Ln.			Map	Data
1188500	Bishop Br	633149	Bishop Branch - Bishop Branch	5/7/1997	7/1/2019	Map	Data
1188500	Bishop Br	10030764	Bishop Branch Station 3 - 1971 US of bridge	1/1/2015	1/1/2015	Map	Data
1188500	Bishop Br	10030768	Bishop Branch Station 4 - 1971 along Hwy 56	1/1/2015	1/1/2015	Map	Data
1188500	Bishop Br	10010619	Bishop Br			Map	Data

Watershed Characteristics

Bishop Br is located in the West Fork Kickapoo River watershed which is 118.04 mi². Land use in the watershed is primarily forest (41.10%), grassland (29%) and a mix of agricultural (25.50%) and other uses (4.40%). This watershed has 283.75 stream miles, 49.18 lake acres and 672.36 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

Bishop Branch is considered a Cool-Cold Mainstem, 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) 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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