Water Detail - Cooks Creek, West Fork Kickapoo River Watershed (LW04)

Cooks Creek, West Fork Kickapoo River Watershed (LW04)

Return to Search

Cooks Creek (1189000)

Size

3.87 Miles

Segment

0 - 3.87

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 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.

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.

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

Cook Creek, located in central Vernon County, flows for 1.5 miles in an easterly direction before joining with Maple Dale Creek to form Bishop Branch. This stream has a gradient of 73 feet per mile and drains forested hillsides, the eastern portion of Viroqua, a quarry, and an agricultural headwater plateau. Cook Creek is a Class I trout stream for its entire length.

The most recent survey, conducted in 2000, documented brook trout, brown trout, mottled sculpin and brook stickleback. Cobble and gravel dominated the stream bottom. Cook Creek would benefit from the purchase of streambank easements from willing sellers and the restoration of in-stream habitat. WDNR records indicate that Cook Creek has been stocked with brook trout since 1974 and with wild brook trout since 1998. Access to Cook Creek is from WDNR owned land and one road crossing.

Date 2002

Author Cynthia Koperski

Historical Description

Cook Creek, T12N, R4W, Section 2. Surface Acres = 0.9, Miles = 1.5, Gradient = 72.7 feet per mile.
This headwater tributary of Bishop Branch flows in a general easterly direction. It has clear. hard water. Forage species dominate the fishery. including white sucker, redbe11y dace. creek chub. slimy sculpin. blacknose dace, longnose dace. fantail darter and brook stickleback. Gravel, sand, and rubble dominate the bottom types and are present in nearly equal amounts. Small amounts of boulder and silt are also present. There is access from one road crossing. 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

Cooks Creek, West Fork Kickapoo River Watershed (LW04) Fish and Aquatic Life

Cooks Creek, West Fork Kickapoo River Watershed (LW04) Recreation

Cooks Creek, West Fork Kickapoo River Watershed (LW04) Fish Consumption

General Condition

Crook Creek 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

Comprehensive 2014 TP IBI Rivers Assessment

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

Monitoring Projects

WBIC	Official Waterbody Name	Station ID	Station Name	Earliest Fieldwork Date	Latest Fieldwork Date	View Station	View Data
5030241	Unnamed	10021932	Cr. 4- 14 St. 1 - Confluence With Cook Cr.			Map	Data
1189000	Cook Creek	10009000	Cook Creek Station #3 Brg. On Cook Hill Rd	5/7/1997	8/8/2022	Map	Data
1189000	Cook Creek	10009019	Cook Creek Station #2 200' Above Thompson Farm Rd. Brg.			Map	Data
1189000	Cook Creek	10044583	Cook Creek 400 M downdstream of Cook Hill Rd.	1/1/2015	1/1/2015	Map	Data
1189000	Cook Creek	10053741	COOK CREEK at HWY 56 STATE LAND			Map	Data
1189000	Cook Creek	10033429	Cook Creek 150ft downstream of HWY 56 Bridge - spring at cliff side			Map	Data
1189000	Cook Creek	10009017	Cook Creek Station #1 Confl. Of Bishop Br.	1/1/2015	1/1/2015	Map	Data
1189000	Cook Creek	633152	Cook Creek - Cook Creek	6/29/2003	6/29/2003	Map	Data
1189000	Cook Creek	10022549	Cook Creek - Confluence Of Cr. 4-14	1/1/2015	1/1/2015	Map	Data

Watershed Characteristics

Cook Creek 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

Cooks Creek is considered a 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) 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.

More Interactive Maps

View Water in Alternative Map