5.02 Miles
0 - 5.02
Cool-Cold Headwater, Coldwater
2015
Good
Monroe
Yes
No
No
Fish and Aquatic Life
Overview
Upper Brush Creek, located in south central Monroe County, flows in an easterly direction for 2.6 miles before reaching Brush Creek east of Ontario. This stream has a gradient of 46 feet per mile and drains forested hillsides and agricultural valleys. Upper Brush Creek is a Class III trout stream for its entire length.
The most recent survey, conducted in 1990, documented rainbow trout and few forage fish species. The stream bottom was dominated by sand and gravel. In-stream cover consisted of undercut banks and overhanging grasses. Upper Brush Creek should be resurveyed after conclusion of the Middle Kickapoo River Priority Watershed Project in 2004. WDNR records indicate Upper Brush Creek has not been stocked with trout. The rainbow trout documented in the 1990 survey were likely escapees from a trout pond adjacent to the stream. Access to Upper Brush Creek is from two road crossings.
Date 2002
Author Cynthia Koperski
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
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 |
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Monitoring Projects
| WBIC | Official Waterbody Name | Station ID | Station Name | Earliest Fieldwork Date | Latest Fieldwork Date | View Station | View Data |
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| 1199000 | Upper Brush Creek | 10037571 | Upper Brush Cr off intersection of Olympic Ave and Olympia Rd | 5/17/2012 | 1/1/2015 | Map | Data |
| 1199000 | Upper Brush Creek | 10013989 | Upper Brush Creek Station 4 - 300ft Downstream Of Oneida Rd. Bridge Crossing | 4/21/1994 | 4/21/1994 | Map | Data |
| 1199000 | Upper Brush Creek | 10013988 | Upper Brush Creek Station 6 - T15 R3w S34 Ne 1/4 Ne 1/4 | | | Map | Data |
| 1199000 | Upper Brush Creek | 10013991 | Upper Brush Creek Station 2 - 500 Ft Below Farm Rd. Crossing In S27 | | | Map | Data |
| 1199000 | Upper Brush Creek | 10013986 | Upper Brush Creek Station 4 - T15n R3w S36 Ne 1/4 Sw 1/4 | | | Map | Data |
| 1199000 | Upper Brush Creek | 10013990 | Upper Brush Creek Station 1 - Sth 33 Bridge Crossing | | | Map | Data |
| 1199000 | Upper Brush Creek | 10013987 | Upper Brush Creek Station 5 - T15n R3w S35 Ne 1/4 Sw 1/4 | 1/1/2015 | 1/1/2015 | Map | Data |
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Watershed Characteristics
Upper Brush Creek is located in the Middle Kickapoo River watershed which is 246.53 mi². Land use in the watershed is primarily forest (55.20%), grassland (24.30%) and a mix of agricultural (15.30%) and other uses (5.20%). This watershed has 585.18 stream miles, 145.14 lake acres and 3,360.69 wetland acres.
Nonpoint Source Characteristics
This watershed is ranked Not Available for runoff impacts on streams, Not Available 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.
Upper Brush Creek is considered a 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) 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.