Water Detail - Knapp Creek, Knapp Creek Watershed (LW08)

Knapp Creek, Knapp Creek Watershed (LW08)

Return to Search

Knapp Creek (1206400)

Size

18.35 Miles

Segment

10.20 - 28.55

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, Cool-Warm Mainstem

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.

2015

General Condition

Good

County

Crawford, Richland

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

For about 15 miles above Excelsior, Knapp Creek is a Class I trout stream. The upper end of
Knapp Creek supports a very good wild trout fishery and has good potential and habitat.
Baseline data on this stream was collected in 2000.
A cursory habitat evaluation was conducted in 2001 and found the habitat in the stream to
range from poor in some locations to good in others. The habitat in the upper headwater
reaches of Knapp Creek are in good condition with little erosion and deposition of sediment
present. Banks in this area have some vegetative cover to offer bank stability. The rest of the
stream, with the exception of just below Jimtown Branch was determined to be in fair
condition with more erosion, increased deposition and decreased vegetative cover. The
habitat below Jimtown Branch is in poor condition and heavy erosion, and an obvious lack of
habitat are apparent.
Sedimentation is one of the main problems in parts of the stream. Water quality and habitat
may be threatened by the barnyards along the creek, although cattle grazing along the stream
has been reduced. There are WDNR fishing easements in the headwater reaches of Knapp
Creek. In addition, some state owned land and easements can be found at the mouth of Knapp
Creek. This area is known as the Knapp Creek Wildlife Area.

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

Overview

For about 12.7 miles above Excelsior, Knapp Creek is a Class II trout stream. The upper end of Knapp Creek supports a very good wild trout fishery and has good potential and habitat. It is recommended that the upper 12.7 miles in Richland County in addition to the upper 1.7 miles in Crawford County be upgraded to Class I trout water and exceptional resource water (ERW) based upon baseline data collected in 2000.

A cursory habitat evaluation was conducted in 2001 and found the habitat in the stream to range from poor in some locations to good in others. The habitat in the upper headwater reaches of Knapp Creek are in good condition with little erosion and deposition of sediment present. Banks in this area have some vegetative cover to offer bank stability. The rest of the stream, with the exception of just below Jimtown Branch was determined to be in fair condition with more erosion, increased deposition and decreased vegetative cover. The habitat below Jimtown Branch is in poor condition and heavy erosion, and an obvious lack of habitat are apparent.

Sedimentation is one of the main problems in parts of the stream. Water quality and habitat may be threatened by the barnyards along the creek, although cattle grazing along the stream has been reduced. There are DNR fishing easements in the headwater reaches of Knapp Creek. In addition, some state owned land and easements can be found at the mouth of Knapp Creek. This area is known as the Knapp Creek Wildlife Area.

Date 2001

Author Aquatic Biologist

Historical Description

For about 11.8 miles above Excelsior, Knapp Creek is a Class II trout stream (WDNR 1980). Water quality is judged to be good (Eagan, 1985), though no data exists for the stream. Sedimentation is suspected to be a problem in some parts of the stream. At least one very bad barnyard exists adjacent the stream (Sorge, M., 1991). Other barnyards may be causing habitat and water quality problems. Cattle grazing the banks is a problem in other reaches of the stream (Sorge, M., 1991).

Date 1994

Author Surface Water Inventory Of Wisconsin

Knapp Creek, Knapp Creek Watershed (LW08) Fish and Aquatic Life

Knapp Creek, Knapp Creek Watershed (LW08) Recreation

Knapp Creek, Knapp Creek Watershed (LW08) 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

Comprehensive 2016 Rivers Stream Assessments

Crawford County Surface Water Resources 1972

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
1206400	Knapp Creek	10037606	NC - 0380 Knapp Cr. 56 meters US of CTH. U	6/8/2012	1/1/2015	Map	Data
1206400	Knapp Creek	10022770	Knapp Cr. Station 1 Bridge On CTH U	1/1/2015	1/1/2015	Map	Data
1206400	Knapp Creek	10037856	Knapp Creek at confluence of Unnamed trib (5031568)	1/1/2015	1/1/2015	Map	Data
1206400	Knapp Creek	10016188	Knapp Cr - Start Of Habitat Station #1	11/13/2000	11/13/2000	Map	Data
1206400	Knapp Creek	10029568	Knapp Creek US CTH U	1/1/2015	1/1/2015	Map	Data
1206400	Knapp Creek	10044413	Knapp Creek Hwy U Bridge	6/16/2015	6/16/2015	Map	Data
1206400	Knapp Creek	10042544	Knapp Creek 80 m US of CTH F Bridge			Map	Data
1206400	Knapp Creek	10022772	Knapp Cr ~300m DS Fish School Rd	1/1/2015	1/1/2015	Map	Data
1206400	Knapp Creek	10022774	Knapp Cr. Station 4 T11n R2w Sec 30 Nwse			Map	Data
5572611	Unnamed	10042544	Knapp Creek 80 m US of CTH F Bridge			Map	Data
1206400	Knapp Creek	10022771	Knapp Cr. Station 2 T10n R2e Sec 6 Sesw	1/1/2015	1/1/2015	Map	Data
1206400	Knapp Creek	10029574	Knapp Creek US English Run confluence	1/1/2015	1/1/2015	Map	Data
1206400	Knapp Creek	10051470	Knapp Cr US CTH U by Twin Springs Rd			Map	Data
1206400	Knapp Creek	10008052	Knapp Creek Station 1			Map	Data

Watershed Characteristics

Knapp Creek is located in the Knapp Creek watershed which is 158.64 mi². Land use in the watershed is primarily forest (53.60%), grassland (23%) and a mix of agricultural (13.60%) and other uses (9.90%). This watershed has 395.31 stream miles, 126.86 lake acres and 6,498.05 wetland acres.

Nonpoint Source Characteristics

This watershed is ranked Medium 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

Knapp Creek is considered a Cool-Cold Mainstem, Cool-Cold Headwater, Cool-Warm Mainstem 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.

More Interactive Maps

View Water in Alternative Map