Iowa
No
No
No
Fish and Aquatic Life
Overview
Avoca Lake, in the Otter and Morrey Creeks Watershed, is a 62.98 acre lake that falls in Iowa County. This lake is managed for fishing and swimming and is currently not considered impaired.
Date 2011
Author Aquatic Biologist
Historical Description
Source: 1968, Surface Water Resources of Iowa County,WI: WI-DNR
Avoca Lake, T6N, R12E, Section 1, 2, 7
Surface Acres = 48.0, S.D.F. = 4.3, Maximum Depth = 10 feet
Avoca Lake is actually an enlargement of Marsh Creek which
is the major source of water. Other sources include ground
seepage and flood waters from the Wisconsin River. Approximately
30 percent of the lake is only about three feet deep and as a
consequence there is a weed problem. The drainage area is about
13 square miles of which about 40 percent is cleared for
agriculture. Therefore, siltation due to runoff waters is a
potential problem. The lake has been known to flood which often
affects its useability. Fishery assets are varied. Presently it
is managed for largemouth bass and northern pike. Other fish
species include walleyes, bluegills, carp, white suckers,
buffalo, and northern redhorse. The lake's proximity to the
Wisconsin River encourages many forms of aquatic game. Broods of
mallards, blue-winged teal, wood ducks and coots are common.
During the spring and fall migration, these and many other
species of waterfowl occurring in Wisconsin are present in
varying numbers. Furbearers such as beaver, muskrats, otter and
mink are very common in this watershed.
The Bureau of Game Management of the Department of Natural
Resources has been very active in the acquisition of lands in and
about this lake. To date they have acquired 2,900 acres by fee
title, part of which has been developed into a campground and
park with a public boat landing. Since it is part of Avoca
Wildlife Area it is open to public hunting and fishing. The
Department of Natural Resources leases 2,146 acres in addition to
that owned. The total public frontage is 2.7 miles. A number of
summer cottages are located along the south shore which further
attests to its desirability for recreation.
Date 1968
Author Surface Water Inventory Of Wisconsin
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 |
|---|
| 1220200 | Avoca Lake | 10002724 | Avoca Lake | 9/1/1965 | 10/9/2020 | Map | Data |
| 1220200 | Avoca Lake | 10017427 | Avoca Lake -- Landing | 6/20/2012 | 10/23/2021 | Map | Data |
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Watershed Characteristics
Avoca Lake is located in the Otter and Morrey Creeks watershed which is 198.69 mi². Land use in the watershed is primarily forest (53.60%), grassland (24.60%) and a mix of agricultural (14.10%) and other uses (7.70%). This watershed has 437.57 stream miles, 351.55 lake acres and 5,785.74 wetland acres.
Nonpoint Source Characteristics
This watershed is ranked Not Ranked for runoff impacts on streams, Low 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.