Canyon Park Creek, Mill and Blue Mounds Creek Watershed (LW15)
Return to Search
Canyon Park Creek, Mill and Blue Mounds Creek Watershed (LW15)
Canyon Park Creek (1245200)
3.78 Miles
0 - 3.78
Natural Community
Cool-Cold Headwater
Year Last Monitored
2023
Good
 
Iowa
Trout Water 
Yes
Outstanding or Exceptional 
No
Impaired Water 
No

Fish and Aquatic Life

Current Use
Supported Aquatic Life
Attainable Use
Cold (Class II Trout)
Designated Use
Cold

Overview

Canyon Park Creek is a major tributary to Cutler Creek. The stream has one of the highest stream gradients in Iowa County which contributes to erosion and flooding problems. The creek can support a Class II brown trout fishery and it has been recommended that the stream be added to the Wisconsin Trout Streams book. The stream has problems due to hydrologic modification and nonpoint source pollution. These problems have affected trout habitat. Efforts could be made to improve the in-stream conditions of Canyon Park 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

Canyon Park Creek - Mouth location T6N R4E Section 8 - 3, Surface acres = 5.3, Length = 5.3 miles, Gradient = 78.6 feet per mile, Total alkalinity = 302.0 mg/l, Volume of flow = 2.0 cfs
Canyon Park Creek is a tributary to the Cutler Creek. It contributes about 60 percent of the base flow of the Cutler Creek and enters it one-third mile aobe its juction with Mill Creek. Being spring fed, it was managed as a trout stream many years ago. There are three distinct tributaries which contribute slightly over 50 percent of its base flow. This stream has one of the highest stream gradient of any stream in Iowa County. As a result, there are erosion and flooding problems in the basin, especially during periods of heavy precipitation. About two-thirds of the watershed is devoted to limited agricultural use which serves to accentuate these problems. Presently there is a flood control dam being built on Cutler Creek just below the Cutler-Canyon Park confluences. This structure is designed to retain flood waters during thimes of peak runoff and release them slowly. This is one of a series of structures planned as part of the Twin Valley Watershed Project, administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, to alleviate flooding in the Mill Creek Watershed.
Waterfowl and marshland furbearers can be considered scarce because of the well drained nature of the basin. At one time it was managed as a trout stream and stocked with brown trout. It is very doubtful that this species exists at the present time althought there is the possibility that a small resident brook trout population might still exist near its headwaters. A brief seining survey revealed the species composition of the forage fishes to be white suckers, common shiners, blacknose and redbelly dace, brook sticklebacks, fantial darters and stoneroller minnows. There are no public lands on this stream but it is accessible from a county road crossing.

From: Piening, Ronald and Threinen, C.W., 1968. Lake and Stream Classification Project. Surface Water Resources of Iowa County, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, Madison, WI.

Date  1968

Author   Surface Water Inventory Of Wisconsin

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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Waters that support fish and aquatic life communities (healthy biological communities).
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.
Streams 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 through natural reproduction and selective propagation. 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.
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.
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.