1.92 Miles
2.05 - 3.97
Cool-Cold Headwater, Coldwater
2023
Good
Sauk
No
No
No
Fish and Aquatic Life
Overview
Shannahan Valley Creek is a spring and seepage fed tributary to Honey Creek. Shannahan Valley Creek was impounded in 1970 to control flood waters and soil erosion. This impoundment helped create White Mound Lake that is owned by Sauk County. The stream although once considered a cold water stream, currently supports a warm water forage fishery. A limited sport fishery may exist in the impounded section of the stream.
Date 2002
Author Cynthia Koperski
Impaired Waters
Shannahan Valley Creek, from its mouth to White Mound Lake dam (miles 0 to 1.33), was placed on the impaired waters list in 2002 for Ammonia, BOD, and Elevated Water Temperature. Assessments of fish sample data every two-year cycle from 2018 to 2022 cycles showed them in good condition.
Shannahan Valley Creek, from White Mound Lake inlet to trib at Fern Rd. (miles 2.05 to 3.97), was evaluated for biology in 2014 and 2018 and communities were in good condition.
Date 2022
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
Recommendations
Protect Headwaters and Springs
Ponds and lakes with outlet control structures should have the tin whistles modified to protect downstream water quality.
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
Monitoring Projects
| WBIC | Official Waterbody Name | Station ID | Station Name | Earliest Fieldwork Date | Latest Fieldwork Date | View Station | View Data |
|---|
| 1257900 | Shannahan Valley Creek | 10022352 | 14 Meters Upstream From Prouty Rd [14] | 1/1/2015 | 11/6/2023 | Map | Data |
| 1257900 | Shannahan Valley Creek | 10009993 | Shannahan Valley Creek 15 Meters Upstream From Kramer Bros. Pit Road (Ohio Rd.). | 10/23/2001 | 10/23/2001 | Map | Data |
| 1257900 | Shannahan Valley Creek | 573132 | Honey Creek at Prouty Road | 9/5/2000 | 4/18/2002 | Map | Data |
|
Watershed Characteristics
Shannahan Valley Creek is located in the Honey Creek watershed which is 217.78 mi². Land use in the watershed is primarily forest (39.50%), agricultural (33.20%) and a mix of grassland (15.80%) and other uses (11.40%). This watershed has 430.53 stream miles, 301.07 lake acres and 9,324.41 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.
Shannahan Valley 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.