Black Earth Creek, Black Earth Creek,Mill and Blue Mounds Creek Watershed (LW15)
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Black Earth Creek, Black Earth Creek,Mill and Blue Mounds Creek Watershed (LW15)
Black Earth Creek (1248600)
6.95 Miles
0 - 6.95
Natural Community
Cool-Cold Mainstem, Cool-Warm Mainstem
Year Last Monitored
2024
Poor
 
This river is impaired
Degraded Biological Community
Total Phosphorus, Unknown Pollutant
 
Dane, Iowa
Trout Water 
No
Outstanding or Exceptional 
No
Impaired Water 
Yes

Fish and Aquatic Life

Current Use
Restricted Aquatic Life
Attainable Use
WWSF
Designated Use
Default FAL

Overview

Black Earth Creek is a 27-mile long tributary to Blue Mounds Creek. The headwaters of the stream are heavily influenced by channelization and support only warm water forage fish. The rest of the creek, however, has a high fisheries value. The lower 11.5 miles support a warm water sport fishery that includes smallmouth bass although the section between Black Earth and Mazomanie may be able to be reclassified to cold water. Upstream from this warm water section, the stream is a cold water trout fishery and is fed by a series of spring complexes including a large cold water spring upstream from the Village of Cross Plains (Festge Springs) and numerous, other smaller springs. This stretch of Black Earth Creek is on the state's list of Outstanding and Exceptional Resource Waters (ORW/ERW) and supports a large population of naturally reproducing brown trout as well as a few native brook trout. The stream is stocked down stream with rainbow trout to increase additional opportunity for the anglers. A rare aquatic species has also been found in this stream during past stream surveys.

Overall, Black Earth Creek has high natural alkalinity, average temperatures that range from 40-65 degrees Fahrenheit, a substrate of rubble and gravel, and relatively stable flows these qualities combine to provide a highly productive aquatic ecosystem for the naturally reproducing brown trout population that exists in Black Earth Creek. As a result, the stream has been rated as one of the best 100 trout streams in the nation by Trout Unlimited. Public access is available at many road crossings and several village owned and WDNR properties. Despite its good quality, however, the entire stream is vulnerable to agricultural and urban runoff as well as permitted point source discharges.

Agricultural sources of runoff include cropland erosion, barnyard runoff and manure spreading on fields. Although this agricultural nonpoint source pollution has in many cases been addressed through the Priority Watershed Project for Black Earth Creek which is in its final stages, the stream is still at risk when these agricultural sources are poorly managed. In addition, the increasing development in the villages and in the watershed as a whole bring with it the threat of increased stormwater runoff and groundwater withdrawal. In particular, stormwater runoff from the Village of Cross Plains and other developments threaten the future of Black Earth Creek and its tributaries.

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

Black Earth Creek -Location of mouth T8N R5E Section 14 -12, Surface area -5.8 acres, Length = 1.8 miles, Gradient = 0.0 feet per mile, Total alkalinity = 240.0 mg/l, Volume of flow -14.3 cfs.

Most of this stream lies in Dane County and is described more thoroughly in the Dane County report. However, in Iowa County the stream has little gradient and it is wide and shallow throughout most of its length with a rather sterile sand bottom. It is considered one of the larger streams within the county and is the principal tributary of the Blue Mounds Creek, contributing approximately 38 percent of its total discharge. It is considered an excellent trout stream in Dane County where its principal water source is springs. The portion in Iowa County is not considered trout water but more suitable for northern pike, which are common. Forage fish species also known to be present are the emerald shiner, spotfin shiner
and white sucker. Waterfowl and marshland furbearers can be considered common throughout its length in Iowa County. There are no public lands along its banks and access within the county is from two town roads.

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.
Fish and Aquatic Life communities are not fully supported in this ecosystem.
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 capable of supporting a warm waterdependent sport fishery. Representative aquatic life communities associated with these waters generally require cool or warm temperatures and concentrations of dissolved oxygen that do not drop below 5 mg/L.
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.
Fish and Aquatic Life - Default Waters do not have a specific use designation subcategory but are considered fishable, swimmable waters.