3.05 Miles
0 - 3.05
Cool-Cold Headwater, Coldwater
2024
Good
Sauk
Yes
No
No
Fish and Aquatic Life
Overview
Manley Creek is a small tributary to the Wisconsin River. The stream supports some natural
reproduction of brook trout and is considered a Class I trout stream. The stream has
experienced some problems as a result of beaver activity on the creek.
A lot of habitat work has been done on the stream to help support this population of trout.
Much of this work was completed on the portion of the stream that runs through property
owned by Alliant Energyýs Riverland Conservancy and has proven to be successful. This
work was a cooperative project between the state, the Riverland Conservancy, and the
Wisconsin Conservation Corp. Other projects currently underway on the Conservancy
property in addition to streambank restoration includes wetland and prairie restoration.
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
General Condition
Manley Creek was assessed during the 2018 listing cycle; new biological (macroinvertebrate and fish Index of Biotic Integrity (IBI) scores) and temperature sample data were clearly below the 2018 WisCALM listing thresholds for the Fish and Aquatic Life use. This water was meeting this designated use and was not considered impaired.
Date 2017
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
Citizen-Based Stream Monitoring
Collect chemical, physical, and/or biological water quality data to assess the current overall stream health. The data can inform management decisions and may be used to identify impaired waters for biennial lists.
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 |
|---|
| 1261200 | Manley Creek | 10011018 | Manley Creek - Manley Creek 2000' Below Hwy 113 Upstream To Hwy 113 | 6/21/2008 | 9/13/2009 | Map | Data |
| 1261200 | Manley Creek | 10010989 | Manley Creek - Manley Creek At Hwy 113 (Dnr Land) | 4/18/1992 | 6/17/2024 | Map | Data |
| 1261200 | Manley Creek | 10040541 | Manley Creek at STH 113 in Richland Conservancy | 12/14/2007 | 12/14/2007 | Map | Data |
| 1261200 | Manley Creek | 10010985 | Manley Creek - Manley Creek--Mouth Of Parfreys Glen Creek To Big Cotton Wood Tree | 1/1/2015 | 6/24/2020 | Map | Data |
| 1261200 | Manley Creek | 10008577 | Manley Creek-281 Meters Downstream Hwy 113 | | | Map | Data |
| 1261200 | Manley Creek | 10014367 | Manley Creek-Plunge Pool Below Highway 113 Bridge | | | Map | Data |
| 1261200 | Manley Creek | 10010984 | Manley Creek - Manley Creek 3200' Downstream Of Hwy 113 To Hwy 113 | 6/24/2015 | 6/24/2015 | Map | Data |
|
Watershed Characteristics
Manley Creek is located in the Lake Wisconsin watershed which is 214.96 mi². Land use in the watershed is primarily agricultural (42.60%), forest (28%) and a mix of grassland (13.10%) and other uses (16.40%). This watershed has 299.58 stream miles, 521.55 lake acres and 6,644.90 wetland acres.
Nonpoint Source Characteristics
This watershed is ranked Medium 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.
Manley 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.