Ok Creek, Lower Sugar River Watershed (SP11)
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Ok Creek, Lower Sugar River Watershed (SP11)
Ok Creek (877200)
6.82 Miles
0 - 6.82
Natural Community
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.
Cool-Cold Headwater, Cool-Warm Headwater
Year Last Monitored
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.
2024
Poor
 
This river is impaired
Degraded Biological Community, Degraded Habitat
Total Phosphorus, Sediment/Total Suspended Solids
 
Green
Trout Water 
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.
No
Outstanding or Exceptional 
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.
No
Impaired Water 
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.
Yes

Fish and Aquatic Life

Current Use
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.
Restricted Aquatic Life
Fish and Aquatic Life communities are not fully supported in this ecosystem.
Attainable Use
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.
WWFF
Streams capable of supporting a warm waterdependent forage 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.
Designated Use
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.
Default FAL
Fish and Aquatic Life - Default Waters do not have a specific use designation subcategory but are considered fishable, swimmable waters.

Overview

This stream flows easterly into the Sugar River. Managed for forage fish. This stream is used principally for drainage of large expanses of wetland partially converted to farmland. Accessible through a public hunting grounds. Eleven acres of marsh still exist on the stream. Surface Acres= 3.1, Miles= 4.2, Gradient= 20.2' per mile

From: Poff, Ronald J., and C.W. Threinen, Lake and Stream Classification Project. Surface Water Resources of Green County, Wisconsin Conservation Department, Madison I, 1961.

Date  1961

Author   Surface Water Inventory Of Wisconsin

Historical Description

Most of this sluggish stream has been ditched to drain a large wetland area west of the Sugar River. An unnamed tributary (also ditched) enters the stream in Section 10. Several springs in a small area of upland form the headwaters of OK Creek. The bottom in this portion consists of sand and muck with a few small gravel runs. The lower end of the stream flows through a wet, silt loam river bench which has been converted to cropland. The water is turbid and the bottom is composed of silt and muck. Grass, sedges and a few trees provide adequate bank cover.

Surface Acres = 3.0, Length = 4.2 Miles, Gradient = 15 ft./mi., Base Discharge = 2.7 cu. ft./sec.

Bush, D.M., R. Cornelius, D. Engle, and C.L. Brynildson. 1980. Lake and Stream Classification Project. Surface Water Resources of Green County, 2nd Edition. Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, Madison, Wisconsin.

Date  1980

Author   Surface Water Inventory Of Wisconsin

Ok Creek, Lower Sugar River Watershed (SP11) Fish and Aquatic LifeOk Creek, Lower Sugar River Watershed (SP11) RecreationOk Creek, Lower Sugar River Watershed (SP11) Fish Consumption

General Condition

Much of this stream has been ditched to drain a large wetland area west of the Sugar River. The water is turbid even in times of low flow (Amrhein, personal obs). It has not been monitored recently.

Date  2000

Author   Aquatic Biologist

Impaired Waters

The 2018 assessments of Ok Creek showed continued impairment by phosphorus; new total phosphorus sample data exceeded the 2018 WisCALM listing criteria for the Fish and Aquatic Life use. However, there was no new available biological data to observe further biological impairment (i.e. this water was listed in previous water evaluation cycles, but no new macroinvertebrate or fish Index of Biotic Integrity (IBI) scores were available). Based on the most updated information, no change in the existing impaired waters listing was needed.

Date  2017

Author  Ashley Beranek

Impaired Waters

Ok Creek (877200) was assessed during the 2016 listing cycle; total phosphorus sample data exceed 2016 WisCALM listing criteria for the Fish and Aquatic Life use and biological impairment was observed (i.e. at least one macroinvertebrate or fish Index of Biotic Integrity (IBI) scored in the poor condition category). The regional biologist recommends this water for listing for degraded habitat and Sediment/Total Suspended Solids.

Date  2015

Author  Aaron Larson

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

2019 Total Phosphorus Monitoring Report - OK Creek at Mill Road
2019 Total Phosphorus Monitoring Report - OK Creek at Mt Hope Rd
2019 Total Phosphorus Monitoring Report - Ok Creek Upstream Of Cty G
2020 Comprehensive WQ Assessments
Final Draft 2018 Impaired Waters List
Comprehensive 2018 River/Stream Water Quality Assessments
A final report of the 2014 assessment of the Lower Sugar River Watershed HUC 10: 0709000407
Comprehensive 2016 Rivers Stream Assessments
2014 Total Phosphorus Monitoring Report - OK Creek at Mt Hope Rd
2013 Total Phosphorus Monitoring Report -OK Creek at Mt Hope Rd

Recommendations

Monitor or Propose 303(d) Listing
The entire length of OK Creek should be added to the state?s 303(d) list of impaired waters due to habitat degradation caused by excessive sediment deposition and channel straightening. OK Creek should also be added to the impaired waters list for total phosphorus as concentrations exceed the WisCALM (WDNR, 2018) guidance.The department should review land use and nutrient management efforts in this sub-watershed to determine if any improvements can be made to reduce phosphorus delivery to the stream.

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
Taylor Creek-Sugar R. TWA WQM Plan , 20172014

Monitoring Projects

WBICOfficial Waterbody NameStation IDStation NameEarliest Fieldwork DateLatest Fieldwork DateView StationView Data
877200Ok Creek10052393OK Creek at Mill Road5/26/201910/24/2023MapData
877200Ok Creek10039915OK Creek at Mt Hope Rd5/21/201310/22/2024MapData
877200Ok Creek10009520Ok Creek Upstream Of Cty G11/15/200210/24/2023MapData
877200Ok Creek10042232OK Creek at Preston Rd6/5/20141/1/2015MapData

Watershed Characteristics

Ok Creek is located in the Lower Sugar River watershed which is 217.85 mi². Land use in the watershed is primarily agricultural (65.80%), grassland (16.90%) and a mix of forest (7.60%) and other uses (9.70%). This watershed has 467.98 stream miles, 202.10 lake acres and 6,999.03 wetland acres.

Nonpoint Source Characteristics

This watershed is ranked Low 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.

Natural Community

Ok Creek is considered a Cool-Cold Headwater, Cool-Warm Headwater 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 (Warm-Transition) Headwaters are small, sometimes intermittent streams with cool to warm summer temperatures. Coldwater fishes are uncommon to absent, transitional fishes are abundant to common, and warm water fishes are common to uncommon. Headwater species are abundant to common, mainstem species are common to absent, and river species are absent.

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.

Fisheries & Habitat

For management purposes, the stream is classified as a forage fish stream, although northern pike and smallmouth bass do come up from the Sugar River. Muskrats inhabit the banks along the stream and a small area of sedge meadow provides habitat for ducks and other migratory waterfowl. Public access is provided from four road crossings and from 2.4 miles of frontage in the Brodhead Wildlife Area.

Fish Species: Central mudminnow, northern pike, central stoneroller, horny head chub, common shiner, bigmouth shiner, spotfin shiner, sand shiner, suckermouth minnow, bluntnose minnow, fathead minnow, creek chub, white sucker, b'rook stickleback, smallmouth bass, Johnny darter, blackside darter.

Date  2011

Author   Aquatic Biologist

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