Water Detail - Burgy Creek, Little Sugar River Watershed (SP14)

Burgy Creek, Little Sugar River Watershed (SP14)

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Burgy Creek (880500)

Size

10.99 Miles

Segment

0 - 10.99

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 Mainstem, Cool-Cold Headwater, Coldwater

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.

2020

General Condition

Poor

This river is impaired

Impairments include

Elevated Water Temperature

Pollutants include

Sediment/Total Suspended Solids

County

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.

Yes

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.

Yes

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.

Cold (Class II Trout)

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.

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.

Cold

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.

Overview

Burgy Creek is a ten-mile tributary in the Little Sugar watershed that flows easterly into the West Branch Little Sugar River. The Burgy Creek sub-watershed encompasses twenty-four square miles and is predominantly agricultural. The stream is currently managed as a warm water forage fishery, and contains a diverse forage fishery including cold water indicator species such as mottled sculpin and brook trout.

These species indicate the creek’s potential to become a class II cold water trout stream. Fish surveys performed in 2002 at two segments of the stream both produced an CWIBI score of 20, which rates this creek’s coldwater biotic integrity as poor. Stream channel ditching, runoff from farm fields, and streambank grazing have degraded the habitat in the stream. Consequently, the entire stream length is listed as impaired with sediment as the primary non-point source pollutant.

As part of a structured habitat survey in 2002, WDNR aquatic biologists observed that the stream bottom had extensive (greater than 60% silt and clay) fines in riffles and runs. According to the WDNR habitat ratings, this is considered poor habitat. A 2002 macroinvertebrate survey produced an HBI score of 4.788, which indicates “good” water quality with some organic pollution. Overall, this stream ranks high on the non-point source priority list, and is on the state’s list of Exceptional Resource Waters. During the 2002 survey, a redside dace (state species of concern) was found and is the first report of this species in the stream. The monitoring conducted in 2002 confirms that this stream could respond favorably to management actions aimed at reducing non-point source pollution and improving habitat.

Date 2005

Author Aquatic Biologist

Overview

Burgy Creek is a tributary to the West Branch Little Sugar River. It is currently managed as a warm water forage fishery. Despite its designation as warm water, it contains a diverse forage fishery, including cold water indicator species such as mottled sculpin and brook trout (Bush pers comm). These species indicate the creek’s potential to be a trout stream. Stream channel ditching, runoff from farm fields and streambank grazing have degraded the habitat in the stream. The creek is on the state’s list of Exceptional Resource Waters (ERW). Overall, it ranks high on the nonpoint source priority list. Fish and habitat monitoring conducted in 2002 confirmed that this stream could respond favorably to management actions aimed at reducing nonpoint source pollution and improving habitat. A redside dace was found in 2002, the first report of this species in the stream.

Date 2002

Author Aquatic Biologist

Historical Description

Flows generally east to join with the Elmer School Brance and enter the Little Sugar River. Managed for forage fish and suckers. The uppermost section of this stream is sometimes locally referred to as Loveland Branch. Very little stream bank cover; bottom type primarily silt. several of the smaller tributaties have tiled and seeded and presently feed cool water to the stream. there are 87 acres of marshland that lie adjacent to the stream near the mouth. 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. Surface Acres= 11.9, Miles= 12.3, Gradient= 9.8' per mile

Date 1961

Author Surface Water Inventory Of Wisconsin

Burgy Creek, Little Sugar River Watershed (SP14) Fish and Aquatic Life

Burgy Creek, Little Sugar River Watershed (SP14) Recreation

Burgy Creek, Little Sugar River Watershed (SP14) Fish Consumption

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

2020 Comprehensive WQ Assessments

Phrag_Green_20181024_600 Yds W of Churd Rd and Highpoint Rd Intersection_JJackson_IncidentReportForm

Final Draft 2018 Impaired Waters List

Final Report on the Assessment of Water Quality in the LIttle Sugar River Watershed (2011)

USEPA Decision Document for the Approval of the Sugar Pecatonica TMDL 875300

Sugar Pecatonica River Basin TMDLs 875300

Recommendations

TMDL (USEPA) Approved

Burgy Creek TMDL Approved

Standards Details

Assessment unit is entire reach downstream to the confluence with the Little Sugar River.

Date 2010

Author Aquatic Biologist

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

Monitoring Projects

WBIC	Official Waterbody Name	Station ID	Station Name	Earliest Fieldwork Date	Latest Fieldwork Date	View Station	View Data
880500	Burgy Creek	10009417	Burgy Creek Upstream Sth 69	4/18/1980	11/15/2002	Map	Data
880500	Burgy Creek	10009510	Burgy Creek Upstream Of Center Rd.	10/20/1987	9/24/2019	Map	Data
880500	Burgy Creek	10033879	Burgy Creek at CTH F	1/1/2015	9/24/2019	Map	Data
880500	Burgy Creek	10051770	600 Yds W of Churd Rd and Highpoint Rd Intersection	10/24/2018	10/24/2018	Map	Data
880500	Burgy Creek	10033799	Burgy Creek at Feldt Road	6/21/2011	7/21/2015	Map	Data
880500	Burgy Creek	10034014	Burgy Creek at Washington Road	10/10/2011	1/1/2015	Map	Data

Watershed Characteristics

Burgy Creek is located in the Little Sugar River watershed which is 133.02 mi². Land use in the watershed is primarily agricultural (46.80%), grassland (32.10%) and a mix of forest (13.90%) and other uses (7.00%). This watershed has 351.74 stream miles, 50.40 lake acres and 3,252.10 wetland acres.

Nonpoint Source Characteristics

This watershed is ranked Not Ranked 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.This water is ranked High Stream for individual Rivers based on runoff problems and the likelihood of success from project implementation.

Natural Community

Burgy Creek is considered a Cool-Cold Mainstem, 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) Mainstem streams are moderate-to-large but still wadeable perennial streams with cold to cool summer temperatures. Coldwater fishes are common to uncommon, transitional fishes are abundant to common, and warm water fishes are uncommon to absent. Headwater species are common to absent, mainstem species are abundant to common, and river species are common to 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.

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