Water Detail - Fryes Feeder, West Branch Sugar River

Fryes Feeder, West Branch Sugar River - Mt. Vernon Cre Watershed (SP16)

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Fryes Feeder (886800)

Size

2.03 Miles

Segment

0 - 2.03

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.

Macroinvertebrate, 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.

2023

General Condition

Good

County

Dane

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.

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.

Supported Aquatic Life

Waters that support fish and aquatic life communities (healthy biological communities).

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

Fryes Feeder Creek is considered a trout stream and is classified as an exceptional resource water (ERW). Stream and habitat restoration projects have also recently been completed on the creek with funding from the state’s Targeted Runoff Management program (Highlight the TRM project more) . Stream was monitored as a part of the 1999 and 2000 baseline monitoring. Tid-bit data from 2000. 2000-2001 Re-write with Mike Sorge

Date 2002

Author Aquatic Biologist

Historical Description

Fryes Feeder (Picture Rock Creek) -T6N, R7E, Sec. 33, Surface acres = 1.5, Length = 4 miles, Stream order = I, gradient = 38.3 ft/mile, Base discharge = 4.3 ft./sec.
This small, spring-fed stream joins Deer Creek to form Mount Vernon Creek. Water quality is good, there is good in-stream cover, and most of the stream banks have been fenced in pastured areas. There is a dense canopy of mature white cedars along the lower stretch of the stream. The Dane County Conservation League, in cooperation with the landowner, Dane County Highway Department, and the DNR recently diverted the stream from a barnyard on the west side of Town Hall Road to the east side of the road, improved the stream bank, and provided additional in-stream cover. Aquatic invertebrates and forage fish are plentiful. Fryes Feeder is the only stream in Dane County where rosyface shiners are found. A good native brown trout populatIon is present, and fishing pressure is moderate. Cooperation from landowners has been important in establ!lshlng the excellent fishery and must be continued to insure its protection. Access is available at three town roads. Fish species: sculpin, brown trout, creek chub, rosyface shiner, white sucker, central stoneroller, and mottled sculpin.

From: Day Elizabeth A.; Grzebieniak, Gayle P.; Osterby, Kurt M.; and Brynildson, Clifford L., 1985. Lake and Stream Classification Project. Surface Water Resources of Dane County, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, Madison, WI

Date 1985

Author Surface Water Inventory Of Wisconsin

Fryes Feeder, West Branch Sugar River - Mt. Vernon Cre Watershed (SP16) Fish and Aquatic Life

Fryes Feeder, West Branch Sugar River - Mt. Vernon Cre Watershed (SP16) Recreation

Fryes Feeder, West Branch Sugar River - Mt. Vernon Cre Watershed (SP16) Fish Consumption

General Condition

Fryes Feeder (miles 0-2.03) was assessed during the 2018 listing cycle; new total phosphorus 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

2020 Comprehensive WQ Assessments

2018 List of Healthy (Category 2) Waters

Comprehensive 2018 River/Stream Water Quality Assessments

2015 Total Phosphorus Monitoring Report - Fryes Feeder At Highway 92

Comprehensive 2016 Rivers Stream Assessments

Comprehensive 2014 TP IBI Rivers Assessment

Trout Stream Assessment 2008

2006 STREAM MONITORING REPORT FOR FRYES FEEDER - AT MILLER FARM

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.

Citizen-Based Stream Monitoring

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
Fryes Feeder at Miller Farm	2006
Fryes Feeder upstream 130M from HWY 92	2006
Fish Propagation Actions	2001

Monitoring Projects

WBIC	Official Waterbody Name	Station ID	Station Name	Earliest Fieldwork Date	Latest Fieldwork Date	View Station	View Data
886800	Fryes Feeder	10009643	Fryes Feeder 130m Upstream Hwy 92	9/14/1999	11/26/2019	Map	Data
886800	Fryes Feeder	10010787	Fryes Feeder - Fryes Feeder At Snowmobile Bridge Below Sth 92	10/6/2005	10/6/2005	Map	Data
886800	Fryes Feeder	10013353	Fryes Feeder (Picture Rock Cr) 1			Map	Data
886800	Fryes Feeder	10013355	Fryes Feeder (Picture Rock Cr) 3			Map	Data
886800	Fryes Feeder	10013359	Fryes Feeder (Picture Rock Cr) at Sth 92			Map	Data
886800	Fryes Feeder	10029232	Fryes Feeder - 100ft E of Town Hall Rd (Sorge old #2)	9/23/2011	1/1/2015	Map	Data
5036972	Unnamed	10054136	Unnamed Trib to Fryes Feeder @ HWY 92	8/7/2023	8/7/2023	Map	Data
886800	Fryes Feeder	10029233	Fryes Feeder - Below Donald Park off Hwy 92 #1	1/1/2015	7/28/2022	Map	Data
886800	Fryes Feeder	10009644	Fryes Feeder 240m Upstream Sth 92 (At Powerline)			Map	Data
886800	Fryes Feeder	10009642	Fryes Feeder At Highway 92	5/1/1997	8/1/2023	Map	Data
886800	Fryes Feeder	10009640	Fryes Feeder At Confluence Of Spring Pond 350m Downstream Sth 92			Map	Data
886800	Fryes Feeder	10013357	Fryes Feeder (Picture Rock Cr) 5			Map	Data

Watershed Characteristics

Fryes Feeder is located in the West Branch Sugar River - Mt. Vernon Cre watershed which is 66.74 mi². Land use in the watershed is primarily agricultural (39.90%), grassland (33.80%) and a mix of forest (19.70%) and other uses (6.60%). This watershed has 156.64 stream miles, 9.41 lake acres and 1,131.91 wetland acres.

Nonpoint Source Characteristics

This watershed is ranked High 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

Fryes Feeder is considered a Macroinvertebrate, 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.

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