Green
No
No
No
Fish and Aquatic Life
Overview
Smock Creek is a warm water stream that flow west and joins Skinner Creek northeast of Browntown. The creek used to be stocked with trout, but now supports mainly a forage fishery with a few smallmouth bass present. In addition to degradation by agricultural non-point source pollution, ammonia from a manure spill caused a fish kill in 1993. A citation was issued for illegal discharge of animal waste. No surveys have been conducted on the stream in the last 10 years.
Date 2002
Author Aquatic Biologist
Historical Description
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.
This warm water stream flows west and joins Skinner Creek northeast of Browntown. Three unnamed tributaries
flow into Smock Creek and three small ponds are located on its headwaters. Most of the creek has been ditched and runs through cropland and pasture. Bank erosion is common in the pastured areas and the water is usually turbid. Sand is the primary bottom type, but large amounts of silt are present along with a few gravel and rubble riffle areas. In places, undercut banks and small pool areas provide good cover for fish.
Forage species dominate the fishery, but a few smallmouth bass are present and brown trout have been stocked
in the past. Wildlife values are limited primarily to muskrats, although 50 acres of adjoining wetland provides cover fora small number of migratory waterfowl. Public access is provided from three road crossings.
.Fish Species: Brown trout, central stoneroller, brassy minnow, common shiner, southern redbelly dace, creek chub, quillback, white sucker, brook stickleback, bluegill, smallmouth bass, green sunfish x pumpkinseed hybrid, fantail darter.
Surface Acres = 4.3, Length = 6.0 Miles, Gradient = 30 ft./mi., Base Discharge = 3.8 cu. ft./sec.
Date 1980
Author Surface Water Inventory Of Wisconsin
Historical Description
Flows west to Skinner Creek. Managed for forage fish at present; however, small population of smallmouth bass is present. Smock Valley Watershed Cooperative has done much to stabilize the stream. Considerable part of the mainstream is ditched. 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= 6.2, Miles= 8.5, Gradient= 24.7' per mile
Date 1961
Author Surface Water Inventory Of Wisconsin
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.
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 |
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Monitoring Projects
| WBIC | Official Waterbody Name | Station ID | Station Name | Earliest Fieldwork Date | Latest Fieldwork Date | View Station | View Data |
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| 895400 | Smock Creek | 10014389 | Smock Creek-Upstream Of Smock Valley Rd 105m To End Gps | | | Map | Data |
| 895400 | Smock Creek | 10017295 | Smock Cr.-Immediately Downstream Of Culvert Under Smock Valley Rd. (2nd Bridge.) | 5/7/1980 | 5/7/1980 | Map | Data |
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Watershed Characteristics
Smock Creek is located in the Jordan and Skinner Creeks watershed which is 94.06 mi². Land use in the watershed is primarily agricultural (41.80%), grassland (41.30%) and a mix of forest (11.80%) and other uses (5.20%). This watershed has 234.78 stream miles, 48.73 lake acres and 1,559.08 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.