6.32 Miles
1.14 - 7.46
Cool-Cold Mainstem, Cool-Cold Headwater
2015
Unknown
Green
Yes
No
No
Fish and Aquatic Life
Overview
Flows west to become Skinner Creek at its junction with the Buckskin School Brance. Its major tributary is refeered to as the Argus School Branch. . Manged for brown trout and rainbow trout. The majority of the stream bank is open pasture land on one side and woodlot on the other. Muskrats are present in significant numbers (bank rats). The stream has good pool-to-riffle ratio, and a bottom primarily of gravel and bedrock. Stiles are provided to aid access at strategic points along the stream.
Surface Acres= 8.4, Miles= 7.3, Gradient= 27.4' per mile
Date
Author Aquatic Biologist
Overview
This moderate sized trout stream originates from a series of spring fed tributaries north of Monroe and flows westward joining Buskskin School Creek to form Skinner Creek. While the lower 1.2 miles are managed as a warmwater sport fishery, the upper five miles are classified as trout waters. Bushnell Creek is impacted by bank erosion and some riprapping has been done on severely eroding sections. The stream has not been monitored in recent years.
Date 2002
Author Aquatic Biologist
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
Monitoring Projects
| WBIC | Official Waterbody Name | Station ID | Station Name | Earliest Fieldwork Date | Latest Fieldwork Date | View Station | View Data |
|---|
| 896500 | Bushnell Creek | 10058993 | Bushnell Creek - Downstream of HWY 69 | | | Map | Data |
| 896500 | Bushnell Creek | 10014388 | Bushnell Creek - Upstream Cth N 250 M To End | | | Map | Data |
| 896500 | Bushnell Creek | 10014411 | Bushnell Creek-Us Cth J 296 M To End Gps | 5/7/1980 | 7/21/2015 | Map | Data |
| 896500 | Bushnell Creek | 10014409 | Bushnell Creek-Us Benkert Rd 357ft To End Gps | | | Map | Data |
|
Watershed Characteristics
Bushnell 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.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.
Bushnell Creek is considered a Cool-Cold Mainstem, Cool-Cold 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 (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.