Sawmill Creek, Lower East Branch Pecatonica Rivers Watershed (SP03)
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Sawmill Creek, Lower East Branch Pecatonica Rivers Watershed (SP03)
Sawmill Creek (906000)
4.03 Miles
0 - 4.03
Natural Community
Cool-Cold Mainstem, Macroinvertebrate, Cool-Cold Headwater, Coldwater
Year Last Monitored
2018
Good
 
Lafayette
Trout Water 
Yes
Outstanding or Exceptional 
No
Impaired Water 
No

Fish and Aquatic Life

Current Use
Supported Aquatic Life
Attainable Use
Cold (Class II Trout)
Designated Use
Cold

Overview

This tributary to the East Branch of the Pecatonica River begins in the driftless area of Green County and flows southwestward into Lafayette County. Most of the stream is managed as a Class II trout fishery. In the flatter stretches, the bottom is composed primarily of silt, while the steeper sections contain mostly gravel and rubble (Surface Water Resources of Green County, 1980). Most macroinvertebrate samples taken from 1985 through 1990 indicated “very good” water quality. The stream suffers from bank erosion and low flow in the headwaters and sediment deposition, turbidity, and channel straightening in the lower reaches.

Monitoring conducted in 2004 and 2007 shows the stream to contain brown trout as well as eurythermal species. Most of the species making up this latter category are species tolerant to habitat disturbance such as creek chub and white sucker; however, there are also several darter species and simple lithophils such as common shiner and southern redbelly dace. Macroinvertebrate samples continue to show “very good” water quality from an organic loading standpoint. Macroinvertebrate IBIs vary between “poor” and good”. Indications are that the stream is a disturbed cool-warm transitional stream that has not changed much over the past 2 decades.

Date  2010

Author  James Amrhein

Historical Description

This moderate sized trout stream flows southwest through the driftless area of Green County and into Lafayette County, where it enters the East Branch of the Pecatonica River. An unnamed tributary enters Sawmill Creek in Section 15 and Erickson Creek, another trout stream, enters just inside the Lafayette County line. The creek flows through cropland, pasture and hardwood forest. In the flatter stretches the bottom is composed primarily of silt, while in the steeper segments (Sections 20 and 29) the bottom is predominantly gravel and rubble.

Bank erosion is moderate to heavy in the pastured areas and the water is generally turbid. Sawmill Creek is managed as Class II brown trout water in its entirety. Trout spawning occurs in Sections 20 and 29 where there is a gravel bottom and a good pool-riffle ratio. The lack of good spawning substrate in other stretches limits natural trout reproduction. Forage fish densities are very high and a few northern pike are present. Wildlife values consist of muskrats and a very limited number of migrating ducks. Public access and frontage consists of seven public road crossings.

Fish Species: Brown trout, northern pike, central stoneroller, hornyhead chub, common shiner, southern red- belly dace, bluntnose minnow, creek chub, white sucker, shorthead redhorse, brook stickleback, fantail darter, Johnny darter.

Surface Acres = 8.6, Length = 6.0 Miles, Gradient = 26 ft./mi., Base Oischarge = 11.5 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

Historical Description

Sawmill Creek begins in Green County and flows southwesterly into Lafayette County. In less than three miles, it enters the East Branch of the Pecatonica River. The vegetative cover of the direct drainage area is predominantly agricultural crops. The floodplain is mostly in meadow pasture and woodland while the uplands are in crops and wooded pasture. Bank erosion is moderate within the county. The most common bottom types are silt, hardpan and gravel, in that order. For fish management purposes, it is considered a better than average trout stream. However, most of the more productive portion is in Green County. Erickson Creek, a major tributary, is also considered a good trout stream and enters Sawmill Creek within the county. The section within Lafayette County contains some trout and also smallmouth bass. Both streams are stocked annually with brown trout. Aquatic game consists principally of muskrats. Upland game species found in the basin are pheasants, Hungarian partridge, ruffed grouse, and the common upland mammals. There are no lands in public ownership. Access is restricted to two road bridges, and is considered adequate.

From: Piening, Ronald; Poff, Ronald; Threinen, C.W., 1967. Lake and Stream Classification Project. Surface Water Resources of Lafayette County, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, Madison, WI.

Date  1967

Author   Surface Water Inventory Of Wisconsin

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