Water Detail - Olson Creek, Upper East Branch Pecatonica River Watershed (SP06)

Olson Creek, Upper East Branch Pecatonica River Watershed (SP06)

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Olson Creek (910100)

Size

3.95 Miles

Segment

0 - 3.95

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 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.

2015

General Condition

Fair

County

Iowa

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.

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

Olson Creek is a small spring fed creek that originates southwest of Hollandale and flows southeasterly into the East Branch of the Pecatonica River. It is a Class II trout fishery for 4 of its 5 miles. Brown trout continue to be stocked into the stream. A 1999 stocking of brook trout has not been evaluated. This stream has not been monitored recently.

Date 2002

Author Aquatic Biologist

Historical Description

Olson Creek - Mouth location T4N R5E Section 9 -2, Surface area = 3.1 acres, Length = 4.0 miles, Gradient = 45.0 feet per mile, Total alkalinity = 275.0 mg/l, Volume of flow = 2.4 cfs.
Olson Creek is a small spring fed stream which flows southeasterly into the East Branch of the Pecatonica River. About 85 percent of its watershed area is cleared for farming and flooding with subsequent bank erosion is commonplace, especially in the lower sections. The sport fishery consists of brown trout which are maintained by stocking. Forage fish species include hornyhead and creek chubs, common shiner, redbelly dace, stoneroller minnows, sculpins and brook sticklebacks. Furbearers such as muskrats are common throughout most of its length. There are no public lands. At the present time it can be reached from a county road. bridge.

From: Piening, Ronald and Threinen, C.W., 1968. Lake and Stream Classification Project. Surface Water Resources of Iowa County, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, Madison, WI.

Date 1968

Author Surface Water Inventory Of Wisconsin

Olson Creek, Upper East Branch Pecatonica River Watershed (SP06) Fish and Aquatic Life

Olson Creek, Upper East Branch Pecatonica River Watershed (SP06) Recreation

Olson Creek, Upper East Branch Pecatonica River Watershed (SP06) 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

2018 List of Healthy (Category 2) Waters

Comprehensive 2016 Rivers Stream Assessments

Pecatonica River Watershed Assessment Pilot Project FINAL-Report

EPA Pecatonica Watershed Assessment Pilot

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
Fish Propagation Actions	2001

Monitoring Projects

WBIC	Official Waterbody Name	Station ID	Station Name	Earliest Fieldwork Date	Latest Fieldwork Date	View Station	View Data
910200	Unnamed	10054250	Unnamed Trib(910200) ~125M US Olson Cr			Map	Data
910100	Olson Creek	10029527	Olson Creek UPSTREAM OF K	10/12/2006	7/10/2015	Map	Data
910100	Olson Creek	10031456	Olson Creek .2 mi W of County K .8 mi S of Norton Rd.	7/20/2010	1/1/2015	Map	Data
910100	Olson Creek	10047010	Olson Cr. ~ 2260ft DS CTH K			Map	Data
910100	Olson Creek	10047009	Olson Cr. ~2616ft US confluence with E. Branch Pecatonica	1/1/2015	1/1/2015	Map	Data
910100	Olson Creek	10011896	Olson Creek - 1st Fence Line Down150m From Cth K Bridge	10/18/2004	10/18/2004	Map	Data

Watershed Characteristics

Olson Creek is located in the Upper East Branch Pecatonica River watershed which is 140.18 mi². Land use in the watershed is primarily grassland (52.10%), agricultural (22.10%) and a mix of forest (20.70%) and other uses (5.10%). This watershed has 395.65 stream miles, 61.72 lake acres and 834.33 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.

Natural Community

Olson Creek is considered a 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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