Water Detail - Bonner Branch, Middle Pecatonica River Watershed (SP08)

Bonner Branch, Middle Pecatonica River Watershed (SP08)

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Bonner Branch (927000)

Size

18.28 Miles

Segment

0 - 18.28

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 Mainstem, Cool-Cold Headwater, Cool-Warm Mainstem, Cool-Warm Headwater

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.

2024

General Condition

Good

County

Lafayette

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.

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.

WWSF

Streams capable of supporting a warm waterdependent sport fishery. Representative aquatic life communities associated with these waters generally require cool or warm temperatures and concentrations of dissolved oxygen that do not drop below 5 mg/L.

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.

Default FAL

Fish and Aquatic Life - Default Waters do not have a specific use designation subcategory but are considered fishable, swimmable waters.

Overview

The Bonner Branch is a low gradient stream that is a tributary to the West Branch of the Pecatonica River. The Lactaus Cheese Factory and the Belmont wastewater treatment plant discharge to the stream. Interestingly, a 1967 surface water resources inventory reports that Bonner Branch “provides one(sic) of the best fishing in this part of the county” (DNR, 1967). Since then, however, numerous fish kills have plagued the stream over the years. The cause for the kills has varied from point source discharges, manure spills (1993 and 1999), and leaking slurry tanks (1994). Subsequent surveys conducted after these kills showed the presence of fewer fish species. The fishery manager feels the water quality of the stream has degraded from one that supports warm water sport fish to one that can only support forage fish (Bradd,pers comm).

Date 2002

Author Aquatic Biologist

Historical Description

Bonner Branch, T3N, R3E, Sections 8-11, Surface acres- = 21.5, Miles = 13.5, Gradient = 18.2 feet per mile, Total alkalinity = 288 mg/l, Volume of flow = 8.9 cfs.
Bonner Branch has a lower than average stream gradient for a Lafayette County stream and flows northeasterly into the West Branch of the Pecatonica River. Its major tributary is Cottage Inn Branch which is a good smallmouth bass and channel catfish stream. In conjunction with this tributary, Bonner Branch provides one of the best sport fishing in this part of the county. Most of the land area in the watershed is considered agricultural; however, there is a considerable amount of woods and meadow pasture along its banks to provide suitable nesting habitat for waterfowl and some upland game. Urban development is limited to the town of Belmont located on the upper portion of the stream. Industrial pollution from
this municipality has been a problem in the past.The Belmont sewage treatment plant is located on the stream southeast
of town. There is no other land on the stream in public ownership. Suitable access is possible from the many road bridges located along its length.

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

Bonner Branch, Middle Pecatonica River Watershed (SP08) Fish and Aquatic Life

Bonner Branch, Middle Pecatonica River Watershed (SP08) Recreation

Bonner Branch, Middle Pecatonica River Watershed (SP08) Fish Consumption

General Condition

Bonner Branch was assessed during the 2018 listing cycle; new biological (macroinvertebrate Index of Biotic Integrity (IBI) scores) 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

Comprehensive 2016 Rivers Stream Assessments

BONNER BRANCH, LAFAYETTE COUNTY, BELMONT STP WWTP USE DESIGNATION

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

Monitoring Projects

WBIC	Official Waterbody Name	Station ID	Station Name	Earliest Fieldwork Date	Latest Fieldwork Date	View Station	View Data
927000	Bonner Br	10012127	Bonner Br - Upstream Of Spring St. Ln.			Map	Data
927000	Bonner Br	333251	Bonner Branch at CTH G	10/6/2004	10/6/2004	Map	Data
927000	Bonner Br	10012120	Bonner Br Fish Kill Station (Aka) - Upstream Of Cty. Rd. G			Map	Data
927000	Bonner Br	10044440	Bonner Branch - 1st Capitol Ave in Belmont	1/1/2015	10/19/2015	Map	Data
927000	Bonner Br	333036	Bonner Branch - A Cth G Bl Belmont	5/12/1975	12/4/1975	Map	Data
927000	Bonner Br	333035	Bonner Branch - Below Belmont Stp	5/12/1975	8/10/2009	Map	Data
927000	Bonner Br	10037901	Bonner Branch at Landon Road	7/26/2012	10/19/2015	Map	Data
927000	Bonner Br	10032523	Bonner Branch at Hwy. G Belmont			Map	Data
927000	Bonner Br	10058832	Bonner Branch at CTH C	5/16/2024	10/17/2024	Map	Data
927000	Bonner Br	10030606	Bonner Creek above confluence with Unnamed Cr (S of HWY G)	1/1/2015	1/1/2015	Map	Data
927000	Bonner Br	10012126	Bonner Br - Upstream Of Cty. Rd. O	1/1/2015	10/19/2015	Map	Data
927000	Bonner Br	10044439	Bonner Branch - 1st ATV bridge upstrm of junction CTH C and G	1/1/2015	10/19/2015	Map	Data

Watershed Characteristics

Bonner Br is located in the Middle Pecatonica River watershed which is 186.42 mi². Land use in the watershed is primarily agricultural (56.30%), grassland (35.70%) and a mix of forest (5.70%) and other uses (2.20%). This watershed has 484.82 stream miles, 27.78 lake acres and 298.28 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.

Natural Community

Bonner Branch is considered a Cool-Cold Mainstem, Cool-Cold Headwater, Cool-Warm Mainstem, Cool-Warm 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 (Warm-Transition) Headwaters are small, sometimes intermittent streams with cool to warm summer temperatures. Coldwater fishes are uncommon to absent, transitional fishes are abundant to common, and warm water fishes are common to uncommon. Headwater species are abundant to common, mainstem species are common to absent, and river species are absent.

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.