Rogers Branch, Upper Grant River Watershed (GP06)
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Rogers Branch, Upper Grant River Watershed (GP06)
Rogers Branch (964300)
3.83 Miles
8 - 11.83
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
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.
Poor
 
This river is impaired
Low DO, Degraded Habitat
Total Phosphorus, Sediment/Total Suspended Solids
 
Grant
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.
No
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.
Yes

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.
Restricted Aquatic Life
Fish and Aquatic Life communities are not fully supported in this ecosystem.
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

Rogers Branch joins with Borah Creek to form the Grant River. It is a spring-fed and seepage stream beginning near the west edge of Fennimore. The stream is managed as a trout stream for eight miles of its length (WDNR, 1980). Trout populations can be marginal, however, due to seasonal low flows and warm temperatures (Lyons, 2000). Historically, the stream has been affected by non-point sources of pollution such as barnyard runoff, excessive streambank grazing, and cropland runoff. Fish kills, which are thought to be related to non-point problems, have occurred (Fix, 1991). As a result of these problems, Rogers Branch is on Wisconsin?s impaired waters (303d) list.

Monitoring was conducted on Rogers Branch as part of a study to determine the influence of intensive rotational grazing (Lyons, et.al., 2000a). Instream habitat was found to be fair to good. Macroinvertebrate samples collected in the spring of 2000 found Rogers Branch at Borah Road to have good water quality (WDNR, 2000). The water at this site was clear, and the bottom substrate was boulder, gravel and rubble. There were some mayflies and caddisflies which can indicate good water quality. The DNR should review whether this stream should remain on the state?s impaired waters list

Date  2001

Author   Aquatic Biologist

Land Use

Rogers Branch is a twelve-mile stream in north central Grant County that has its origin near the village of Fennimore and flows south and joins with Borah Branch to form the Grant River near Lancaster, Wisconsin. It has a moderate to high gradient of 31 feet per mile and drains an area of approximately 14 square miles.

The land use is characterized mostly as agriculture and forest. The stream is fairly small (less than 2 meters wide) for the upper 7 miles of stream. Downstream from Link Road, the stream gains in size until just upstream from Borah Road, where a large spring instantaneously adds approximately 5 cubic feet per second of cold water (10 C) flow to the stream.

Date  2016

Author   Aquatic Biologist

Rogers Branch, Upper Grant River Watershed (GP06) Fish and Aquatic LifeRogers Branch, Upper Grant River Watershed (GP06) RecreationRogers Branch, Upper Grant River Watershed (GP06) Fish Consumption

Impaired Waters

Rogers Branch (964300) was assessed during the 2016 listing cycle; total phosphorus sample data exceed 2016 WisCALM listing criteria for the Fish and Aquatic Life use and biological impairment was observed (i.e. at least one macroinvertebrate or fish Index of Biotic Integrity (IBI) scored in the poor condition category). Temperature data exceeded 2016 WisCALM listing thresholds for the Fish and Aquatic Life use.

Date  2015

Author  Aaron Larson

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

Rogers Branch 964300 (Seg1 Mi 0-8) Impaired Waters Listing Documentation 2008
2020 Comprehensive WQ Assessments
Final Draft 2018 Impaired Waters List
Comprehensive 2018 River/Stream Water Quality Assessments
Comprehensive 2016 Rivers Stream Assessments
Rogers Branch 964300 (Seg2 Mi 8-12) Impaired Waters Listing Documentation 2008
Martin Branch, Martinville Creek, and Rogers Branch TMDL
USEPA Decision Document for the Approval of the Martin Branch, Martinville Creek, and Rogers Branch TMDL

Recommendations

TMDL Implementation
Modeling results and load durations curves developed for Martin Branch, Martinville Creek, and Rogers Branch indicate that TSS and TP concentrations are highest in the stream during high-flow conditions. To reach the TMDLs in these watersheds, best management practices (BMPs), such as riparian buffers and conservation tillage, are encouraged in agricultural areas to reduce loading during these events.

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
Rogers Branch Portion of the TMDL 2005
Fish Propagation Actions2001

Monitoring Projects

WBICOfficial Waterbody NameStation IDStation NameEarliest Fieldwork DateLatest Fieldwork DateView StationView Data

Watershed Characteristics

Rogers Br is located in the Upper Grant River watershed which is 106.09 mi². Land use in the watershed is primarily grassland (42.70%), agricultural (40.80%) and a mix of forest (13.60%) and other uses (2.90%). This watershed has 260.94 stream miles, 7.24 lake acres and 6.79 wetland acres.

Nonpoint Source Characteristics

This watershed is ranked High for runoff impacts on streams, Not Available 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

Rogers Branch is considered a 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) 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.

Fisheries & Habitat

The stream is classified as a Class II trout water for the lower 8 miles of stream (below Town Line Road), and default for the upper 4 miles. DO, degraded habitat This water was assessed during the 2014 listing cycle; total phosphorus sample data exceed 2014 WisCALM listing criteria for the Fish and Aquatic Life use and biological impairment was observed (i.e. at least one macroinvertebrate or fish Index of Biotic Integrity (IBI) scored in the poor condition category). This water was assessed during the 2016 listing cycle; total phosphorus sample data exceed 2016 WisCALM listing criteria for the Fish and Aquatic Life use and biological impairment was observed (i.e. at least one macroinvertebrate or fish Index of Biotic Integrity (IBI) scored in the poor condition category). Temperature data exceeded 2016 WisCALM listing thresholds for the Fish and Aquatic Life use.

Date  2016

Author   Aquatic Biologist

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