Grant
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No
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Fish and Aquatic Life
Overview
2006 WORKPLAN DETAILS
1. Project Description (including what, when, where, who of project):
What: Conduct fisheries IBI to determine contemporary status of fisheries assemblage and assess possible impacts to water quality.
When: Summer 2006
Where: Two segments of each stream
Who: Jim Amrhein
2. Justification (why is this project necessary?):
Baseline sampling in 2005 yielded questions about water and habitat quality of these two streams. A 123 meter section of Furnace Branch yielded only16 fish. A 100 meter section of Mill Branch yielded only 1 fish. Since no other information was gathered, follow up sampling needs to be conducted to determine if this data is indicative of a water quality concern which may lead to these sites being placed on the 303(d) list.
3. Performance Measure(s) (including sample collection, report completion date, etc.):
Fisheries IBI and habitat index will be measured at two sites on each stream.
Data will be summarized to determine if the site should be placed on the impaired waters list or if Tier III monitoring is warranted.
4. Data Storage System (work station computer, lab portal, SWIMS, FH database, etc.):
Fish IBI and habitat data will be stored in the FH database.
5. File Manager Responsible for Data Entry: Jim Amrhein
Date 2006
Author Aquatic Biologist
Historical Description
From: Smith, Tom D., and Ball, Joseph R., Lake and Stream Classification Project. Surface Water Resources of Grant County, Department of Natural Resources, 1972. Surface Area = 2.76 acres, Length = 3.8 miles, Gradient = 63 ft./mile, Flow = 0.5 c.f.s.
A moderate gradient, spring-fed stream emptying into the Mississippi River near the northwestern city limits of Cassville. This stream flows through a fairly wild, inaccessible valley. Over 40 percent of the watershed is timbered, therefore the stream banks remain quite stable. The lower portion of the stream is quite sluggish with clay as the predominant bottom material. Brown trout inhabited the upper reaches in the past but forage species dominate the fishery now. Furnace Branch has not been considered a trout stream in recent years. A few muskrats are found throughout the stream while the upland species shy away from the residential area on the lower reaches. The Mississippi River provides navigable water access and two roads . cross the stream. A city park that is under development at the present time provides additional access. Eight homes are found along the banks.
Date 1972
Author Surface Water Inventory Of Wisconsin
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
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 |
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Monitoring Projects
| WBIC | Official Waterbody Name | Station ID | Station Name | Earliest Fieldwork Date | Latest Fieldwork Date | View Station | View Data |
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| 965000 | Furnace Br | 223209 | Furnace Branch - West Bluff Rd. | 4/16/1980 | 1/1/2015 | Map | Data |
| 965000 | Furnace Br | 10015441 | Furance Br- Farm At End Of Brewery Hollow | | | Map | Data |
| 965000 | Furnace Br | 10013167 | Furnace Branch Baseline (atBluff And Brewery Hollow Rd) | | | Map | Data |
| 965000 | Furnace Br | 223329 | Furnace Branch - E Of Cth Vv/Sth 133-Off Brewery Hollow Rd | | | Map | Data |
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Watershed Characteristics
Furnace Br is located in the Mississippi River watershed which is 110.47 mi². Land use in the watershed is primarily forest (37.70%), agricultural (19.50%) and a mix of grassland (18.70%) and other uses (23.90%). This watershed has 270.89 stream miles, 1,746.25 lake acres and 6,037.79 wetland acres.
Nonpoint Source Characteristics
This watershed is ranked Low 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.