Water Detail - Sugar Creek, Rush Creek Watershed (BL01)

Sugar Creek, Rush Creek Watershed (BL01)

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Sugar Creek (1636300)

Size

7.67 Miles

Segment

3.62 - 11.29

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, 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.

2021

General Condition

Good

County

Crawford

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.

Yes

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 I Trout)

Streams supporting a cold water sport fishery, or serving as a spawning area for salmonids and other cold water fish species through natural reproduction. 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.

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

Sugar Creek, located in northwest Crawford County, flows in a westerly direction for approximately 9.5 miles before reaching the Mississippi River. It has an average gradient of 47.4 feet per mile and drains steep wooded hillsides and some agricultural lands. Sugar Creek is a Class III trout stream for the lowest 2.5 miles and Class II upstream for 7 miles.

The most recent fishery survey, conducted in 1976, documented numerous brown trout, very few brook trout, and some warm water species in the station nearest the Mississippi River. Trout habitat improvement work has been done on DNR easements along Sugar Creek. This stream flows through a large piece of land that recently received long term protection through a purchase by the Mississippi Valley Conservancy. A portion of this land is currently managed as prairie.

The WDNR has stocked brown trout fingerlings in Sugar Creek for many years. More recently, wild brown trout have been stocked. A 1998 fish survey documented possible natural reproduction and winter survival of trout in Sugar Creek. The recent addition of overhead cover for trout to Sugar Creek and the trend toward less active farming in the watershed warrants a complete fish and habitat survey of Sugar Creek to document changes in the habitat and fishery. Access to Sugar Creek is from three road crossings, DNR easements and the Upper Mississippi River Fish and Wildlife Refuge.

Date 2002

Author Aquatic Biologist

Sugar Creek, Rush Creek Watershed (BL01) Fish and Aquatic Life

Sugar Creek, Rush Creek Watershed (BL01) Recreation

Sugar Creek, Rush Creek Watershed (BL01) Fish Consumption

General Condition

Sugar Creek (miles 3.62-11.29) was assessed during the 2018 listing cycle; new biological (fish 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 is 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

Comprehensive 2014 TP IBI Rivers Assessment

Rush Creek WT 2010 Map

Rush Creek WT 2010 ORW/ERW Map

Rush Creek WT 2010 Land Use Map

Rush Creek WT 2010 Map Outfalls and Dams

Rush Creek WT 2010 Wetland Map

Rush Creek Watershed Plan 2010 (BL01)

Rush Creek WT 2010 BL01 Wetlands Analysis

Rush Creek Map of Stations Tributary to Lake Pepin

Crawford County Surface Water Resources 1972

Recommendations

Land Acquisition

The Mississippi Valley Conservancy will aquire a private tract of land to add to the Sugar Creek Bluff project. Activities involved with this project will include the purchase of the 36 acre tract. Specific deliverable for this grant project will include: documentation of purchase.

Restore Wetlands

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
Wetland Restoration Database	2016
MISSISSIPPI VALLEY CONSERVANCY: ACQ Sugar Creek Protection	2000

Monitoring Projects

WBIC	Official Waterbody Name	Station ID	Station Name	Earliest Fieldwork Date	Latest Fieldwork Date	View Station	View Data
1636300	Sugar Creek	10053051	South Fork Sugar Creek at Confluence N.F.S.C			Map	Data
1636300	Sugar Creek	10013749	Sugar Creek Station 4-1964-Nw 1/4 Ne 1/4 S1-P. Birkelo P. Lack C. Churness And S. Solverson Farms			Map	Data
1636300	Sugar Creek	10013746	Sugar Creek Station 4-1956-Nw 1/4 Nw 1/4 S5-Starts Appx. 80 Rods Up From Sugar Cr. Bible Camp Bridge			Map	Data
1636300	Sugar Creek	10022336	Sugar Creek - Fenceline On Baker Easement			Map	Data
1636300	Sugar Creek	10013748	Sugar Creek Station 3-1964-Ne 1/4 Sw 1/4 Sec.1-On D. Hjelle Farm And C. Sanborn Farm.			Map	Data
1636300	Sugar Creek	10013756	Sugar Creek Station 1-Ne 1/4 Ne 1/4 Sec. 6-Starts At Fenceline Below Bible Camp			Map	Data
1636300	Sugar Creek	10009075	Sugar Creek #4- 300 Meters Below Farm Rd. Crossing In The Ne 1/4 Nw 1/4 S. 6			Map	Data
1636300	Sugar Creek	10009076	Sugar Creek #5- 1000 Feet Below Confluence			Map	Data
1636300	Sugar Creek	10013755	Sugar Creek Station 7-1976-Se 1/4 Se 1/4 Sec. 32-Starts At Farm Road Bridge Crossing			Map	Data
1636300	Sugar Creek	10013747	Sugar Creek Station 5-1956-Sw 1/4 Nw 1/4 Sec. 33			Map	Data
1636300	Sugar Creek	10055205	Sugar Creek - off C and Heath Rd	5/6/2021	10/28/2021	Map	Data
1636300	Sugar Creek	10009074	Sugar Creek #3- Bridge On Chevold Rd.	7/2/1991	1/1/2015	Map	Data
1636300	Sugar Creek	10047666	Sugar Creek at Confluence S Fk Sugar Creek	1/1/2015	1/1/2015	Map	Data
1636300	Sugar Creek	10013758	Sugar Creek Station 2-2000-Sw 1/4 Sw 1/4 Sec. 2-James Wiseman Property			Map	Data
1636300	Sugar Creek	10047665	Sugar Creek Champlin Rd Crossing	1/1/2015	1/1/2015	Map	Data
1636300	Sugar Creek	10009072	Sugar Creek #2- 200 Meters Below Footbridge On Wiseman'S Property			Map	Data
1636300	Sugar Creek	10013757	Sugar Creek Station 1-2000-Nw 1/4 Nw 1/4 Sec. 11-Ron Hofschild Property			Map	Data
1636300	Sugar Creek	10013754	Sugar Creek Station 5-1976-Ne 1/4 Nw 1/4 Sec. 6-Starts At Farm Road Stream Crossing			Map	Data
1636300	Sugar Creek	10013753	Sugar Creek Station 3-1976-Sw 1/4 Nw 1/4 Sec. 1-Starts 900' Below Chellevold Rd. Bridge Crossing			Map	Data
1636300	Sugar Creek	123069	Sugar Creek - Chellevold Rd Brg			Map	Data
1636300	Sugar Creek	10013745	Sugar Creek Station 2-1956-Ne 1/4 Ne 1/4 Sec. 1			Map	Data
1636300	Sugar Creek	10022338	Sugar Creek - 140m Downstream Of Bible Camp Bridge	1/1/2015	1/1/2015	Map	Data
1636300	Sugar Creek	10013750	Sugar Creek Station 5-1964-Nw 1/4 Nw 1/4 Sec.5-Starts At Sugar Creek Bible Camp Bridge			Map	Data
1636300	Sugar Creek	10009077	Sugar Creek #6- Bridge On Cty C			Map	Data

Watershed Characteristics

Sugar Creek is located in the Rush Creek watershed which is 240.16 mi². Land use in the watershed is primarily forest (46.60%), grassland (16.20%) and a mix of agricultural (15%) and other uses (22.10%). This watershed has 551.06 stream miles, 1,906.88 lake acres and 9,793.93 wetland acres.

Nonpoint Source Characteristics

This watershed is ranked High for runoff impacts on streams, Not Ranked for runoff impacts on lakes and Medium for runoff impacts on groundwater and therefore has an overall rank of Medium. 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

Sugar Creek is considered a Cool-Cold Mainstem, 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) 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.

Fisheries & Habitat

Reclassified Trout Water. David Vetrano, October 2003, 608 785-9009, "Recent surveys shows that Sugar Creek is a high quality trout stream, having sufficient natural reproduction to sustain populations of wild trout at or near carrying capacity. Consequently, this stream requires no stocking of hatchery raised trout." Biologist confirms entire stream indicated is CLASS I Trout Water.

Date 2008