6.86 Miles
0 - 6.86
Cool-Cold Headwater, Coldwater
2015
Poor
High Phosphorus Levels
Total Phosphorus
Jackson, La Crosse
Yes
No
Yes
Fish and Aquatic Life
Overview
Davis Creek, a tributary to the Black River, is a Class II trout stream. This creek may attain Class I status if streambank erosion caused by livestock pasturing was reduced. Reducing flood flows would also improve the in-stream habitat available for fish and aquatic insects (Wright).
From: Koperksi, Cindy. 1999. Black River Water Quality Management Plan (draft). Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, Madison, WI.
Date 1999
Author Cynthia Koperski
General Condition
Davis Creek is a coldwater tributary to the Black River and is classified as a Class II trout stream. The stream is currently listed as impaired for total phosphorus. The fish community found at this site was composed of brook trout and burbot and the IBI rating was excellent. Limitations of the habitat of this stream appear to be fine sediment deposition and limited fish cover. Macroinvertebrate ratings were excellent for both HBI and MIBI with no apparent organic pollution. Growing season total phosphorus monitoring indicates the concentrations exceed the statewide criteria with a median concentration of 0.289 mg/L. This high total phosphorus concentration is consistent with the impaired waters listing for TP for Davis Creek.
Date 2017
Author Camille Bruhn
Impaired Waters
Davis Creek (1689300) was assessed during the 2016 listing cycle; total phosphorus sample data overwhelmingly exceed 2016 WisCALM listing thresholds for the Fish and Aquatic Life use, however, available biological data do not indicate impairment (i.e. no macroinvertebrate or fish Index of Biotic Integrity (IBI) scored in the "poor" condition category).
In 2018, Growing season total phosphorus monitoring indicates the concentrations exceed the statewide criteria with a median concentration of 0.289 mg/L. This high total phosphorus concentration is consistent with the impaired waters listing for TP for Davis Creek.
Date 2017
Author Camille Bruhn
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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| 1689300 | Davis Creek | 10013926 | Davis Creek Station 4 - SE 1/4 Se 1/4 S8 | | | Map | Data |
| 1689300 | Davis Creek | 10013925 | Davis Creek Station 3 - Davis Creek Road Bridge Crossing | 6/3/2008 | 1/1/2015 | Map | Data |
| 1689300 | Davis Creek | 10039596 | Davis Creek near Davis Creek Rd and STH 108 | 10/27/2009 | 5/12/2010 | Map | Data |
| 1689300 | Davis Creek | 10013923 | Davis Creek Station 1 - 900ft Downstream Of Stetzer Rd. Bridge Crossing | | | Map | Data |
| 1689300 | Davis Creek | 10029578 | Davis Creek St. at Stetzer Rd | 5/27/2014 | 1/1/2015 | Map | Data |
| 1689300 | Davis Creek | 10013924 | Davis Creek Station 2 - Hwy 108 Bridge Crossing | 9/9/2014 | 9/9/2014 | Map | Data |
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Watershed Characteristics
Davis Creek is located in the Big and Douglas Creeks watershed which is 210.33 mi². Land use in the watershed is primarily forest (58.40%), agricultural (24.20%) and a mix of grassland (8.90%) and other uses (8.50%). This watershed has 375.17 stream miles, 473.57 lake acres and 7,564.97 wetland acres.
Nonpoint Source Characteristics
This watershed is ranked High for runoff impacts on streams, Not Available 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.
Davis 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.
In the 2014 study, the qualitative habitat score and rating for this site was 38 and fair, respectively. The stream was relatively wide and shallow with some deep holes near woody debris. The riparian area was very well protected and there was limited bank erosion and survey notes indicated heavy growth of tag alders throughout the stream corridor. Limitations of the habitat of this stream appear to be fine sediment deposition and limited fish cover. The fish community found at this site was composed of brook trout and burbot and the IBI rating was excellent. acroinvertebrate ratings were excellent for both HBI and MIBI with no apparent organic pollution.
Date 2017
Author Camille Bruhn