Taylor
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No
No
Fish and Aquatic Life
Overview
A short navigable channel connects these soft water drainage lakes. A drainage lake has both an inlet and outlet where the main water source is stream drainage. A privately owned 12 foot rock fill dam at the outlet of Clear Lake maintains present water levels. These small lakes are heavily developed and the lakeshore residents have organized into a combined lake association.
Comprehensive water quality data is lacking for these lakes. Self-help monitoring and a lakes planning grant would greatly benefit these lakes by assisting in the gathering of water quality data (Ryan).
Date 1999
Author Aquatic Biologist
Historical Description
Clear Lake is a soft water, drainage impoundment with an intermittent outlet to Washington Creek. A short navigable channel connects Clear Lake to Esadore Lake. A twelve-foot head rock fill in the outlet ravine maintains the water level at its present height. Fish present are northern pike, largemouth bass, walleye, bluegill, black crappie, rock bass, pumpkinseed, black, brown and yellow bullheads. Winterkill and stunted panfish are use problems in this lake. Shoreline vegetation is predominantly upland hardwood. The littoral zone includes nearly equal amounts of gravel and muck. Aquatic vegetation is abundant with many different types of emergent, floating, and submergent plants being represented. Muskrat and beaver use is not significant, and migratory waterfowl use is minor. Mallard, blue-winged teal, and wood ducks nest along the lakeshore and on the islands in the lake. Public access without parking is present off the town road right-of-way located on the channel to Esadore Lake. Private development consists of sixteen cabins.
Source: 1970, Surface Water Resources of Taylor County Clear Lake, T31N, R1W, Section 1 Surface Acres = 25.5, Maximum Depth = 24 feet, M.P.A. = 11 ppm, Secchi Disk = 8 feet.
Date 1970
Author Aquatic Biologist
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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| 1763900 | Clear Lake | 10037684 | Clear Lake nearshore Taylor Co | 8/27/2012 | 8/27/2012 | Map | Data |
| 1763900 | Clear Lake | 10037630 | Clear Lake - Taylor Co | 8/27/2012 | 8/27/2012 | Map | Data |
| 1763900 | Clear Lake | 10005852 | Clear Lake | 8/29/2000 | 7/13/2019 | Map | Data |
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Watershed Characteristics
Clear Lake is located in the Black and Little Black Rivers watershed which is 160.81 mi². Land use in the watershed is primarily wetland (32.40%), forest (30.10%) and a mix of agricultural (24.40%) and other uses (13.10%). This watershed has 211.97 stream miles, 505.95 lake acres and 23,424.34 wetland acres.
Nonpoint Source Characteristics
This watershed is ranked Low 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.