8.49 Miles
0 - 8.49
Cool-Cold Mainstem, Cool-Cold Headwater, Coldwater
2021
Poor
High Phosphorus Levels, Degraded Habitat
Total Phosphorus, Sediment/Total Suspended Solids
Buffalo
Yes
No
Yes
Fish and Aquatic Life
Overview
Swinns Valley Creek, in the Middle Trempealeau River Watershed, is a 8.49 mile river that falls in Buffalo County. This river is managed for fishing and swimming and is currently considered impaired.
Date 2011
Author Aquatic Biologist
Impaired Waters
Swinns Valley Creek was recently evaluated during the ten-year period of 2009 through 2018 for results that were reported to the USEPA for the 2020 Clean Water Act condition report. The creek is considered impaired, or in poor condition for designated uses which include the quality of fish and aquatic life, recreational use, and public health and welfare (fish consumption and related). Pollutants or problems encountered during sampling (impairments) are determined based on water quality standards outlined in Wisconsin 2020 Consolidated Assessment and Listing Methodology (WisCALM). Assessment results show water conditions that are potentially harmful for Aquatic Life use due to values for total phosphorus that fall into the range expected for an aquatic community in poor health, therefore this water is listed as impaired.
Assessment results during the 2020 listing cycle show new total phosphorus data that overwhelmingly exceed 2020 WisCALM listing thresholds. However, biological data (fish) do not indicate impairment. Based on the most updated information, this water is proposed for the impaired waters list.
Date 2019
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
Recommendations
TMDL (USEPA) Approved
Swinns Valley Creek in the Middle Trempealeau River TMDL Approval. The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (WDNR) developed six sediment TMDLs for six segments in the Middle Trempealeau River watershed. The TMDLs address the sediment impacts and impairments which were identified on the Wisconsin 1998 303(d) list. The segments were ranked as medium or low priority on the Wisconsin 1998 303(d) list.
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
Monitoring Projects
| WBIC | Official Waterbody Name | Station ID | Station Name | Earliest Fieldwork Date | Latest Fieldwork Date | View Station | View Data |
|---|
| 1776000 | Unnamed | 10038971 | Swiins Valley Creek - Ferholz crossing downstream Fish Station | 1/1/2015 | 10/7/2016 | Map | Data |
| 1776000 | Unnamed | 10038970 | Swinns Valley Creek - H & R Rd. upstream Fish Station | 1/1/2015 | 1/1/2015 | Map | Data |
| 1776000 | Unnamed | 10016986 | Swinns Valley Creek - 100 Feet Below Bridge N Sth 95 -Approx. 1 Mile West Of Arcadia | 5/1/1990 | 1/1/2015 | Map | Data |
| 1776000 | Unnamed | 10030172 | Swinns Valley Creek u.s. jct of CTH C and Konkel Valley Rd. | | | Map | Data |
| 1776000 | Unnamed | 10038972 | Swinns Valley Creek - CTH C section 11 DS Fish Station | 1/1/2015 | 1/1/2015 | Map | Data |
| 1776000 | Unnamed | 10048216 | Swinns Valley Creek S of Boberg Drive | 5/23/2017 | 7/29/2021 | Map | Data |
| 1776000 | Unnamed | 10038973 | Swinns Valley Creek - Fernholz crossing upstream Fish Station | 1/1/2015 | 1/1/2015 | Map | Data |
| 1776000 | Unnamed | 10055910 | Swinns Valley Creek Boberg Easement | | | Map | Data |
| 1776000 | Unnamed | 10052181 | Swinns Valley Creek Sauer Mill Rd. | | | Map | Data |
| 1776000 | Unnamed | 10028921 | Swims Valley Creek At Cth C | 6/17/2008 | 1/1/2015 | Map | Data |
| 1776000 | Unnamed | 10039544 | Swinns Valley Creek | | | Map | Data |
| 1776000 | Unnamed | 10030171 | Swinns Valley Creek at farm driveway off CTH C | | | Map | Data |
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Watershed Characteristics
Unnamed is located in the Middle Trempealeau River watershed which is 205.47 mi². Land use in the watershed is primarily forest (38.50%), agricultural (31%) and a mix of grassland (21.40%) and other uses (9.00%). This watershed has 489.89 stream miles, 396.56 lake acres and 5,115.26 wetland acres.
Nonpoint Source Characteristics
This watershed is ranked Not Available 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.This water is ranked High Stream for individual Rivers based on runoff problems and the likelihood of success from project implementation.
Swinns Valley 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.