4.55 Miles
3.60 - 8.15
Cool-Cold Mainstem, Cool-Cold Headwater
2015
Excellent
Trempealeau
Yes
No
No
Fish and Aquatic Life
Overview
Turton Creek is a 3.6-mile-long tributary to the Trempealeau River. The stream is severely degraded by animal waste, livestock pasturing on the streambanks, cropland erosion, channelization and flooding.
Date 1991
Author Aquatic Biologist
Impaired Waters
Turton Creek, from its mouth with Trempealeau River to Mill Road/HWY 95 (miles 0 to 2.87) was assessed during the 2018 listing cycle; available total phosphorus sample data overwhelmingly exceed 2018 WisCALM listing criteria 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).
Turton Creek, from Mill Road to Thompson Valley Road (miles 2.87 to 3.6), was evaluated for phosphorus and biology every two years between 2012 and 2016. Phosphorus levels were found to be too high and this segment was added to the impaired waters list. Biology, assessed again in the 2020 and 2022 cycles, found fish communities in good health.
Turton Creek, from Thompson Valley Road to Unnamed Trib (WBIC 1778300) (miles 3.6 to 8.15), was evaluated for fish community health in 2018, 2020, and 2022; fish were in good health. This stream segment is on the Healthy Waters List.
Turton Creek, from Unnamed Trib (WBIC 1778300) to its headwaters (miles 8.15 to 10.19), was evaluated every two years from 2018 to 2022; fish data indicated a healthy system. This stream segment is on the Healthy Waters List.
Date 2022
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
Monitor Water Quality or Sediment
Modeled NC is incorrect, verified as coldwater in 2013 by Mark Hazuga. Other surveys indicate natural community is coldwater, but numbers are very low. Needs follow up monitoring.
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 |
|---|
| 1777100 | Turton Creek | 10017061 | Turton Creek - 50 Yards Below Bridge On Thompsonvalley Road. | 5/3/1990 | 5/3/1990 | Map | Data |
| 1777100 | Turton Creek | 10017041 | American Valley Creek - 50 Yards Below Cth T Bridge -Approx. 2 Miles South Of Sth 95 | 5/3/1990 | 5/3/1990 | Map | Data |
| 1777100 | Turton Creek | 10034993 | Turton Creek US of Soppa Rd - Fish Station | 1/1/2015 | 1/1/2015 | Map | Data |
| 1777100 | Turton Creek | 10021139 | Turton Creek | 5/21/2013 | 1/1/2015 | Map | Data |
| 1777100 | Turton Creek | 10021138 | Turton Creek | | | Map | Data |
|
Watershed Characteristics
Turton Creek 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.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.
Turton Creek (American Valley Creek) is considered a Cool-Cold Mainstem, Cool-Cold Headwater 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.