Water Detail - Silver Creek, Upper South Fork Jump River Watershed (UC04)

Silver Creek, Upper South Fork Jump River Watershed (UC04)

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Silver Creek (2197900)

Size

5.38 Miles

Segment

11.44 - 16.82

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-Warm Mainstem

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.

2015

General Condition

Excellent

County

Taylor

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.

Default FAL

Fish and Aquatic Life - Default Waters do not have a specific use designation subcategory but are considered fishable, swimmable waters.

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

Silver Creek is a Class I trout stream in its headwaters area where it drains mostly wild land, both public and private. Further downstream it becomes a Class III trout stream. It becomes a warm water stream where it flows through the Chequamegon National Forest. The village of Westboro will discharge to the cold water portion of Silver Creek when its new wastewater treatment facility is completed. Goodweiler (1991) notes that the 1980 Basin Plan for the Upper Chippewa references possible dissolved oxygen problems in the 1970s for Silver Creek, falling below the 6 mgll standard for cold water streams. Also noted is low dissolved oxygen measured in 1978 in Fisher Creek, a tributary to Silver Creek. Fisher Creek flows out of Chelsea Lake. though private land supporting a few small farms. The Bureau of Endangered Resources indicates that healthy populations of invertebrates are found in Silver Creek. Feeders to Silver Creek include Levitt, and Alcohol Creeks which come off the hilly area east of Ogema. Other warm water forage fish type streams, Black Brook and Shady Brook. enter Silver Creek further downstream. Shady Brook lies within Chequamegon National Forest. Not much is known about any of these streams.

Date

Author Aquatic Biologist

Silver Creek, Upper South Fork Jump River Watershed (UC04) Fish and Aquatic Life

Silver Creek, Upper South Fork Jump River Watershed (UC04) Recreation

Silver Creek, Upper South Fork Jump River Watershed (UC04) Fish Consumption

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

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

Monitoring Projects

WBIC	Official Waterbody Name	Station ID	Station Name	Earliest Fieldwork Date	Latest Fieldwork Date	View Station	View Data
2197900	Silver Creek	10043809	Silver Creek - DS Co. Hwy. D (East of Westboro)			Map	Data
2197900	Silver Creek	613042	Silver Creek at Sth 13	2/10/1975	10/31/2002	Map	Data
2197900	Silver Creek	613039	Silver Creek - Cth D Above Westboro	2/10/1975	10/21/1975	Map	Data
2197900	Silver Creek	10043808	Silver Creek - Along Silver Creek Rd. (West)	1/1/2015	1/1/2015	Map	Data
2197900	Silver Creek	613057	Silver Creek - Cth D Below Westboro	11/6/1979	11/6/1979	Map	Data
2197900	Silver Creek	10008962	Silver Creek - US Zimmerman Rd	5/19/1979	5/19/1979	Map	Data
2197900	Silver Creek	10043850	Silver Creek - DS STH 13			Map	Data
2197900	Silver Creek	10028930	Silver Creek at Hwy 13 South Of CTH D			Map	Data

Watershed Characteristics

Silver Creek is located in the Upper South Fork Jump River watershed which is 322.41 mi². Land use in the watershed is primarily forest (56.60%), wetland (34.60%) and a mix of grassland (5.20%) and other uses (3.50%). This watershed has 396.77 stream miles, 1,735.99 lake acres and 55,733.47 wetland acres.

Nonpoint Source Characteristics

This watershed is ranked Medium for runoff impacts on streams, Low for runoff impacts on lakes and Low for runoff impacts on groundwater and therefore has an overall rank of Low. 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

Silver Creek is considered a Cool-Cold Mainstem, Cool-Warm Mainstem 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.

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