Buell Valley Creek, Waumandee Creek Watershed (BT06)
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Buell Valley Creek, Waumandee Creek Watershed (BT06)
Buell Valley Creek (1813100)
2.32 Miles
0 - 2.32
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 Headwater
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
Poor
 
This river is impaired
Degraded Habitat
Sediment/Total Suspended Solids
 
Buffalo
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.
No
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.
No
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.
Yes

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.
Restricted Aquatic Life
Fish and Aquatic Life communities are not fully supported in this ecosystem.
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.
Cold (Class II Trout)
Streams 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 through natural reproduction and selective propagation. 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.
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

Buell Valley Creek is a cold headwater stream located in the northern portion of the watershed and forms a two-mile tributary to Weiland Valley Creek. Buell Valley Creek was placed on the 303(d) impaired waters list in 1998, but monitoring of the stream since then indicates that habitat improvement may be resulting in improved an fish community. Continued improvements and the stream may obtain its potential use as a Class II trout fishery. Surveys conducted in 2002 and 2008 indicate substantive improvements over the very poor results found in 1989. This stream might be considered ready for delisting if subsequent data collection efforts indicate that sufficient improvements have been made.

Date  2011

Author   Aquatic Biologist

Buell Valley Creek, Waumandee Creek Watershed (BT06) Fish and Aquatic LifeBuell Valley Creek, Waumandee Creek Watershed (BT06) RecreationBuell Valley Creek, Waumandee Creek Watershed (BT06) Fish Consumption

Impaired Waters

Impaired Stream Reach (location and mileage)fFrom confluence with Wieland Valley Creek upstream two miles following Buell Valley Road) (Total: 2 miles)This stream is considered a Class II Coldwater Trout stream, but is degraded due to habitat loss and sedimentation from streambank erosion, streambank pasturing, and barnyard runoff. A review in 2002 and a data collection effort in 2008 may lead to a recommendation to delist this stream from the impaired waters list.

Date  2002

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

Final Draft 2018 Impaired Waters List
Comprehensive 2018 River/Stream Water Quality Assessments
Comprehensive 2016 Rivers Stream Assessments
Waumandee Cr. WT 2011 Dams & Outfalls
Waumandee Cr. WT 2011 Land Use
Waumandee Cr. WT 2011 OERWs & Impaired Waters
Waumandee Cr. WT 2011 Potentially Restorable Wetlands
Waumandee Cr. WT 2011 Trout Streams
Waumandee Cr. WT 2011 Wetlands
Waumandee Cr. WT 2011 Map
Buell Valley Creek 1813100 Impaired Waters Listing Documentation 2011
Waumandee Creek (BT06) Watershed 2011 Plan
Effects of Best Management Practices in Eagle and Joos Valley Creeks in the Waumandee Creek Priority Watershed, Wisconsin, 1990-2007
USEPA Decision Document for the Approval of the Waumandee Creek Watershed TMDL
Waumandee Creek Watershed Sediment TMDL
Buffalo County Surface Water Resources 1976

Recommendations

TMDL (USEPA) Approved
TMDL for Sediment Impaired Streams in the Waumandee Creek Watershed - Buell Creek. This TMDL project is designed to restore water resource substrate, which In most cases, the gravel substrate is extensively covered by sand, silt, and soft organic matter preventing a suitable habitat for fish and macroinvertebrate communities. Filling-in of pools reduces the amount of available cover for juvenile and adult fish. Sedimentation of riffle areas reduces the reproductive success of fish by reducing the exposed gravel substrate necessary for appropriate spawning conditions. Sedimentation also affects macroinvertebrate biomass (fish food source) which tends to be lower in areas with predominantly sand substrate than a stream substrate with a mix of gravel, rubble, and sand.
TMDL Development
The Waumandee Creek Watershed is located in Buffalo County, Wisconsin. The Waumandee Creek Watershed drains 204 square miles and is characterized by steep topography, narrow valleys and numerous streams.Surface water drains to the Mississippi River by direct runoff or via Waumandee Creek and its tributaries. Temperature and sediment impairments are found in Buell Valley Creek, Cochrane Ditch (Rose Valley), Irish Valley Creek, Jahns Valley Creek, Weiland Valley Creek. Coverage of the substrates with sediment constitutes ?an objectionable deposit? under the water quality standards criterion noted in S.NR 102.04(1) (a) cited below. The creeks are limited by excessive sediment loading and habitat unsuitable to support a coldwater fishery.
Monitor to Evaluate Projects
Consider this water for delisting given subsequent studies and data collection effort results.

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
Waumandee TMDL2006

Monitoring Projects

WBICOfficial Waterbody NameStation IDStation NameEarliest Fieldwork DateLatest Fieldwork DateView StationView Data
1813100Unnamed10028925Buell Valley Creek At Simons Road6/17/20081/1/2015MapData
1813100Unnamed10015747Waumandee Creek - Bw 1- Photo 15 Depicts Collectionsite At Intersection At Hayes Valley Rd.4/29/19871/1/2015MapData

Monitoring Studies

Compared to zero trout found in the creek in 1989, a fish survey conducted in 2001 found 27 brook trout resulting in a Cold Water Fish Index of Biotic Integrity (CWIBI) of 90 and a macroinvertebrate value of 9.0 which is considered excellent. A 2008 special survey found only 5 brook trout. The Cold IBI Value is considered excellent but biologists indicate that too few fish were found to provide confidence in this calculation. The macroinvertebrate IBI value is considered good (6.10). This improvement may be due to reduced farming activity in the headwaters due to the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP).

Date  2011

Author  Lisa Helmuth

Watershed Characteristics

Unnamed is located in the Waumandee Creek watershed which is 221.97 mi². Land use in the watershed is primarily forest (49%), agricultural (24.60%) and a mix of grassland (13.70%) and other uses (12.60%). This watershed has 508.29 stream miles, 3,011.30 lake acres and 8,253.68 wetland acres.

Nonpoint Source Characteristics

This watershed is ranked Not Available 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.

Natural Community

Buell Valley Creek is considered a 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) 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.