Overview

Musser Lake, in the Elk River Watershed, is a 503.45 acre impoundment that falls in Price County. This impoundment is managed for fishing and swimming and is currently considered impaired.

Date  2011

Author   Aquatic Biologist

Historical Description

Source: 1983, Surface Water Resources of Price County,WI: WI-DNR Musser Flowage - T37N-T38N, R2E, Sec. 5, 6, 31-33, 36.

Musser Flowage is a soft water, drainage impoundment on the Elk River. It has a 12-ft head concrete drop log dam on the outlet. The flowage is shallow and the estimated outlet flow is 28.7 ft(3) /sec. Besides the Elk River, the flowage has three other tributaries--Chase Creek (a brook trout stream), and Musser and Popple creeks (both warm-water minnow streams). The flowage has a fish population of muskellunge, walleyes, largemouth bass, perch, black crappies, rock bass, pumpkinseeds, black bullheads, white suckers, redhorse and numerous minnow species. Musser Flowage is long and irregularly shaped with 23 islands. The shoreline is 75% upland hardwood and pine, 10% cleared, 10% tag alder-leatherleaf bog, and 5% fresh meadow. The littoral bottom is 75% sand, 5% gravel, 2% rubble and 18% muck. Aquatic vegetation is scattered throughout the flowage, with heavy growths in a few bays and at the east end by the Elk River inlet. Great numbers of nesting and migratory ducks use the flowage. Muskrats are also common and the main furbearer. Private development consists of 58 cottages or homes, 2 resorts and 1 boat rental. Public access is provided at three sites on the north, northeast and south sides of the flowage. There is no other public frontage.

Surface area = 563.1 acres, maximum depth = 15 ft, MPA = 40 ppm, Secchi disk = 4 ft.

Date  1983

Author   Surface Water Inventory Of Wisconsin

Impaired Waters

Musser Lake (WBIC 2245100) was placed on the impaired waters list for Mercury in 1998 and for total phosphorus in 2012. The 2018 assessments showed continued impairment by phosphorus; new total phosphorus sample data exceeded the 2018 WisCALM listing thresholds for the Recreation use and Fish and Aquatic Life use. Chlorophyll-a sample data nearly exceeded the REC use thresholds, but clearly met the FAL use thresholds. Based on the most updated information, no change in the existing impaired waters listing was needed.

Date  2017

Author  Ashley Beranek

Impaired Waters

Musser Lake (2245100) was placed on the impaired waters list for Mercury in 1998 and for total phosphorus in 2012. The 2016 assessments showed continued impairment by phosphorus; total phosphorus sample data exceeded 2016 WisCALM listing thresholds for the Recreation, however, chlorophyll data do not exceed REC thresholds. Total phosphorus and chlorophyll data clearly met thresholds for Fish and Aquatic Life use. Based on the most updated information, no change in existing impaired waters listing is needed.

Date  2015

Author  Aaron Larson

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

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

Watershed Characteristics

Musser Flowage is located in the Elk River watershed which is 261.12 mi². Land use in the watershed is primarily forest (51.70%), wetland (37.40%) and a mix of grassland (4.70%) and other uses (6.20%). This watershed has 254.00 stream miles, 2,883.84 lake acres and 49,382.72 wetland acres.

Nonpoint Source Characteristics

This watershed is ranked Not Ranked 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.