Lafayette
No
No
No
Fish and Aquatic Life
Overview
Coon Branch rises near Cuba City and flows southeasterly to its junction with the Galena River. Cuba Citys wastewater treatment facility discharges to a small tributary of Coon Branch. Data collected during the 1990s suggested that the stream may be impacted by heavy metal contamination from historic mining. While a fishery survey conducted in 2008 showed good numbers of common shiners, creek chubs, hornyhead chubs, and southern redbelly dace, the stream lacked the diversity of species of other streams in the area. A bioassay should be conducted to determine if metal toxicity may be a factor in limiting this stream’s potential. There is also a perched culvert at Beebe Road which may be limiting fish movement up from the Galena River.
Date 2010
Author James Amrhein
Overview
Coon Branch rises near Cuba City and flows southeasterly to its junction with the Galena River. The stream is currently classified as Limited Aquatic Life (LAL) and Limited Forage Fishery (LFF) for three miles of its length. A mining waste pile and a local solid waste disposal site in its headwaters has caused water quality, habitat and fisheries problems in the past, however these problems have since been remediated. Monitoring done in 1994 showed the stream supported a moderately diverse and fairly pollution intolerant macroinvertebrate (aquatic organisms) community. However, there was a scarcity of fish at the monitoring sites and only a few Creek chubs, a very pollution tolerant species. One water chemistry sample showed an elevated level of lead in the water column (Marshall, 1995). High levels of lead in bench soils adjacent the stream have also been reported (Edwards, 2001). Water taken from the stream failed acute and chronic toxicity for one parameter in recent tests (April, 2000). Additional monitoring is needed to assess the nature of water quality problems in this stream. An aquatic species that is very sensitive to water pollution and listed on the state’s threatened and endangered species list had been found along Coon Branch near Benton in the early 1980's (DNR, 1997). No current recorded sightings of it have occurred. Cuba City’s wastewater treatment plant discharges to a small tributary to Coon Branch. Population growth rate for Cuba City during the period from 1990 through 1997 was slightly less than 1%.
Date 2001
Author Aquatic Biologist
Historical Description
Being a warm water drainage stream of moderate size, it is managed for forage fishes. However, at the time of sampling for this inventory, the water exhibited a high acidity in the area of Benton presumably as a result of mine pollution. Eventually, this stream enters the Fever River (Galena) about four miles below Benton. Gravel and bedrock are the principal bottom types af the stream with silt being found in the area of the mouth. Most of the land in the watershed is used for agricultural purposes. The Cuba City (Grant County) sewage treatment plant effluent enters near its headwaters. Upland game, such as deer, Hungarian partridge, pheasants, squirrels and rabbits are fairly common throughout the watershed while some waterfowl and muskrats can be found near its mouth. There is no land in public ownership at 'present. Access is possible from five road bridges and is considered adequate for this stream.
Coon Branch, R1N, R1E, Sections 33-11,Surface acres = 7.3, Miles = 6.8, Gradient = 31.7 feet per mile, Total alkalinity = 185 mg/l, Volume of flow = 1.6 cfs.
From: Piening, Ronald; Poff, Ronald; Threinen, C.W., 1967. Lake and Stream Classification Project. Surface Water Resources of Lafayette County, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, Madison, WI.
Date 1967
Author Aquatic Biologist
Impaired Waters
Coon Branch (936500) was assessed by the regional biologist and based on current and historical Poor mIBIs it was recommended for listing for degraded biological community during the 2016 listing cycle. This water is considered impaired and not meeting its Fish and Aquatic Life use.
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
Monitor Targeted Area
DNR should monitor the fish assemblage, sample for metals, and perform bioassay tests to determine if Coon Branch should be added to the states list of impaired waters due to metals toxicity.
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
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Monitoring Projects
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Watershed Characteristics
Coon Br is located in the Galena River watershed which is 241.84 mi². Land use in the watershed is primarily agricultural (63.10%), grassland (26.40%) and a mix of forest (5.70%) and other uses (4.60%). This watershed has 572.33 stream miles, 65.18 lake acres and 681.01 wetland acres.
Nonpoint Source Characteristics
This watershed is ranked Not Ranked 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.