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Fish and Aquatic Life
Overview
Lower Park Falls Flowage is a soft water, seepage impoundment on the Flambeau River. It has a 19-ft head concrete drop log control structure on the outlet. This dam is owned and operated by the Flambeau Paper Company to produce electric power for its mill on the upper end of the flowage. It has an outlet flow of 814.3 ft(3)sec. The flowage is long and narrow and confined for the most part to the old river basin. Its fish population includes muskellunge, northern pike, walleyes, perch, smallmouth bass, bluegills, rock bass, black bullheads, white suckers, redhorse, burbots, rock sturgeons and golden shiners. In the past, pollution from the Flambeau Paper Company mill has caused fish kills in the flowage, but recent enforcement by state agencies has forced the mill to control pollution and water quality has improved. The City of Park Falls sewage treatment plant also empties into the flowage. The littoral bottom of Lower Park Falls Flowage is 75% gravel, boulder and rubble with muck the remainder. The shoreline is upland with steep banks on the extreme lower end of the flowage. Aquatic vegetation is common throughout the flowage. Wildlife values are unimportant. Private development consists of several homes and a few businesses. There is no public frontage or access road. State Highway 182 and the M.St.P. % S.S.M. railroad tracks cross the upper end of the flowage.
Source: 1983, Surface Water Resources of Price County,WI: WI-DNR Lower Park Falls Flowage, T40N, R1W, Section 23-25 Surface Area = 70.6 acres, Maximum Depth = 16 ft, MPA = 36 ppm, Secchi disk = 4 ft.
Date 1983
Author Aquatic Biologist
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 |
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Monitoring Projects
| WBIC | Official Waterbody Name | Station ID | Station Name | Earliest Fieldwork Date | Latest Fieldwork Date | View Station | View Data |
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| 2225000 | Flambeau River | 513050 | Flambeau River - Flambeau Paper Co Park Falls 010 | | | Map | Data |
| 2290100 | Lower Park Falls Flowage 762 | 10031176 | Lower Park Falls Flowage upper end | 4/9/2010 | 4/9/2010 | Map | Data |
| 2225000 | Flambeau River | 513048 | Flambeau River - Flambeau Paper Co Park Falls 008 | | | Map | Data |
| 2290100 | Lower Park Falls Flowage 762 | 513053 | Flambeau River - Soo Line Railroad Co Park Falls | | | Map | Data |
| 2225000 | Flambeau River | 513047 | Flambeau River - Flambeau Paper Co Park Falls 007 | | | Map | Data |
| 2225000 | Flambeau River | 513004 | Flambeau River - Sec Line 24-25 Pk Fls | 6/28/1975 | 8/30/1983 | Map | Data |
| 2225000 | Flambeau River | 513051 | Flambeau River - Flambeau Paper Co Park Falls 011 | 11/18/1976 | 11/18/1976 | Map | Data |
| 2225000 | Flambeau River | 513044 | Flambeau River - Flambeau Paper Co Park Falls 004 | | | Map | Data |
| 2225000 | Flambeau River | 513046 | Flambeau River - Flambeau Paper Co Park Falls 006 | 12/15/1980 | 11/17/1981 | Map | Data |
| 2290100 | Lower Park Falls Flowage 762 | 513217 | Flambeau River - Lwr Park Falls Fl | | | Map | Data |
| 2290100 | Lower Park Falls Flowage 762 | 10031177 | Upper Park Falls Flowage lower end | 4/9/2010 | 4/9/2010 | Map | Data |
| 2290100 | Lower Park Falls Flowage 762 | 513025 | Flambeau River - Park Falls Stp | 2/21/1975 | 8/29/1983 | Map | Data |
| 2225000 | Flambeau River | 513043 | Flambeau River - Flambeau Paper Co Park Falls 003 | 11/9/1978 | 11/9/1978 | Map | Data |
| 2225000 | Flambeau River | 513003 | Flambeau River - Soo Line Brg Pk Falls | 11/28/1978 | 4/15/1981 | Map | Data |
| 2225000 | Flambeau River | 513042 | Flambeau River - Flambeau Paper Co Park Falls 002 | 11/9/1978 | 11/9/1978 | Map | Data |
| 2290100 | Lower Park Falls Flowage 762 | 10020271 | Flambeau River -- Park Falls Boat Ramp | 9/18/2013 | 9/18/2013 | Map | Data |
| 2225000 | Flambeau River | 154 | Flambeau River - Flambeau River At Park Falls | | | Map | Data |
| 2225000 | Flambeau River | 513005 | Flambeau River at Bend In Lower Pond | 6/28/1975 | 8/6/1975 | Map | Data |
| 2225000 | Flambeau River | 513049 | Flambeau River - Flambeau Paper Co Park Falls 009 | | | Map | Data |
| 2290100 | Lower Park Falls Flowage 762 | 513074 | Parkfalls Distribution System | | | Map | Data |
| 2225000 | Flambeau River | 513041 | Flambeau River - Flambeau Paper Co Park Falls 001 | 11/9/1978 | 6/17/1985 | Map | Data |
| 2225000 | Flambeau River | 513052 | Flambeau River - Lake Superior Pwr Co Park Falls | 11/18/1975 | 12/4/2000 | Map | Data |
| 2225000 | Flambeau River | 513002 | Flambeau River at Sth 182 Park Falls | 2/21/1975 | 11/29/2010 | Map | Data |
| 2225000 | Flambeau River | 513045 | Flambeau River - Flambeau Paper Co Park Falls 005 | 12/16/1980 | 8/30/1983 | Map | Data |
| 2290100 | Lower Park Falls Flowage 762 | 10014588 | Lower Park Falls Flowage | 9/16/2004 | 9/12/2017 | Map | Data |
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Watershed Characteristics
Lower Park Falls Flowage 762 is located in the Upper North Fork Flambeau River watershed which is 158.21 mi². Land use in the watershed is primarily forest (58.60%), wetland (34.40%) and a mix of grassland (2.90%) and other uses (4.00%). This watershed has 163.80 stream miles, 629.65 lake acres and 33,475.50 wetland acres.
Nonpoint Source Characteristics
This watershed is ranked Low 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.