Portage, Wood
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No
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Fish and Aquatic Life
Overview
Bloody Run Creek is a seven-mile stream that flows into Nepco Lake. The lower three miles of the stream supports a Class I brook trout fishery and is classified as an exceptional resource water. The classification of the remaining four miles is unknown. Trout have been reported in the upstream reaches when water is present. The lower stream reach has moderate brook trout densities with natural reproduction. Limiting factors to in-stream habitat include streambank erosion, shallow channel depth and the lack of pools, riffles, coarse substrate and fish cover. During low precipitation years, baseflow of the stream is reduced and the furthest upstream reaches are sometimes dry.
Streamflow of Bloody Run Creek has been impacted by a Municipal well located adjacent to the stream. In 1991, the City of Wisconsin Rapids installed a well within 1,500 feet of Bloody Run Creek to supply water for the city. Prior to the well pumping, the stream would experience weak baseflow conditions. After the well began pumping in 1991, the stream has been reported dry on several occasions and frequently has no flow. A hydrologic study completed in 1991 predicted that by the well pumping during that year, streamflow near the well location was reduced on average by approximately 70%. Streamflow was also reduced by approximately 45% on average at downstream reaches. A 45% reduction of streamflow can impact aquatic life by decreasing the amount of “living space” for organisms thus reducing spawning areas and increasing water temperatures of coldwater communities. The Department is currently working with the Wisconsin Rapids Water Utility, Town of Grand Rapids and local citizens to reduce the impacts of the well and find solutions that will maintain appropriate water levels in the stream that will be adequate for aquatic life.
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
Recommendations
Monitor to Evaluate Stream Baseflow
Bloody Run Creek 1390600 Stream Baseflow
Protect Headwaters and Springs
Continue to work with the City of Wisconsin Rapids to minimize impacts from groundwater extraction on Bloody Run Creek.
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
| WBIC | Official Waterbody Name | Station ID | Station Name | Earliest Fieldwork Date | Latest Fieldwork Date | View Station | View Data |
|---|
| 1390600 | Bloody Run | 723266 | Bloody Run at 80th Street Or Cth U | 10/4/1999 | 1/23/2001 | Map | Data |
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Watershed Characteristics
Bloody Run is located in the Fourmile and Fivemile Creek watershed which is 213.96 mi². Land use in the watershed is primarily agricultural (41.80%), forest (33.10%) and a mix of grassland (12.20%) and other uses (12.80%). This watershed has stream miles, lake acres and 13,528.97 wetland acres.
Nonpoint Source Characteristics
This watershed is ranked Medium for runoff impacts on streams, Medium 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.