6.19 Miles
2.07 - 8.26
Macroinvertebrate, Cool-Warm Headwater
2015
Good
Price
Yes
No
No
Fish and Aquatic Life
Overview
Smith Creek originates in Ashland County and flows South until reaching Smith Lake along the North Fork of the Flambeau River. The first eight miles of the stream is classified as a Class II Trout water.
Date 2011
Author Aquatic Biologist
Historical Description
Smith Creek, a trout stream near Park Falls, has the potential for impact from the abandoned city of Park Falls dump on the banks of the creek in the town of Lake. Oil has spilled to the Creek in recent years from construction yards near the creek. Fishkills occurred in the 1960s and 1970s (Scholl 1993).
Date 1996
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 Water Quality or Sediment
WRM should conduct toxicant monitoring and / or biomonitoring on Smith Creek (Type B).
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 |
|---|
| 2289100 | Smith Creek | 10037839 | Smith Creek- Upstream of Bridge on Tuscobia Trail | | | Map | Data |
| 2289100 | Smith Creek | 513085 | Smith Creek - Twn Rd 1 Mi No Of Cth E | 5/1/1980 | 10/10/1980 | Map | Data |
| 2289100 | Smith Creek | 10032396 | Smith Creek at Hwy. 13 Park Falls | | | Map | Data |
| 2289100 | Smith Creek | 10011654 | Smith Creek - Upstream Maple Ridge Road | 10/26/2004 | 1/1/2015 | Map | Data |
| 2289100 | Smith Creek | 10020802 | Smith Creek-9 Yds. Upstream Of Tuscobia Trail Bridge | | | Map | Data |
|
Watershed Characteristics
Smith Creek 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.
Smith Creek (Twn Of Lake) is considered a Macroinvertebrate, Cool-Warm 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 (Warm-Transition) Headwaters are small, sometimes intermittent streams with cool to warm summer temperatures. Coldwater fishes are uncommon to absent, transitional fishes are abundant to common, and warm water fishes are common to uncommon. Headwater species are abundant to common, mainstem species are common to absent, and river species are absent.