Norwegian Creek, Lower Middle Sugar River Watershed (SP12)
Norwegian Creek, Lower Middle Sugar River Watershed (SP12)
Norwegian Creek (878700)
3.11 Miles
2.88 - 5.99
Natural Community
Natural communities (stream and lake natural communities) represent model results that use predicted flow and temperature based on landscape features and related assumptions. Ranges of flow and temperature associated with specific aquatic life communities (fish, macroinvertebrates) help biologists identify appropriate resource management goals. Wisconsin Natural Communities.
Cool-Cold Headwater, Coldwater
Year Last Monitored
This is the most recent date of monitoring data stored in SWIMS. Additional surveys for fish and habitat may be available subsequent to this date.
2015
Good
 
Green, Rock
Trout Water 
Trout Waters are represented by Class I, Class II or Class III waters. These classes have specific ecological characteristics and management actions associated with them. For more information regarding Trout Classifications, see the Fisheries Trout Class Webpages.
No
Outstanding or Exceptional 
Wisconsin has designated many of the state's highest quality waters as Outstanding Resource Waters (ORWs) or Exceptional Resource Waters (ERWs). Waters designated as ORW or ERW are surface waters which provide outstanding recreational opportunities, support valuable fisheries and wildlife habitat, have good water quality, and are not significantly impacted by human activities. ORW and ERW status identifies waters that the State of Wisconsin has determined warrant additional protection from the effects of pollution. These designations are intended to meet federal Clean Water Act obligations requiring Wisconsin to adopt an 'antidegradation' policy that is designed to prevent any lowering of water quality - especially in those waters having significant ecological or cultural value.
No
Impaired Water 
A water is polluted or 'impaired' if it does not support full use by humans, wildlife, fish and other aquatic life and it is shown that one or more of the pollutant criteria are not met.
No

Fish and Aquatic Life

Current Use
The use the water currently supports. This is not a designation or classification; it is based on the current condition of the water. Information in this column is not designed for, and should not be used for, regulatory purposes.
Supported Aquatic Life
Waters that support fish and aquatic life communities (healthy biological communities).
Attainable Use
The use that the investigator believes the water could achieve through managing "controllable" sources. Beaver dams, hydroelectric dams, low gradient streams, and naturally occurring low flows are generally not considered controllable. The attainable use may be the same as the current use or it may be higher.
Default FAL
Fish and Aquatic Life - Default Waters do not have a specific use designation subcategory but are considered fishable, swimmable waters.
Designated Use
This is the water classification legally recognized by NR102 and NR104, Wis. Adm. Code. The classification determines water quality criteria and effluent limits. Waters obtain designated uses through classification procedures.
Default FAL
Fish and Aquatic Life - Default Waters do not have a specific use designation subcategory but are considered fishable, swimmable waters.

Overview

With its headwaters in western Rock County, this stream flows into Green County and enters the Mill Race Arm of the Sugar River at Decatur Lake. The stream holds some sport fish near its mouth mainly due to the influence of Decatur Lake. It is also home to forage fish, including the least darter, a species on the state�s special concern list. The stream is classified as an Exceptional Resource Water (ERW). A narrow wetland buffer exists along the streams lower reaches. It has not been monitored in recent years.

Date  2002

Author   Aquatic Biologist

Historical Description

With its headwaters in western Rock County. this small stream flows southwest into Green County and enters the Mill Race arm of the Sugar River. at Decatur Lake. The watershed is a broad. flat valley. composed of cropland and pasture. Much of the stream has been straightened by ditching. Bank cover is fairly stable but moderate erosion is prevalent in the pastured areas. The streambed is flat and sandy. with a few gravel riffles butvery little instream cover. Near its mouth the stream widens into a shallow c~ttail swamp with a silt-mHc~ bottom. An intermittent north branch locally referred to as the Broughton Drainage System enters in Sec-tion 12.

For management purposes Norwegian Creek is classified as a forage fish stream. although several warmwater game species are found in the lower end. A diverse assemblage of forage fish. including the rare least. darter.
inhabit the upper end of the stream. In addition. approximately 300 acres of wild and pastured wetlands provide habitat for muskrats and a variety of migratory waterfowl. Public access is provided at four road crossings. and at a Department of Natural Resources boat launching site at the stream's mouth.

Fish Species: Central mudminnow, northern pike, stoneroller unspecified, carp, brassy minnow, bigmouth shiner, spotfin shiner, sand shiner, redbelly dace unspecified, bluntnose minnow, creek chub, quillback, white sucker, golden redhorse, brook stickleback, green sunfish, pumpkinseed, bluegill, largemouth bass, fantail darter, least darter, Johnny darter, blackside darter.

Surface Acres = 2.4, Length = 4.0 Miles, Gradient = 7 ft./mi., Base Discharge 5.2 cu. ft./sec.

Bush, D.M., R. Cornelius, D. Engle, and C.L. Brynildson. 1980. Lake and Stream Classification Project. Surface Water Resources of Green County, 2nd Edition. Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, Madison, Wisconsin.

Date  1980

Author   Surface Water Inventory Of Wisconsin

Historical Description

A warm water, slow moving stream flowing in a westerly direction. A little over one-half of the stream is in Rock County, and the remainder is in Green County where it empties into the Sugar River. Norwegian Creek in Rock County is managed for forage species and is considered a good bait stream. There are 564 acres of adjoining fresh meadow wetland but due to ditching they have little wildlife value. Navigable access is available by way of the Sugar River in Green County and from two
bridge crossings in Rock County.

From: Ball, Joseph R., and Ronald J. Poff, Lake and Stream Classification Project. Surface Water Resources of Rock County, Department of Natural Resources, 1970. Surface Acres =2.5, Miles = 3.5, Gradient = 17.1 feet per mile.

Date  1970

Author   Surface Water Inventory Of Wisconsin

Historical Description

Flows south into the Sugar River. Managed for forage fish. Drains 300 acres of wetland and is ditched through an estimated 60 per cent of its lenght. A good common white sucker population is present. A north branch is locally called the Broughton Drainage System and represents the strightening of a small feeder draining the marshland north of the stream. During midsummer it may be of intermittent flow.

From: Poff, Ronald J., and C.W. Threinen, Lake and Stream Classification Project. Surface Water Resources of Green County, Wisconsin Conservation Department, Madison I, 1961. Surface Acres= 2.4, Miles= 4.0, Gradient= 2.5' per mile

Date  1961

Author   Surface Water Inventory Of Wisconsin

Norwegian Creek, Lower Middle Sugar River Watershed (SP12) Fish and Aquatic LifeNorwegian Creek, Lower Middle Sugar River Watershed (SP12) RecreationNorwegian Creek, Lower Middle Sugar River Watershed (SP12) Fish Consumption

General Condition

Norwegian Creek was assessed during the 2018 listing cycle; new total phosphorus sample data were clearly below the 2018 WisCALM listing thresholds for the Fish and Aquatic Life use. This water was meeting this designated use and was not considered impaired.

Date  2017

Author  Ashley Beranek

General Condition

This water was assessed during the 2016 listing cycle; total phosphorus and biological sample data clearly met 2016 WisCALM listing thresholds for the Fish and Aquatic Life use.

Date  2015

Author   Wdnr Water Quality

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

Citizen-Based Stream Monitoring
Collect chemical, physical, and/or biological water quality data to assess the current overall stream health. The data can inform management decisions and may be used to identify impaired waters for biennial lists.

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

Norwegian Creek is located in the Lower Middle Sugar River watershed which is 56.40 mi². Land use in the watershed is primarily agricultural (72.20%), grassland (12.40%) and a mix of forest (8.70%) and other uses (6.70%). This watershed has 126.77 stream miles, 142.28 lake acres and 1,552.10 wetland acres.

Nonpoint Source Characteristics

This watershed is ranked Not Ranked for runoff impacts on streams, Not Ranked 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.

Natural Community

Norwegian Creek is considered a Cool-Cold Headwater, Coldwater 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 (Cold-Transition) Headwaters are small, usually perennial streams with cold to cool summer temperatures. Coldwater fishes are common to uncommon (<10 per 100 m), transitional fishes are abundant to common, and warm water fishes are uncommon to absent. Headwater species are abundant to common, mainstem species are common to absent, and river species are absent.

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