West Fork Chippewa River , West Fork Chippewa River Watershed (UC23)
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West Fork Chippewa River , West Fork Chippewa River Watershed (UC23)
West Fork Chippewa River (2414500)
4.84 Miles
26.27 - 31.11
Natural Community
Cool-Warm Mainstem
Year Last Monitored
Unknown
 
Sawyer
Trout Water 
No
Outstanding or Exceptional 
Yes
Impaired Water 
No

Fish and Aquatic Life

Current Use
Supported Aquatic Life
Attainable Use
Default FAL
Designated Use
Default FAL

Overview

The West Fork of the Chippewa River originates in Bayfield County, the East Fork originates in central Iron County. Both rivers flow southwesterly through Ashland and Sawyer counties until they join at the Chippewa Flowage, a reservoir formed by the Winter Dam.
The West Fork supports one reservoir upstream of the Chippewa Flowage - Moose Lake, a water storage impoundment with a thirteen foot head dam. The East Fork supports hydropower upstream of its confluence with the West Fork; the North Central Power Company dam generates electricity at Snaptail Rapids.
Both the East and West Forks were evaluated for in-stream habitat using the Wisconsin Warm Water Physical Habitat Rating System. The West Fork has a rating of "excellent", the East Fork rates between "good" and "excellent" (Kanehl and Lyons, 1990).

Larson, Nancy and Lisa Kosmond (Helmuth). 1996. Upper Chippewa River Basin Water Quality Management Plan.
PUBL-WR-345-96-REV. Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, Madison, WI.

Date  1996

Author   Aquatic Biologist

Overview

The West Fork of the Chippewa River is a low gradient, warm water river that originates
from the outlet of Chippewa Lake in southeastern Bayfleld County. It then flows
southeast into Ashland County where it turns and flows southwest through much of
Sawyer County before emptying into the Chippewa Flowage. The river flows through Day
and Upper Clam Lakes in Ashland County, and Lower Clam, Cattail, Meadow, Partridge
Crop, and Moose Lakes in Sawyer County. Moose Lake is a water storage impoundment
of the West Fork with a 13-foot head dam.
The predominant fisheries on the West Fork of the Chippewa are walleye, small mouth
bass, and muskellunge (District Fisheries Management) The river has a high potential
for endangered resource occurrences but no aquatic inventories have been conducted.

Date  1996

Author   Aquatic Biologist

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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Waters that support fish and aquatic life communities (healthy biological communities).
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.
Fish and Aquatic Life - Default Waters do not have a specific use designation subcategory but are considered fishable, swimmable waters.
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.
Fish and Aquatic Life - Default Waters do not have a specific use designation subcategory but are considered fishable, swimmable waters.