44.85 Miles
22.03 - 66.88
Macroinvertebrate, Cool-Cold Headwater, Cool-Warm Mainstem, Cool-Warm Headwater
2024
Good
Rusk, Sawyer
No
Yes
No
Fish and Aquatic Life
Overview
The Thornapple River is a good warm water sports fishery that includes northern pike,
muskellunge, channel catflsh, walleye, rock bass, smallmouth bass, redhorse, common
suckers, and a variety of minnow species. The local fish manager says the Thornapple is
particularity important as a spawning habitat for lake sturgeon from Holcombe Flowage
and the Chippewa River (PRatt 1993).
Date 1996
Author Aquatic Biologist
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
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 |
|---|
| 2360800 | Thornapple River | 10020731 | Thornapple River-170 Yds Upstream Of Thornapple Grade Rd. | 1/1/2015 | 9/23/2024 | Map | Data |
| 2360800 | Thornapple River | 553062 | Thornapple River - NeSe Sec 19 365w | 5/30/1979 | 10/28/1979 | Map | Data |
| 2360800 | Thornapple River | 10036503 | Thornapple River - Area of Open Water | | | Map | Data |
| 2360800 | Thornapple River | 10036648 | Thornapple River - Area of Open Water | | | Map | Data |
| 2360800 | Thornapple River | 10035594 | Thornapple River - Area of Open Water | | | Map | Data |
| 2360800 | Thornapple River | 10022301 | Thornapple River 50 M Upstream Of Cth J | | | Map | Data |
| 2360800 | Thornapple River | 10022152 | Thornapple River 22m Upstream Of Cth J | 11/2/2007 | 1/1/2015 | Map | Data |
| 2360800 | Thornapple River | 10036530 | Thornapple River - Area of Open Water | | | Map | Data |
| 2360800 | Thornapple River | 10011932 | Thornapple River - Thornapple River Above Cth W | 1/1/2015 | 1/1/2015 | Map | Data |
| 2360800 | Thornapple River | 10012060 | Thornapple River - Thornapple at Cty M | | | Map | Data |
| 2360800 | Thornapple River | 583045 | Thornapple River at Cth W | 5/30/1979 | 5/30/1979 | Map | Data |
| 2360800 | Thornapple River | 583059 | Thornapple at 2.5 M W Hwy J Fr | 10/25/2004 | 10/25/2004 | Map | Data |
| 2360800 | Thornapple River | 10035080 | Thornapple River - Area of Open Water | | | Map | Data |
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Watershed Characteristics
Thornapple River is located in the Thornapple River watershed which is 229.97 mi². Land use in the watershed is primarily forest (58.10%), wetland (36.50%) and a mix of grassland (2.80%) and other uses (2.60%). This watershed has 244.30 stream miles, 193.31 lake acres and 38,871.25 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.
Thornapple River is considered a Macroinvertebrate, Cool-Cold Headwater, Cool-Warm Mainstem, 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.
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.