8.50 Miles
0 - 8.50
Cool-Cold Headwater, Cool-Warm Mainstem, Cool-Warm Headwater
2022
Good
Taylor
No
No
No
Fish and Aquatic Life
Overview
The Yellow River is formed by the confluence of the North and South Forks of the Yellbw River in
the Chequamegon National Forest. The Yellow River in ths area is quite small. In the 1960s, a dam
on the Yellow River created the Chequamegon Waters Flowage, whch supports a good warm water
sport fishery and is hghly valued for wildlife habitat. The flowage supports ducks, swans, and nesting
eagles. Below Chequamegon Waters Flowage, the Yellow River flow increases, supporting a better
fishery than upstream of the flowage, and is more popular for canoeing. The Yellow River below the
flowage has fairly steep river banks, adding to the canoeing experience.
The municipal wastewater treatment plant at Gilman, whch discharges to a wetland tributary to the
Yellow River, is the only point source discharge in this watershed. The present WPDES permit for this
aerated pond facility requires that the village evaluate the need for phosphorus removal as required
under NR 217. If the plant discharges more than
removal facilities will have to be provided. A 1989
to the Yellow River from the discharge (WRM).
Some sources of polluted runoff are evident in the
are available to document habitat or water quality
the 150-~ound-~&-m&th threshold, phosphorus
site investigation found no water quality impacts
lower part of the watershed, but insufficient data
impacts.
A shaft gold mine has been proposed near the North Fork of the Yellow River in the Chequamegon
National Forest. Fisheries and habitat surveys conducted in 1992 to provide baseline data for the North
Fork Yellow and the Yellow rivers found that the fish community in the proposed mining area may
be somewhat limited by lack of cover (Kanehl).
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
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 |
|---|
| 2164600 | South Fork Yellow River | 10039463 | South Fork Yellow River at North Road | 10/19/2017 | 10/5/2022 | Map | Data |
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Watershed Characteristics
South Fork Yellow River is located in the Upper Yellow (Taylor Co.) River watershed which is 241.08 mi². Land use in the watershed is primarily forest (51.50%), wetland (30.60%) and a mix of agricultural (10.80%) and other uses (7.10%). This watershed has 306.51 stream miles, 682.42 lake acres and 30,178.84 wetland acres.
Nonpoint Source Characteristics
This watershed is ranked Low for runoff impacts on streams, Not Ranked 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.
South Fork Yellow River is considered a 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.