Sand River, Bayfield Peninsula Northwest Watershed (LS06)
Sand River, Bayfield Peninsula Northwest Watershed (LS06)
Sand River (2883100)
12.19 Miles
5.42 - 17.61
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
Unknown
 
Bayfield
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.
WWFF
Streams capable of supporting a warm waterdependent forage fishery. Representative aquatic life communities associated with these waters generally require cool or warm temperatures and concentrations of dissolved oxygen that do not drop below 5 mg/L.
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.
WWFF
Streams capable of supporting a warm waterdependent forage fishery. Representative aquatic life communities associated with these waters generally require cool or warm temperatures and concentrations of dissolved oxygen that do not drop below 5 mg/L.

Overview

This river flows north off the Bayfield Peninsula Ridge into Sand Bay on Lake Superior, moving large amounts of clay and sand that have formed a bar out toward Sand Island. Sampling conducted in the early 1980s by the U.S. Geological Survey measured discharges as high as 5,000 tons per day of suspended sediment and 192 tons per day of dissolved solids. In its uppermost reaches, it flows through an extensive wetland area where beaver are common. The upper 70 percent of the river is intermittent. Many small bottom springs and spring streamlets flow into the Sand River about four miles south of its mouth. These are largely responsible for the lower four miles being able to support trout. Brook trout are common in this lower reach, and migratory runs from Lake Superior occur.

This river is periodically subjected to destructive flash floods. Flood stages as high as 12 feet above normal have been recorded. The floods scour most in-stream cover. The upstream reaches are primarily upland hardwood that may periodically be subjected to clearcutting and logging traffic, while the lower reaches are bordered by dense stands of willow.

The Sand River forms a small estuary where it enters Lake Superior, resulting in an area of coastal wetlands that provides good fish habitat. This portion of the Lake Superior Shoreline in Sand Bay is part of the Apostle Island National Lakeshore. The coastal wetlands evaluation identified Sand Bay as the site of priority wetlands (see discussion, above). The river itself, besides supporting trout, provides habitat for several warm water species of game and forage fish. The lower portion of the river flows through the Red Cliff Indian Reservation, while the upper parts are mostly county forest. The headwaters areas are privately owned.

Water quality analysis was conducted on this river to determine background levels of metals in the region. Due to wetland areas, springtime waters contained large amounts of particulate matter, much of it clay. This stream was identified in the coastal wetlands evaluation as an aquatic priority site (Epstein 1997). While the headwaters are near the Bayfield Sand Barrens subsection, and may be influenced by the area, the stream is contained with in the Lake Superior Clay Plain subsection. Of the 20 insect aquatic taxa found in this effort, five are considered rare in Wisconsin. Significant management concerns identified by the survey include turbidity, low flow, exotic species encroachment and bank erosion.

The Sand River supports regionally significant diversity among its aquatic insects. This should an important management consideration across administrative boundaries, as few of the area's streams are confined to a single-owner watershed.

Date  1999

Author   Aquatic Biologist

Sand River, Bayfield Peninsula Northwest Watershed (LS06) Fish and Aquatic LifeSand River, Bayfield Peninsula Northwest Watershed (LS06) RecreationSand River, Bayfield Peninsula Northwest Watershed (LS06) Fish Consumption

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

Monitoring Projects

Watershed Characteristics

Sand River is located in the Bayfield Peninsula Northwest watershed which is 236.05 miĀ². Land use in the watershed is primarily forest (86.60%), wetland (7.80%) and a mix of grassland (4.60%) and other uses (0.90%). This watershed has 473.06 stream miles, 43,216.55 lake acres and 6,677.27 wetland acres.

Nonpoint Source Characteristics

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

Natural Community

Sand River 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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