13.79 Miles
0 - 13.79
Macroinvertebrate, Cool-Cold Headwater, Warm Headwater, COOL-Warm Headwater
2019
Poor
Degraded Biological Community
Total Phosphorus
Dodge
No
No
Yes
Fish and Aquatic Life
Overview
Plum Creek is a small narrow stream approximately 14 miles in length. There are several SWIMS monitoring stations, three active and one inactive. The site on Highway 26 was monitored in 2009 (site #10030029). Fish data, HBI data and habitat were all evaluated, although the data is currently not available in SWIMS. There is also another station on County Road I, east of Highway 26 (site #10017218), that was monitored for fish, HBI and habitat. The site had an HBI of 6.3 (fair). There is currently another site on the Wild Goose trail that is being monitored by USFWS for suspended solids, total phosphorous and total dissolved phosphorous.
Date 2011
Author Daniel Heim
Impaired Waters
The 2018 assessments of Plum Creek showed continued impairment by phosphorus; new total phosphorus sample data overwhelmingly exceeded the 2018 WisCALM listing criteria for the Fish and Aquatic Life use. However, there was no new available biological data to observe further biological impairment (i.e. this water was listed in previous water evaluation cycles, but no new fish Index of Biotic Integrity (IBI) scores were available). Based on the most updated information, no change in the existing impaired waters listing was needed.
Date 2017
Author Ashley Beranek
Impaired Waters
Plum Creek (868400) was assessed during the 2016 listing cycle; total phosphorus sample data overwhelmingly exceed 2016 WisCALM listing criteria for the Fish and Aquatic Life use and biological impairment was observed (i.e. at least one macroinvertebrate or fish Index of Biotic Integrity (IBI) scored in the poor condition category).
Date 2015
Author Aaron Larson
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 |
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| 868400 | Plum Creek | 10035860 | Plum Creek - Area of Open Water | | | Map | Data |
| 868400 | Plum Creek | 10035088 | Plum Creek - Area of Open Water | | | Map | Data |
| 868400 | Plum Creek | 10030029 | Plum Creek at State Highway 26 | 6/20/2001 | 1/1/2015 | Map | Data |
| 868400 | Plum Creek | 10033655 | Plum Creek - Hwy M | 6/13/2011 | 1/1/2015 | Map | Data |
| 868400 | Plum Creek | 10031044 | Plum Creek - wild goose trail | 3/11/2010 | 9/17/2019 | Map | Data |
| 868400 | Plum Creek | 10036733 | Plum Creek - Area of Open Water | | | Map | Data |
| 868400 | Plum Creek | 10009994 | Plum Creek Hwy I Upstream | | | Map | Data |
| 868400 | Plum Creek | 10017218 | Plum Creek -Hwy I | 10/6/2004 | 9/30/2017 | Map | Data |
| 868400 | Plum Creek | 10035879 | Plum Creek - Area of Open Water | | | Map | Data |
| 868400 | Plum Creek | 10036803 | Plum Creek - Area of Open Water | | | Map | Data |
| 868400 | Plum Creek | 10035220 | Plum Creek - Area of Open Water | | | Map | Data |
| 5591081 | Unnamed | 10041891 | Unnamed Lake (WBIC 5591081) | 7/4/2011 | 9/30/2017 | Map | Data |
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Watershed Characteristics
Plum Creek is located in the Upper Rock River watershed which is 257.61 mi². Land use in the watershed is primarily agricultural (54.60%), wetland (24.60%) and a mix of grassland (11.90%) and other uses (8.80%). This watershed has 335.43 stream miles, 1,629.48 lake acres and 40,442.61 wetland acres.
Nonpoint Source Characteristics
This watershed is ranked Medium for runoff impacts on streams, High 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.
Plum Creek is considered a Macroinvertebrate, Cool-Cold Headwater, Warm Headwater, 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.
Warm Headwaters are small, usually intermittent streams with warm summer temperatures. Coldwater fishes are absent, transitional fishes are common to uncommon, and warm water fishes are abundant to common. Headwater species are abundant to common, mainstem species are common to absent, and
river species are absent.