Water Detail - Hemlock Creek, Hemlock Creek Watershed (CW04)

Hemlock Creek, Hemlock Creek Watershed (CW04)

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Hemlock Creek (1366300)

Size

5.90 Miles

Segment

27 - 32.90

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.

Macroinvertebrate, Cool-Warm Headwater

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

General Condition

Poor

This river is impaired

Impairments include

High Phosphorus Levels

Pollutants include

Total Phosphorus

County

Wood

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.

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.

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.

Yes

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.

Restricted Aquatic Life

Fish and Aquatic Life communities are not fully supported in this ecosystem.

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.

LFF

Streams capable of supporting small populations of forage fish or tolerant macro-invertebrates that are tolerant of organic pollution. Typically limited due to naturally poor water quality or habitat deficiencies. Representative aquatic life communities associated with these waters generally require warm temperatures and concentrations of dissolved oxygen that remain above 3 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.

LFF

Overview

A stream survey conducted by the DNR in 1985 revealed heavy streambank erosion at some locations. Agricultural runoff was also occurring. A barnyard inventory conducted in 1985 identified 17 barnyards with 1,300 head of cattle within 1,000 feet of a major tributary to Hemlock Creek.

The creek also suffers from diurnal shifts in dissolved oxygen concentrations that may be caused by in-stream algal blooms. Both the villages of Arpin and Vesper WWTPs discharge effluents to Hemlock Creek.

Date 2002

Author Aquatic Biologist

Hemlock Creek, Hemlock Creek Watershed (CW04) Fish and Aquatic Life

Hemlock Creek, Hemlock Creek Watershed (CW04) Recreation

Hemlock Creek, Hemlock Creek Watershed (CW04) Fish Consumption

Impaired Waters

Hemlock Creek was recently evaluated during the ten-year period of 2009 through 2018 for results that were reported to the USEPA for the 2020 Clean Water Act condition report. The waterbody is considered impaired, or in poor condition for designated uses which include the quality of fish and aquatic life, recreational use, and public health and welfare (fish consumption and related). Pollutants or problems encountered during sampling (impairments) are determined based on water quality standards outlined in Wisconsin 2020 Consolidated Assessment and Listing Methodology (WisCALM). Assessment results show water conditions that are potentially harmful for Aquatic Life use due to values for total phosphorus that fall into the range expected for an aquatic community in poor health, therefore this water is listed as impaired. Hemlock creek is part of the Wisconsin River TMDL that was approved by the USEPA in 2019.

Hemlock Creek (mile 0-27): This segment has been listed since 2012 for total phosphorus and assessments during subsequent listing cycles have confirmed impairment.

Hemlock Creek (mile 27?37.86): Assessment results during the 2020 listing cycle show new impairment by high total phosphorus levels. Based on the most updated information, this segment was proposed for the impaired waters list.

Date 2019

Author Ashley Beranek

Impaired Waters

Hemlock Creek (1366300) was assessed during the 2016 listing cycle; total phosphorus sample data 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

Wisconsin River Basin TMDL Appendix S TMDL Status for Impaired Waters on the 2020 and 2022 Listing Cycles

2020 Comprehensive WQ Assessments

2017 Total Phosphorus Monitoring Report - Hemlock Creek North Rd Site 2

2018 List of Healthy (Category 2) Waters

Final Draft 2018 Impaired Waters List

Comprehensive 2016 Rivers Stream Assessments

Comprehensive 2014 TP IBI Rivers Assessment

Rivers TP Summary 2012

HEMLOCK CREEK, UNNAMED TRIBUTARY 13-8, WOOD COUNTY, VILLAGE OF VESPER WWTP USE DESIGNATION

Recommendations

Monitor Water Quality or Sediment

2013 TP: "Insuf Data: Prelim Result-Clearly Exceeds". Missing a September sample. Station 10016616. AU 18327. Miles Possible TP listing in 2020. Other AU is already listed for TP.

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
Monitoring Recommendations Stemming from CWA / IR Listings	2000

Monitoring Projects

WBIC	Official Waterbody Name	Station ID	Station Name	Earliest Fieldwork Date	Latest Fieldwork Date	View Station	View Data
1366300	Hemlock Creek	10011595	Hemlock Creek - Hemlock Creek Remap 0023	10/21/2009	1/1/2015	Map	Data
1366300	Hemlock Creek	10016616	Hemlock Creek - 20 M Downstream Of Cth Hh	10/18/2001	1/1/2015	Map	Data
5546577	Unnamed	10016616	Hemlock Creek - 20 M Downstream Of Cth Hh	10/18/2001	1/1/2015	Map	Data
1366300	Hemlock Creek	723105	Hemlock Creek - Sth 186 Vesper	10/6/1975	12/29/1975	Map	Data
1366300	Hemlock Creek	723314	Hemlock Creek - Hemlock Creek 0023-X			Map	Data
1367700	Unnamed	723056	Hemlock Creek at Cth Hh Ab Vesper	10/6/1975	12/29/1975	Map	Data
1366300	Hemlock Creek	723104	Hemlock Creek - Above Sanna Inc			Map	Data
1366300	Hemlock Creek	10008330	Hemlock Creek Sth 186 Site 3			Map	Data
1366300	Hemlock Creek	723313	Hemlock Creek - 0023-B at Hwy 186	5/20/1998	1/1/2015	Map	Data
1367700	Unnamed	723103	Hemlock Creek - Beatrice Foods Co Vesper 001	10/6/1975	12/29/1975	Map	Data
1366300	Hemlock Creek	10033886	Hemlock Creek at STH 186	1/1/2015	1/1/2015	Map	Data
1366300	Hemlock Creek	10016594	Hemlock Creek - 400 Feet Upstream Of Cth Hh	5/24/1993	5/24/1993	Map	Data
1367700	Unnamed	723059	Hemlock Creek at Dam Bl Vesper			Map	Data
1366300	Hemlock Creek	10008274	Hemlock Creek at Cth Hh			Map	Data

Watershed Characteristics

Hemlock Creek is located in the Hemlock Creek watershed which is 96.39 mi². Land use in the watershed is primarily forest (37.20%), agricultural (29.10%) and a mix of grassland (17.60%) and other uses (15.90%). This watershed has stream miles, lake acres and 12,264.07 wetland acres.

Nonpoint Source Characteristics

This watershed is ranked High for runoff impacts on streams, Low 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.

Natural Community

Hemlock Creek is considered a Macroinvertebrate, 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.