Water Detail - Duck Creek, Duck and Plainville Creeks Watershed (LW25)

Duck Creek, Duck and Plainville Creeks Watershed (LW25)

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Duck Creek (1344400)

Size

16.06 Miles

Segment

0 - 16.06

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 Mainstem, 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

General Condition

Fair

County

Adams

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.

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.

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.

Default FAL

Fish and Aquatic Life - Default Waters do not have a specific use designation subcategory but are considered fishable, swimmable waters.

Overview

Duck Creek is a tributary to the Wisconsin River. The creek has historically had a rare
aquatic species. The stream has been hydrologically modified through ditching and
straightening. There is limited information available on this creek.

Ripp, Coreen, Koperski, Cindy and Folstad, Jason. 2002. The State of the Lower Wisconsin River Basin.
PUBL WT-559-2002. Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, Madison, WI.

Date 2002

Author Cynthia Koperski

Historical Description

Duck Creek, T15N, R5E, Section 4 Surface Acres = 6.5, Miles = 6.7, Gradient = 8.6 feet per mile
This hard water stream has a light brown color and it flows in a west and thence
south direction before emptying into the Wisconsin River. Its bottom is primarily sand
and muck. A portion of the stream was dry or had intermittent flow during the survey.
Continuous flow was found at the upper and lower ends of the stream. The area of
adjoining wetlands amounted to about 2,100 acres. Forage fish species constitute the
fishery. Marsh furbearers and beaver are present. Small, scattered areas of open
water were observed during the February, 1963, aerial groundwater survey. There is
0.8 mile of public frontage. Several road crossings provide additional access . Mallard and wood ducks nest along the stream.

From: Klick, Thomas A. and C.W. Threinen. 1966. Surface Water Resources of Adams County:
Lake and Stream Classification Project. Wisconsin Conservation Department, Madison, WI.

Date 1966

Author Surface Water Inventory Of Wisconsin

Duck Creek, Duck and Plainville Creeks Watershed (LW25) Fish and Aquatic Life

Duck Creek, Duck and Plainville Creeks Watershed (LW25) Recreation

Duck Creek, Duck and Plainville Creeks Watershed (LW25) Fish Consumption

General Condition

Duck Creek (WBIC 1344400) was assessed during the 2018 listing cycle; new total phosphorus, biological (macroinvertebrate Index of Biotic Integrity (IBI) scores), and sample data were clearly below the 2018 WisCALM listing thresholds for the Fish and Aquatic Life use. This water was meeting this designated use and was not considered impaired.

Date 2017

Author Ashley Beranek

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

2020 Comprehensive WQ Assessments

2018 List of Healthy (Category 2) Waters

Comprehensive 2018 River/Stream Water Quality Assessments

2015 Total Phosphorus Monitoring Report - Duck Creek @ 11th Ave

Adams County Surface Water Resources 1966

Recommendations

Citizen-Based Stream Monitoring

Collect chemical, physical, and/or biological water quality data to assess the current overall stream health. The data can inform management decisions and may be used to identify impaired waters for biennial lists.

Citizen-Based Stream Monitoring

Monitor Fish Community

Duck Creek should be surveyed to determine if rare aquatic elements are still present.

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
Duck Creek at CTH Z	2009
Duck Creek at 11TH Ave	2008
Duck Creek at CTH H	2008
Duck Creek at Evergreen Ave	2009
Duck Creek at 13th Ave	2011
Duck Creek at Edgewood Ave	2009
Duck Creek at 10th Ave	2011
Duck Creek & Elk Ave	2012

Monitoring Projects

WBIC	Official Waterbody Name	Station ID	Station Name	Earliest Fieldwork Date	Latest Fieldwork Date	View Station	View Data
5560716	Unnamed	10036118	Duck Creek - Area of Open Water			Map	Data
1344400	Duck Creek	10013250	Duck Creek Below 11th Ave.	5/23/2008	10/12/2015	Map	Data
1344400	Duck Creek	10030206	Duck Creek at Edgewood Ave	5/13/2009	8/11/2014	Map	Data
1344400	Duck Creek	10033648	Duck Creek at 10th Ave	5/3/2011	9/12/2015	Map	Data
1344400	Duck Creek	10037973	Duck Creek & Elk Ave	10/4/2012	6/27/2014	Map	Data
1344400	Duck Creek	10032951	Unnamed	8/22/2009	8/22/2009	Map	Data
1344400	Duck Creek	10028797	Duck Creek At Cth H	5/23/2008	1/1/2015	Map	Data
1344400	Duck Creek	10034561	Duck Creek at 14th Dr	10/10/2011	1/1/2015	Map	Data
1344400	Duck Creek	10033649	Duck Creek at 13th	5/3/2011	10/2/2013	Map	Data
5560716	Unnamed	10032951	Unnamed	8/22/2009	8/22/2009	Map	Data
1344400	Duck Creek	10030249	Duck Creek at Evergreen Ave	6/3/2009	1/1/2015	Map	Data
1344400	Duck Creek	10036118	Duck Creek - Area of Open Water			Map	Data
1344400	Duck Creek	10030205	Duck Creek at CTH Z			Map	Data

Watershed Characteristics

Duck Creek is located in the Duck and Plainville Creeks watershed which is 195.09 mi². Land use in the watershed is primarily forest (56.40%), agricultural (25.70%) and a mix of wetland (7.60%) and other uses (10.30%). This watershed has 218.59 stream miles, 339.26 lake acres and 9,551.62 wetland acres.

Nonpoint Source Characteristics

This watershed is ranked Low 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

Duck Creek is considered a Cool-Cold Mainstem, 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) Mainstem streams are moderate-to-large but still wadeable perennial streams with cold to cool summer temperatures. Coldwater fishes are common to uncommon, transitional fishes are abundant to common, and warm water fishes are uncommon to absent. Headwater species are common to absent, mainstem species are abundant to common, and river species are common to absent.