Green
No
Yes
No
Fish and Aquatic Life
Overview
With its headwaters in western Rock County, this stream flows into Green County and enters the Mill Race Arm of the Sugar River at Decatur Lake. The stream holds some sport fish near its mouth mainly due to the influence of Decatur Lake. It is also home to forage fish, including the least darter, a species on the state�s special concern list. The stream is classified as an Exceptional Resource Water (ERW). A narrow wetland buffer exists along the streams lower reaches. It has not been monitored in recent years.
Date 2002
Author Aquatic Biologist
Historical Description
With its headwaters in western Rock County. this small stream flows southwest into Green County and enters the Mill Race arm of the Sugar River. at Decatur Lake. The watershed is a broad. flat valley. composed of cropland and pasture. Much of the stream has been straightened by ditching. Bank cover is fairly stable but moderate erosion is prevalent in the pastured areas. The streambed is flat and sandy. with a few gravel riffles butvery little instream cover. Near its mouth the stream widens into a shallow c~ttail swamp with a silt-mHc~ bottom. An intermittent north branch locally referred to as the Broughton Drainage System enters in Sec-tion 12.
For management purposes Norwegian Creek is classified as a forage fish stream. although several warmwater game species are found in the lower end. A diverse assemblage of forage fish. including the rare least. darter.
inhabit the upper end of the stream. In addition. approximately 300 acres of wild and pastured wetlands provide habitat for muskrats and a variety of migratory waterfowl. Public access is provided at four road crossings. and at a Department of Natural Resources boat launching site at the stream's mouth.
Fish Species: Central mudminnow, northern pike, stoneroller unspecified, carp, brassy minnow, bigmouth shiner, spotfin shiner, sand shiner, redbelly dace unspecified, bluntnose minnow, creek chub, quillback, white sucker, golden redhorse, brook stickleback, green sunfish, pumpkinseed, bluegill, largemouth bass, fantail darter, least darter, Johnny darter, blackside darter.
Surface Acres = 2.4, Length = 4.0 Miles, Gradient = 7 ft./mi., Base Discharge 5.2 cu. ft./sec.
Bush, D.M., R. Cornelius, D. Engle, and C.L. Brynildson. 1980. Lake and Stream Classification Project. Surface Water Resources of Green County, 2nd Edition. Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, Madison, Wisconsin.
Date 1980
Author Surface Water Inventory Of Wisconsin
Historical Description
A warm water, slow moving stream flowing in a westerly direction. A little over one-half of the stream is in Rock County, and the remainder is in Green County where it empties into the Sugar River. Norwegian Creek in Rock County is managed for forage species and is considered a good bait stream. There are 564 acres of adjoining fresh meadow wetland but due to ditching they have little wildlife value. Navigable access is available by way of the Sugar River in Green County and from two
bridge crossings in Rock County.
From: Ball, Joseph R., and Ronald J. Poff, Lake and Stream Classification Project. Surface Water Resources of Rock County, Department of Natural Resources, 1970. Surface Acres =2.5, Miles = 3.5, Gradient = 17.1 feet per mile.
Date 1970
Author Surface Water Inventory Of Wisconsin
Historical Description
Flows south into the Sugar River. Managed for forage fish. Drains 300 acres of wetland and is ditched through an estimated 60 per cent of its lenght. A good common white sucker population is present. A north branch is locally called the Broughton Drainage System and represents the strightening of a small feeder draining the marshland north of the stream. During midsummer it may be of intermittent flow.
From: Poff, Ronald J., and C.W. Threinen, Lake and Stream Classification Project. Surface Water Resources of Green County, Wisconsin Conservation Department, Madison I, 1961. Surface Acres= 2.4, Miles= 4.0, Gradient= 2.5' per mile
Date 1961
Author Surface Water Inventory Of Wisconsin
General Condition
Norwegian Creek was assessed during the 2018 listing cycle; new total phosphorus 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
General Condition
This water was assessed during the 2016 listing cycle; total phosphorus and biological sample data clearly met 2016 WisCALM listing thresholds for the Fish and Aquatic Life use.
Date 2015
Author Wdnr Water Quality
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
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.
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
| WBIC | Official Waterbody Name | Station ID | Station Name | Earliest Fieldwork Date | Latest Fieldwork Date | View Station | View Data |
|---|
| 878400 | Sugar River -East Channel | 10058232 | Sugar River - East Channel | 9/28/2023 | 9/28/2023 | Map | Data |
| 878700 | Norwegian Creek | 10009519 | Norwegian Creek Upstream (At) Hwy 104/H | 5/3/2007 | 1/1/2015 | Map | Data |
| 878700 | Norwegian Creek | 10009345 | Norwegian Creek - Lyons Rd (East Of State Road 104) | 11/15/2002 | 11/15/2002 | Map | Data |
| 878700 | Norwegian Creek | 10014387 | Norwegian Creek - 10m Upstream Cth E | | | Map | Data |
| 878700 | Norwegian Creek | 10039842 | Norwegian Creek at Golf Course Rd | 5/18/2013 | 10/19/2015 | Map | Data |
|
Watershed Characteristics
Norwegian Creek is located in the Lower Middle Sugar River watershed which is 56.40 mi². Land use in the watershed is primarily agricultural (72.20%), grassland (12.40%) and a mix of forest (8.70%) and other uses (6.70%). This watershed has 126.77 stream miles, 142.28 lake acres and 1,552.10 wetland acres.
Nonpoint Source Characteristics
This watershed is ranked Not Ranked for runoff impacts on streams, Not Ranked 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.