4.40 Miles
0 - 4.40
Cool-Cold Mainstem, Cool-Cold Headwater, Coldwater
2015
Excellent
Crawford
Yes
No
No
Fish and Aquatic Life
Overview
Leitner Creek flows in a westerly direction for approximately 1.7 miles toward the Mississippi River with a gradient of 47.1 feet per mile. It drains steep forested hills with agriculture on some ridgetops. Leitner Creek is now a Classified Trout Stream (2008 Trout Book Update).
A fishery survey conducted on the upper end of Leitner Creek in 2000 documented very few forage fish and no trout. The surveyed station contained equal amounts of cobble, gravel, and sand with lesser amounts of silt and clay. The majority of adult trout habitat consisted of small pools created by the scour of woody debris. Streambank erosion was common.
Wild brook trout were stocked in Leitner Creek in October 2000 in an attempt to re-establish wild brook trout in southwest Wisconsin. A follow-up survey was conducted in 2005 to determine the status of the fishery and 57 Brook Trout were found, as well as slimy sculpin.
Access to Leitner Creek is from one road crossing.
Date 2010
Author Aquatic Biologist
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 |
|---|
|
|
Monitoring Projects
| WBIC | Official Waterbody Name | Station ID | Station Name | Earliest Fieldwork Date | Latest Fieldwork Date | View Station | View Data |
|---|
| 1634900 | Leitner Creek | 10008943 | Leitner Creek #1 - 300 M Below Spring On Pappenfus Land | 10/19/2000 | 8/5/2011 | Map | Data |
| 1634900 | Leitner Creek | 123071 | Leitner Creek at Hwy 35 | | | Map | Data |
| 721000 | Mississippi River | 10042737 | Leitner Creek off Leitner Hollow Rd ~ 250 m from STH 35 intersection | 10/8/2014 | 1/1/2015 | Map | Data |
| 1634900 | Leitner Creek | 10042737 | Leitner Creek off Leitner Hollow Rd ~ 250 m from STH 35 intersection | 10/8/2014 | 1/1/2015 | Map | Data |
| 1634900 | Leitner Creek | 10042738 | Leitner Creek off Leitner Hollow Rd ~ 1000 m from STH 35 | | | Map | Data |
|
Watershed Characteristics
Leitner Creek is located in the Rush Creek watershed which is 240.16 mi². Land use in the watershed is primarily forest (46.60%), grassland (16.20%) and a mix of agricultural (15%) and other uses (22.10%). This watershed has 551.06 stream miles, 1,906.88 lake acres and 9,793.93 wetland acres.
Nonpoint Source Characteristics
This watershed is ranked High for runoff impacts on streams, Not Ranked for runoff impacts on lakes and Medium for runoff impacts on groundwater and therefore has an overall rank of Medium. 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.
Leitner Cr (Creek 33-8) is considered a Cool-Cold Mainstem, 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) 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.
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.
This stream is also known as Creek 33-8. New classification of Class I based on documentation submitted for the 2008 Trout Book.
Date 2008
Author Aquatic Biologist
More Interactive Maps
Maps of Watershed