Milwaukee
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Fish and Aquatic Life
Overview
Mud Lake, in the Root River Watershed, is a 3.70 acre lake that falls in Milwaukee County. This lake is managed for fishing and swimming and is currently not considered impaired.
Date 2011
Author Aquatic Biologist
Historical Description
A small natural lake with intermittent outlet to a tributary of the Root River. The pond lies within marsh deposits and has brown water. A thermocline develops at nine feet in midsummer. The bottom is entirely muck. Major use problems are winterkill and possibly pollution. Bullheads and some of the sunfishes constitute the fishery. Public access is afforded by a county park site under development. About five acres of wetland adjoin the lake. The lake had recently been used as a convenient landfill site and would no doubt have been seriously altered if not destroyed within a few years. Source: 1964, Surface Water Resources of Milwaukee County Mud Lake, T5N, R21E, Section 1 Surface Acres = 4.0, S.D.F. = 1.00, Maximum Depth = 17.0 feet
Date 1964
Author Surface Water Inventory Of Wisconsin
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.
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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| 5500 | Mud Lake | 10040093 | Milwaukee Co. Parks - Grobschmidt (Mud Lake) | 7/12/2013 | 10/24/2023 | Map | Data |
| 5500 | Mud Lake | 100887 | Mud Lake | 8/3/2007 | 8/3/2007 | Map | Data |
| 5500 | Mud Lake | 10045553 | Phragmites Occurrence - Mud Lake | | | Map | Data |
| 5400 | Unnamed | 10045553 | Phragmites Occurrence - Mud Lake | | | Map | Data |
| 5500 | Mud Lake | 10045552 | Phragmites Occurrence - Mud Lake | | | Map | Data |
| 5400 | Unnamed | 10045552 | Phragmites Occurrence - Mud Lake | | | Map | Data |
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Watershed Characteristics
Mud Lake is located in the Root River watershed which is 198.97 mi². Land use in the watershed is primarily agricultural (43.10%), suburban (25%) and a mix of urban (9.80%) and other uses (22.20%). This watershed has 306.47 stream miles, 967.77 lake acres and 6,175.95 wetland acres.
Nonpoint Source Characteristics
This watershed is ranked Not Available for runoff impacts on streams, Not Available 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.