Water Detail - Saunders Creek, Lower Koshkonong Creek Watershed (LR11)

Saunders Creek, Lower Koshkonong Creek Watershed (LR11)

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Saunders Creek (808000)

Size

11.76 Miles

Segment

5 - 16.76

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 Headwater, Cool-Warm Mainstem, 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.

2023

General Condition

Fair

County

Dane

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.

WWFF

Streams capable of supporting a warm waterdependent forage fishery. Representative aquatic life communities associated with these waters generally require cool or warm temperatures and concentrations of dissolved oxygen that do not drop below 5 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.

WWSF

Streams capable of supporting a warm waterdependent sport fishery. Representative aquatic life communities associated with these waters generally require cool or warm temperatures and concentrations of dissolved oxygen that do not drop below 5 mg/L.

Overview

Rock River Water Quality Management Plan, Lower Rock River Appendix. WT-668-2002. South Central Region, WDNR.

Saunders Creek rises in southeast Dane County and flows 10 miles south to join the Rock River south of Edgerton. It is a meandering creek draining 36 miles of predominately agricultural lands. Parts of the creek have been ditched and wetlands drained in its watershed. Polluted runoff from pastures and barnyards and erosion from fields--exacerbated by the ditching--carry sediments to the stream, affecting water quality. Some remnant wet meadows between Edgerton and Albion and above Albion still exist, providing limited Northern pike spawning habitat wetlands.

Date 2002

Author Aquatic Biologist

Historical Description

Saunders Creek -T5N, RI2E, Sec. 33, Surface acres = 11, Length = 10 miles, Stream order = II, Gradient = 5 ft/mile, Base discharge = 3.6 cfs.
Saunders Creek originates near Utica (Sec. 19) in Christiana Township, and flows south to meet the Rock River in Rock County. It is a meandering creek with a low gradient and drains 36 square miles of agricultural lands in southern Dane County. Many parts of the creek have been ditched in order to drain the wet meadows and shallow marshes that were once plentiful in the watershed (Dane Cty. Reg. Plann. Comm. 1979a). Nonpoint pollution from farms and erosion from ditching present problems for elevated alkalinity and conductivity readings. Northern pike spawn in its associated marshes. Some panfish and many species of forage fish also inhabit the creek. Four road crossings offer pulic access.
Fish species: central mudminnow, central stoneroller, common carp, brassy minnow, hornyhead chub, common and bigmouth shiner, northern redbelly dace, bluntnose and fathead minnow, creek chub, pearl dace, white sucker, black bullhead, stonecat, brook stickleback, green sunfish, fantail and Johnny darter.

From: Day, Elizabeth A.; Grzebieniak, Gayle P.; Osterby, Kurt M.; and Brynildson, Clifford L., 1985. Lake and Stream Classification Project. Surface Water Resources of Dane County, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, Madison, WI.

Date 1985

Author Surface Water Inventory Of Wisconsin

Historical Description

From: Ball, Joseph R., and Ronald J. Poff, Lake and Stream Classification Project. Surface Water Resources of Rock County, Department of Natural Resources, 1970.

Section 15 (8,3), Surface Acres = 12.5, Miles = 4.3, Gradient = 13.9 feet per mile.

A warm water stream originating in Dane County, entering Rock County north of Edgerton, flowing through Edgerton and then south to the Rock River. ~1anaged for forage species, though fair numbers of northern pike are present and provide some angling opportunities. Pollution is a threat to fish populations, since one small village and a large milk processing plant in Dane County and the Village of Edgerton in Rock County discharge treated wastes into the stream. There are 17 acres of adjoining shallow marsh wetland near the Rock River. Access is available from five city streets and two state highway crossings. It is also possible to enter Saunders Creek from the Rock River.

Date 1970

Author Surface Water Inventory Of Wisconsin

Saunders Creek, Lower Koshkonong Creek Watershed (LR11) Fish and Aquatic Life

Saunders Creek, Lower Koshkonong Creek Watershed (LR11) Recreation

Saunders Creek, Lower Koshkonong Creek Watershed (LR11) Fish Consumption

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

Koshkonong Creek Targeted Watershed Assessment: A Water Quality Plan to Restore Wisconsin Watersheds

2020 Comprehensive WQ Assessments

Targeted Watershed Assessment Evaluation of the Koshkonong Creek Watershed Monitoring Report (2016)

2018 List of Healthy (Category 2) Waters

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
808000	Saunders Creek	10010965	Saunders Creek - Saunders Creek At Edgerton Road			Map	Data
808000	Saunders Creek	133539	Saunders Creek at Church Rd			Map	Data
808000	Saunders Creek	10010478	Saunders Creek - Saunders Creek Upstream Of Hwy 51			Map	Data
808000	Saunders Creek	10048175	Saunders Creek US CTH A	5/14/2015	5/14/2015	Map	Data
808000	Saunders Creek	133540	Saunders Creek at Cth W	10/25/2010	1/1/2015	Map	Data
808000	Saunders Creek	10034675	Saunders Creek - Creekview Campground	1/1/2015	1/1/2015	Map	Data
808000	Saunders Creek	10010938	Saunders Creek - Saunders Creek At Cty W	1/1/2015	1/1/2015	Map	Data
808000	Saunders Creek	10050911	Saunders Creek - County Road W	6/5/2018	6/26/2023	Map	Data
808000	Saunders Creek	133527	Saunders Creek - Sth 106			Map	Data
808000	Saunders Creek	133541	Saunders Creek at Willow Dr			Map	Data
808000	Saunders Creek	133526	Saunders Creek - Bliven Rd	1/1/2015	1/1/2015	Map	Data

Watershed Characteristics

Saunders Creek is located in the Lower Koshkonong Creek watershed which is 265.61 mi². Land use in the watershed is primarily agricultural (54.20%), wetland (11.60%) and a mix of grassland (10.50%) and other uses (23.70%). This watershed has 283.47 stream miles, 1,735.65 lake acres and 18,171.94 wetland acres.

Nonpoint Source Characteristics

This watershed is ranked High for runoff impacts on streams, Medium 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

Saunders Creek is considered a Cool-Cold Headwater, Cool-Warm Mainstem, 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.

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.

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