Brown
No
No
Yes
Fish and Aquatic Life
Overview
Apple Creek, a 24-mile creek, is usually dry except for scattered pools near road crossings and toward the mouth of the river where it drains into the Fox River. Bottom materials are silt, rubble and gravel, with few boulders. As many streams in Brown County, this one is plagued by erosion. Cattle pasturing along streambanks and hills has caused heavy erosion and no vegetation. Macroinvertebrates indicate fairly poor water quality. Nonpoint source pollution, point source pollution and urban stormwater runoff singly or in combination cause sedimentation, low dissolved oxygen levels, all of which contribute to poor water quality. Dissolved oxygen and temperature were monitored to document swings in DO due to external factors like rain or plants. Violation of the 5 mg/l state DO standard occurred often. Low or no stream flow during critical summer months also plays a major role in limiting aquatic life in the watershed (Johnson 1996).
Bougie, Cheryl A. 1999. Lower Fox River Basin Water Quality Management Plan. Public Review Draft. Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, Madison, WI.
Date 1999
Author Cheryl Bougie
Historical Description
Apple Creek, T22N, R19E, Sec. 28(1), Gradient = 5.7 feet/mile.
Apple Creek i s an intermittent stream flowing through an agricultural watershed. The stream was dry
during August, 1971.
From: Nelson, Linden M. and Ronald L. Fassbender, 1972. Surface Water Resources of Outagamie County:
Lake and Stream Classification Project. Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, Madison, WI.
Date 1972
Author Surface Water Inventory Of Wisconsin
Impaired Waters
The 2018 assessments of Apple Creek (miles 3.99-23.88) showed continued impairment by temperature; new temperature sample data exceeded 2018 WisCALM listing criteria for the Fish and Aquatic Life use. Based on the most updated information, no change in existing impaired waters listing is needed.
Date 2017
Author Ashley Beranek
Impaired Waters
The 2018 assessments of Apple Creek (miles 0-3.99) showed continued impairment by phosphorus; new total phosphorus sample data overwhelmingly exceeded the 2018 WisCALM listing criteria for the Fish and Aquatic Life use. Temperature data also exceeded thresholds. Available biological data did not indicate impairment (i.e. no macroinvertebrate or fish Index of Biotic Integrity (IBI) scored in the "poor" condition category). Based on the most updated information, no change in the existing impaired waters listing was needed.
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
Recommendations
Navigability Determination
; Apple Creek, trib;
Navigability Determination
NW S7 T21N R19E; Apple Creek, trib;
Navigability Determination
NW SW S34 T22N R19E; Apple Creek,trib;
Navigability Determination
NW NW S36 T22N R18E; Apple Creek, trib;
Navigability Determination
SE SW S1 T21N R17E; Apple Creek, trib;
TMDL (USEPA) Approved
Apple Creek TMDL Approved
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 |
|---|
| 124200 | Unnamed | 10053444 | Apple Creek East - Golf Course | | | Map | Data |
| 5551060 | Unnamed | 10053444 | Apple Creek East - Golf Course | | | Map | Data |
| 124400 | Unnamed | 10053446 | Lower Apple Creek | 9/28/2017 | 10/23/2018 | Map | Data |
| 5020240 | Unnamed | 10053446 | Lower Apple Creek | 9/28/2017 | 10/23/2018 | Map | Data |
| 5549840 | Unnamed | 10053446 | Lower Apple Creek | 9/28/2017 | 10/23/2018 | Map | Data |
| 5549872 | Unnamed | 10053446 | Lower Apple Creek | 9/28/2017 | 10/23/2018 | Map | Data |
| 3000112 | Unnamed | 10053444 | Apple Creek East - Golf Course | | | Map | Data |
| 124200 | Unnamed | 10053446 | Lower Apple Creek | 9/28/2017 | 10/23/2018 | Map | Data |
| 5549975 | Unnamed | 10053446 | Lower Apple Creek | 9/28/2017 | 10/23/2018 | Map | Data |
| 5020408 | Unnamed | 10053444 | Apple Creek East - Golf Course | | | Map | Data |
| 124100 | Apple Creek | 053684 | Apple Creek - Rosin Rd | 5/12/1980 | 10/6/2024 | Map | Data |
| 5020136 | Unnamed | 10053446 | Lower Apple Creek | 9/28/2017 | 10/23/2018 | Map | Data |
| 5550008 | Unnamed | 10053446 | Lower Apple Creek | 9/28/2017 | 10/23/2018 | Map | Data |
| 124100 | Apple Creek | 10011594 | Apple Creek - Fox River - Pool 11 | | | Map | Data |
| 5020150 | Unnamed | 10053446 | Lower Apple Creek | 9/28/2017 | 10/23/2018 | Map | Data |
| 124300 | Unnamed | 10053446 | Lower Apple Creek | 9/28/2017 | 10/23/2018 | Map | Data |
| 5020175 | Unnamed | 10053446 | Lower Apple Creek | 9/28/2017 | 10/23/2018 | Map | Data |
| 5549819 | Unnamed | 10053446 | Lower Apple Creek | 9/28/2017 | 10/23/2018 | Map | Data |
| 124100 | Apple Creek | 10007909 | Apple Creek - Rosin Rd Downstream | 7/1/1998 | 11/9/2000 | Map | Data |
| 3000113 | Unnamed | 10053444 | Apple Creek East - Golf Course | | | Map | Data |
| 5551100 | Unnamed | 10053444 | Apple Creek East - Golf Course | | | Map | Data |
| 124100 | Apple Creek | 053515 | Apple Creek - County Highway D | 7/13/1992 | 10/21/1999 | Map | Data |
| 124100 | Apple Creek | 10007626 | Apple Creek at Cth D (Lost Daulphin Rd) | 9/29/1994 | 10/13/1998 | Map | Data |
| 124100 | Apple Creek | 10053446 | Lower Apple Creek | 9/28/2017 | 10/23/2018 | Map | Data |
|
Watershed Characteristics
Apple Creek is located in the East River watershed which is 206.32 mi². Land use in the watershed is primarily agricultural (43.70%), suburban (19.50%) and a mix of grassland (14.70%) and other uses (22.10%). This watershed has 432.18 stream miles, 7,625.39 lake acres and 6,193.00 wetland acres.
Nonpoint Source Characteristics
This watershed is ranked High 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.