High Cliff SP - Lake Winnebago Beach, Lake Winnebago - East Watershed (UF02)
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High Cliff SP - Lake Winnebago Beach, Lake Winnebago - East Watershed (UF02)
High Cliff SP - Lake Winnebago Beach (131100)
0.09 Miles
0 - 0.09
Natural Community
Shallow Lowland
Year Last Monitored
2024
Good
 
This inland beach is impaired
Recreational Restrictions - Pathogens
E. coli
 
Calumet
Trout Water 
No
Outstanding or Exceptional 
No
Impaired Water 
Yes

Fish and Aquatic Life

Current Use
Shallow Lowland
Attainable Use
Default FAL
Designated Use
WWFF

Overview

Located in east central Wisconsin, the Winnebago Pool Lakes, composed of Lakes Winnebago, Butte des Morts, Winneconne, and Poygan, drain 16,654 square kilomerers and compose 17% of Wisconsin's surface water area. Major watersheds include the Wolf River to the north and the Upper Fox River to the south with the system emptying from Lake Winnegabo via the Lower Fox River to the southwestern end of Green Bay on Lake Michigan The Lakes lie in the vegetation tension zone between the Northern Forest and the Prairie-Forest floristic provinces (Curtis. 197 1 ), and the watershed transects three US ecoregions, the Southeastern Wisconsin Till Plain, the North Central Hardwood Forests, and the Northern Lakes and Forests. Consequently, land use ranges from mixed hardwood forest in the north to partially specialized dairying with some generalized farming southward.

The Lake Winnebago System is within 120 km of over 2 million people, and is central to many, often conflicting, resource uses, including outdoor recreation such as fishing and boating, wastewater assimilation for 59 industries and 24 municipal wastewater treatment plants, and as a principal water supply for over 100,000 people in Oshkosh, Neenah-Menasha and Appleton as well as numerous small communities in the watershed (East Central Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission [ECWRPC], 1989). The Lake Winnebago System provides over one million userdays during the peak month of recreation for boaters and anglers from Wisconsin and other states, most notably nearby Illinois. The dam system and water level control program, representing the largest flood control storage reservoir in Wisconsin, provide flood protection for residents and shoreland development within 17 jurisdictions. Water levels in the Upper Lake Winnebago Pool Lakes have been controlled through dam outflows by the Corps of Engineers since the late 1800's; principally to assist commercial navigation and downstream industrial uses of waste assimilation and power generation (WDNR, 1989). As a result of a revised water level management policy instituted in 1982, lake Ievels in the summer are now approximately 1 m higgr than previously occurring levels in the summer, and 10-30 cm higher in the winter. The Corps is required to maintain levels within a seasonal range of 1.05 111. Under the current water level management strategy, the water level rapidly increases in the spring and summer, resulting in high lake levels during early plant growth. 'This is followed by allowing the water levels to gradually decrease through the fall to achieve a drawdown in the winter to prevent ice damage along the lake shores and to be prepared for moderating spring runoff levels (Krug, 1981 ) .

Date  2011

Author   Aquatic Biologist

Historical Description

A detailed description of Lake Winnebago water quality can be found in the Winnebago Comprehensive Management Plan(1989). Major water quality concerns for the lake are rural and urban nonpoint source pollution being delivered to the lake from the immediate drainage area and from the Upper Fox And Wolf River Basins. Potential point source pollution, particularly form the Fond du Lac and Oshkosh areas, is also a concern. A major concern is the impact on local water quality of dredged side channels on the lake. The Fox Valley Water Quality Planning Agency (agency no longer exists) has done extensive monitoring on Lake Winnebago.

Many man-made lateral channels along the shores of the Winnebago pool lakes were constructed prior to the creation of the regulations which now scrutinize such projects. Water quality concerns raised on the potential negative impacts of these channels and the receiving lakes include: creation of direct nonpoint source pollution conduits to the lakes from upland areas; increased nuisance vegetation and algae; destruction or alteration of adjacent wetlands; increased human disturbance of potential critical habitat areas; development and related destruction of adjacent upland habitat; creation of carp spawning areas; and, local planning and zoning issues.

DNR Lake Michigan District Water Resources staff has monitored the Wolf River at Fremont, the Fox River at Omro, the Fond du Lac River at Fond du Lac, and Lake Winnebago outlet at Neenah-Menasha to determine phosphorus loadings to Lake Winnebago associated with runoff from upstream watersheds. In-stream flows and samples for phosphorus and suspended solids were taken at regular intervals.

Monitoring is was completed on the tributaries and the monitoring effort will continue on Lake Winnebago at sites established in 1989. The effort will complement monitoring from the late 1970's and early 1980's that were started with the Fox Valley Water Quality Planning Agency. The goal is two fold: satisfy recommendations in the Winnebago comprehensive Management Plan and better define the trophic status of Lake Winnebago. The trophic status of a lake is a measure of nutrients and how they impact chlorophyll production and water transparency.

A preliminary report on the monitoring described above was prepared in 1990 and an update will be completed after this open water season (1995). Algae are responsible for the high chlorophyll production. Associated with a certain type of algae (blue-greens) are toxins. These toxins are a special concern for Lake Winnebago because of the four municipalities (Appleton, Menasha, Neenah, and Oshkosh) that draw their water supply from the Lake. About 100,000 people depend on Lake Winnebago for drinking water (McLennan, 1994).

Doctor Fun Chu, a professor from the University of Wisconsin Madison's Food Science Program has measured these toxins at the four municipal water treatment plants. His results have shown that there are very small levels, at the part per trillion level, getting into the finished water supply at the four municipalities. An information newsletter was sent out to the press in December 1993 informing the public. "It is unlikely that the trace amount of the toxin in the finished water (almost non-detectable) has any acute toxic effect on human and animal health", Chu concluded.

Date  1995

Author   Surface Water Inventory Of Wisconsin

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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Shallow lowland lake describes the depth and location of the lake in a watershed. These variables affect the lakes response to watershed variables.
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.
Fish and Aquatic Life - Default Waters do not have a specific use designation subcategory but are considered fishable, swimmable waters.
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.
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.