North Branch Pike River, Pike River Watershed (SE02)
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North Branch Pike River, Pike River Watershed (SE02)
North Branch Pike River (1900)
2.64 Miles
5.23 - 7.87
Natural Community
Cool-Cold Headwater, Coldwater
Year Last Monitored
2019
Poor
 
This river is impaired
Chronic Aquatic Toxicity
Chloride
 
Racine
Trout Water 
No
Outstanding or Exceptional 
No
Impaired Water 
Yes

Fish and Aquatic Life

Current Use
Restricted Aquatic Life
Attainable Use
WWSF
Designated Use
Default FAL

Overview

The Pike River Basin is a 56 square mile area that lies on the eastern side of Kenosha and Racine Counties. Approximately 52 square miles of land eventually drain into the Pike River, which discharges to Lake Michigan in the City of Kenosha at a point approximately one mile north of the City of Kenosha Harbor. The remaining 4 square miles of land drain directly into Lake Michigan via swales, ditches, channels and stormsewer outlets.

The North Branch Pike River originates in a residential area in the Town of Mt. Pleasant near the junction of County Highway C and 90th Street. From this point, the river flows easterly for about one mile before turning south. Several perennial and intermittent streams, including Waxdale Creek, join this branch before it enters Petrifying Springs Park in the Town of Somers in Kenosha County. In Petrifying Springs Park the river is joined by the South Branch and becomes the Pike River.

The North Branch of Pike Creek is listed as impaired for Fish and Aquatic Life due to degraded habitat caused by stream channelization, debrushing of streambanks, draining of wetlands, sedimentation from runoff and increased stormwater drainage due to expanding development within the watershed. Fish kills attributed to potential chlorine discharge to Waxdale Creek also affected the North Branch Pike River downstream from confluence with Waxdale Creek; however, no fish kills have been documented on the North Branch Pike River since 1990.

Date  2011

Author  Craig Helker

Historical Description

North Branch Pike River Restoration Project
In 1997, in response to historic flooding issues, the WDNR issued a Chapter 30 permit to the Mount Pleasant Storm Water Drainage District for the reconstruction and restoration of approximately 5.5 miles of the Pike River in the Village of Mount Pleasant. Key elements of the project included:

-Comprehensive storm water and non-point source storm water management measures to reduce peak flows and maintain base flow.
-Construction of multiple wetland systems.
-Widening of the floodplain to allow more frequent overbank events, serving to dissipate peak energy flood flows.
-Designing and placing in-stream habitat structures to increase fish community diversity. Land acquisition to expand the functioning environmental corridor.
-Implementing a monitoring plan for habitat, invertebrates, and fish to evaluate the success of the project and guide modifications as necessary.

To date, the Pike River Restoration Project has significantly increased flood storage, expanded the existing environmental corridor, improved water quality and aquatic habitat, restored and increased wetlands, and provided a recreational trail system.

The Village of Mount Pleasant intends to continue the restoration of the planned 5.5 miles of the Pike River, constructing Phase 5 (of a total of nine planned phases) in 2010.

Key elements will include floodway improvements, low-flow channel improvements and in-stream habitat expansion, construction of a storm water pond, and expansion of the Mt. Pleaseant recreation trail.

Date  2011

Author  Craig Helker

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.
Fish and Aquatic Life communities are not fully supported in this ecosystem.
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.
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.
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.
Fish and Aquatic Life - Default Waters do not have a specific use designation subcategory but are considered fishable, swimmable waters.