Crawfish River, Lower Crawfish River Watershed (UR02)
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Crawfish River, Lower Crawfish River Watershed (UR02)
Crawfish River (829700)
11.04 Miles
0 - 11.04
Natural Community
Warm Mainstem
Year Last Monitored
2024
Poor
 
This river is impaired
High Phosphorus Levels
Total Phosphorus
 
Jefferson
Trout Water 
No
Outstanding or Exceptional 
No
Impaired Water 
Yes

Fish and Aquatic Life

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

Overview

Watershed Management staff (WM) with the assistance of local conservation and fishing organizations, should improve habitat along the Crawfish River by installing habitat improvement structures (wing dams, tree drops, LUNKER structures, etc.) that increase depth and improve cover.

The Dodge County Land Conservation Department, with the assistance of WM staff and local conservation or fishing organizations, should reduce bank erosion along the Crawfish River by installing shoreline protection and by keeping cattle away from the stream.

WM staff should evaluate the feasibility of removing of the Danville dam on the Crawfish River should the dam partially or completely fail or be in need of major repairs.

WM staff should analyze northern pike, largemouth bass, and carp in the Crawfish River below Milford and from Mud Lake (Mud Lake is in UR03) for PCBs and mercury, and carp only for chlordane, dieldrin and DDT.

From: Johnson, Ruth C., 2002. The State of the Rock River Basin. Upper Rock River Watershed Management Plans.
PUBL # WT-668b-2002. Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, Madison, WI.

Date  2002

Author   Aquatic Biologist

Overview

The Crawfish River below Columbus is wide, shallow and sluggish. The river was once narrower and deeper and supported stands of wild rice (WDNR, 1994). Primarily agricultural land use over the past 150 years has altered the river to its present condition. The stream partially supports a viable warm water sport fishery. The river's shallowness, bank erosion and lack of cover is suspected of limiting habitat for adult game fish in reaches that have been surveyed. Channel catfish and smallmouth bass dominate the sport fishery.

The reach immediately below the Danville dam has a diverse fish community and is ranked "good," using a 1989 Index of Biotic Integrity (IBI) (Kanehl and Lyons, 1989). However, a freshwater mussel study conducted in 1992 indicated that there was no viable mussel community in the Crawfish River below Danville. The loss of the mussels is due to the degraded system's poor water quality, which is also expressed by poor instream habitat, few minnows, and no reptiles, amphibians or waterfowl (WDNR, 1994). While a 1987 fish survey reported that the river's viable sport fishery could be improved by selective streambank and instream habitat restoration, the survey also suggested that removing the dam would improve instream habitat by narrowing and deepening the stream in its lower reaches (WDNR, 1994).

In 2000, comprehensive baseline monitoring was conducted by the DNR on the river. The results show that the evaluated section of the Crawfish River was in fair condition.

The City of Columbus is located about 25 miles northeast of Madison. Development pressures on the community, likely to increase over the next 10 years due to the city's proximity to Madison, contributes polluted runoff and reduces the quality and availability of habitat in the basin.

The Crawfish River and the Columbus Millpond are the primary water features. The Columbus wastewater treatment plant has experienced bypassing in 1998 due to unusually heavy rains.
The City of Lake Mills is on the east shore of Rock Lake in Jefferson County. The community and lake are under development pressure due to their proximity to Madison and Interstate 94. Construction site erosion problems have occurred. The Jefferson County LCD has been very active in working to improve construction site erosion control in the area. The community's wastewater treatment plant is in good operating condition.

Communities in the Crawfish River Watershed could further protect the Rock River by enacting and enforcing construction site erosion control and stormwater management ordinances, improving enforcement of existing construction site erosion control provisions, and acquiring parkland and natural areas adjacent the river and along drainageways leading to the river.

From: Johnson, Ruth C., 2002. The State of the Rock River Basin. Upper Rock River Watershed Management Plans.
PUBL # WT-668b-2002. Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, Madison, WI.

Date  2002

Author   Aquatic Biologist

Historical Description

Crawfish River T10N, R12E, Section 12, Surface Acres = 85.5, Miles = 28.2, Gradient = 4.58 feet per mile.
Headquarters of a major stream of the Rock River watershed, this stream
flows first northeast, then southeast to drain much of eastern Columbia County.
There are two major tributaries, Robbins Creek and North Branch, Crawfish River.
Effects of impoundment at Columbus are felt more than a mile upstream. Bullheads,
crappies, smallmouth bass, northern pike and walleyes are present; however, the
fishery is primarily for northern pike. Buffalo, carp and suckers support an extensive
spring dip-net fishery. Carp and pollution are major use problems. Access
is possible at several county, town and state highway crossings. About 1,461 acres
of wetland adjoin the stream.

From: Poff, Ronald J. and C.W. Threinen, 1965. Surface Water Resources of Columbia County:
Lake and Stream Classification Project. Wisconsin Department of Conservation, Madison, WI.

Date  1965

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.
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.
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.
Fish and Aquatic Life - Default Waters do not have a specific use designation subcategory but are considered fishable, swimmable waters.