Rusk
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Fish and Aquatic Life
Overview
, in the Red Cedar Lake Watershed, is a 2.90 acre lake that falls in Rusk County. This lake is managed for fishing and swimming and is currently not considered impaired.
Date 2011
Author Aquatic Biologist
Historical Description
Source: 1971, Surface Water Resources of Rusk County Murphy Flowage, T36N, R9W, Section 27, 28, 29, Surface Acres = 155.4, Maximum Depth = 14 feet, M.P.A. = 44 ppm A soft water, drainage impoundment on Hemlock Creek. There are four permanent inlets to the flowage. Hemlock Creek, South Fork Hemlock Creek, Louler Creek and one unnamed stream all being trout waters. At the outlet to Hemlock Creek there is a 10-foot head concrete dam owned by Rusk County. The flow averaged over a four year period was 18.4 cfs. The fish population consists of muskellunge, northern pike, largemouth bass, bluegills, perch, black crappie, rock bass, and pumpkinseed. Brook trout occasionally migrate into the flowage from the inlet trout streams. There is abundant aquatic plant growth, which inhibits fishing in certain areas. During the winters of 1968-69 and 1969-70 the flowage was experimentally drawdown to DNR to evaluate vegetation. The shoreline vegetation is mainly mixed hardwood and pine, but around the inlets on the upper end are areas of spruce and tag alder swamp. The littoral bottom consists of about 65 percent silt, 20 percent detritus, 10 percent boulder, and 5 percent gravel. Both beaver and muskrat are present, as are occasional nesting puddle ducks. Almost the entire shoreline is Rusk County Forest land, and there is a county park near the dam, which provides picnicking, camping, boat rental, and public access. Another access, with a limited parking area, is located near the inlet from the South Fork of Hemlock Creek. The DNR manned a fish research station at the flowage from April, 1955, to May, 1970. The impact of liberalized fishing regulations upon fish populations was the major research objectives. This impoundment was washed out on May 31, 1070, during a locally heavy rainstorm and flash flood. To date, the impounding structure has not been restored.
Date 1971
Author Surface Water Inventory Of Wisconsin
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
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 |
|---|
| 2110900 | Murphy Flowage | 10014592 | Murphy Flowage | 4/17/2002 | 10/3/2016 | Map | Data |
| 2110900 | Murphy Flowage | 10020422 | Murphy Flowage -- Ramp | 6/3/2008 | 6/3/2008 | Map | Data |
| 2110900 | Murphy Flowage | 553150 | Murphy Flowage - Deep Hole | 8/13/2002 | 9/24/2022 | Map | Data |
| 2109700 | Hemlock Creek | 10009546 | Hemlock Creek 01 | | | Map | Data |
| 2111700 | Bucks Lake | 554002 | Bucks Lake - Bucks Lake | 8/29/1979 | 8/29/1979 | Map | Data |
| 2110900 | Murphy Flowage | 10056771 | Murphy Flowage - East Basin | | | Map | Data |
| 2110900 | Murphy Flowage | 10014970 | Murphy Flowage Bs Mf1 | | | Map | Data |
| 2110900 | Murphy Flowage | 10009546 | Hemlock Creek 01 | | | Map | Data |
| 2110900 | Murphy Flowage | 10009714 | South Fork Hemlock- Lower (New Channel) | | | Map | Data |
| 2110900 | Murphy Flowage | 10047595 | Murphy Flowage Public Boat Landing Access | | | Map | Data |
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Watershed Characteristics
Murphy Flowage is located in the Red Cedar Lake watershed which is 140.01 mi². Land use in the watershed is primarily forest (74%), wetland (11.20%) and a mix of open (7.40%) and other uses (7.40%). This watershed has 167.65 stream miles, 6,893.24 lake acres and 7,428.58 wetland acres.
Nonpoint Source Characteristics
This watershed is ranked Low for runoff impacts on streams, Medium for runoff impacts on lakes and Low for runoff impacts on groundwater and therefore has an overall rank of Low. 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.