3.14 Miles
0 - 3.14
Cool-Cold Headwater, Cool-Warm Headwater
2015
Fair
Sheboygan
No
No
No
Fish and Aquatic Life
Overview
UNNAMED TRIBUTARY TO ONION RIVER (HAND CREEK) AT RM 19.2
T13N R22E Sec. 16 Stream Length = 5.5 miles WBIC = 51900
“Hand Creek” is an unnamed tributary to the Onion River that primarily flows to the southeast. This stream is located in the Township of Holland. Land use in the watershed is primarily agriculture with wooded areas along the river cooridor. WDNR personnel surveyed a downstream portion of the stream in July 2000. The fish community rated good and species are listed in Table ???? Stream habitat showed minimal streambank erosion; modertae buffer area; rock, gravel, and sand substrate; and minimal fish cover. Water quality is probably limited throughout the year due to runoff and sediment and nutrient loadings. This section of the stream was channelized, therefore any habitat improvements would probably improve the fishery.
Date 2001
Author Aquatic Biologist
Overview
UNNAMED TRIBUTARY TO “HAND CREEK” (SIX-MILE ROAD CREEK) AT RM 0.7
T13N R22E Sec. 16 SWSW Stream Length = 3.7 miles WBIC = 51800
“Six-Mile Road Creek is an unnamed tributary to the “Hand Creek” that flows to the north and is located in the Township of Holland. Land use in the watershed is primarily agriculture with wooded areas along the river cooridor. WDNR personnel surveyed a portion of the stream in July 2000. The fish community is listed in Table ???? Stream habitat showed streambank erosion; inadequate buffer areas; gravel and sand substrate; and minimal fish cover. The stream does appear to be flashy and this would account for streambank erosion problems. Water quality is probably limited throughout the year due to nonpoint source runoff and sediment and nutrient loadings. This section of the stream was channelized, therefore any habitat improvements would probably improve fish cover.
Date 2001
Author Aquatic Biologist
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
| Project Name (Click for Details) | Year Started |
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Monitoring Projects
| WBIC | Official Waterbody Name | Station ID | Station Name | Earliest Fieldwork Date | Latest Fieldwork Date | View Station | View Data |
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| 51900 | Unnamed | 10008188 | Hand Creek 30 M US of Confl. w/ Onion R | 5/21/1979 | 11/29/2000 | Map | Data |
| 51900 | Unnamed | 10033714 | Unnamed Tributary to Onion River - 10 meters upstream of CTHY G | 7/21/2011 | 1/1/2015 | Map | Data |
| 51900 | Unnamed | 603308 | Holland Creek at Cth G (Bi Sur) | 10/31/1979 | 11/29/2000 | Map | Data |
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Watershed Characteristics
Unnamed is located in the Onion River watershed which is 98.00 mi². Land use in the watershed is primarily agricultural (62.50%), grassland (17.40%) and a mix of forest (8.70%) and other uses (11.40%). This watershed has 132.85 stream miles, 143.10 lake acres and 5,098.92 wetland acres.
Nonpoint Source Characteristics
This watershed is ranked Not Available 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.
Unnamed Tributary To Onion River (Hand Creek) At Rm 19.2 is considered a Cool-Cold Headwater, Cool-Warm Headwater under the state's Natural Community Determinations.
Natural communities (stream and lake natural communities) represent model results and DNR staff valiation processes that confirm or update predicted conditions based on flow and temperature modeling from historic and current landscape features and related variables. Predicated flow and temperatures for waters are associated predicated fish assemblages (communities). Biologists evaluate the model results against current survey data to determine if the modeled results are corect and whether biological indicators show water quaity degradation. This analysis is a core component of the state's resource management framework. Wisconsin's Riverine Natural Communities.
Cool (Warm-Transition) Headwaters are small, sometimes intermittent streams with cool to warm summer temperatures. Coldwater fishes are uncommon to absent, transitional fishes are abundant to common, and warm water fishes are common to uncommon. Headwater species are abundant to common, mainstem species are common to absent, and river species are absent.
Cool (Cold-Transition) Headwaters are small, usually perennial streams with cold to cool summer temperatures. Coldwater fishes are common to uncommon (<10 per 100 m), transitional fishes are abundant to common, and warm water fishes are uncommon to absent. Headwater species are abundant to common, mainstem species are common to absent, and river species are absent.