Bear Creek, Wolf River - New London and Bear Creek Watershed (WR12)
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Bear Creek, Wolf River - New London and Bear Creek Watershed (WR12)
Bear Creek (316000)
6 Miles
2 - 8
Natural Community
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.
Warm Headwater, COOL-Warm Mainstem, COOL-Warm Headwater
Year Last Monitored
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.
2024
Poor
 
This river is impaired
High Phosphorus Levels
Total Phosphorus
 
Outagamie
Trout Water 
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.
No
Outstanding or Exceptional 
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.
No
Impaired Water 
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.
Yes

Fish and Aquatic Life

Current Use
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.
Restricted Aquatic Life
Fish and Aquatic Life communities are not fully supported in this ecosystem.
Attainable Use
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.
WWFF
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.
Designated Use
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.
WWFF
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.

Overview

Bear Creek is a 18-mile-long tributary to the Wolf River. Upstream of Stephensville the creek has little flow and is choked with aquatic weeds. The stream's main fishery value is as a spawning area for the Wolf River fishery. Sections of this stream are listed as variance waters for the Stephensville Sanitary District. The Winnebago Comprehensive Management Plan ranked the Bear Creek watershed as a medium priority due to cropland erosion and a few high priority barnyard/feedlot operations. This watershed has a high potential for correction with the implementation of stream and waterway buffer strips. There is some concern about land spreading of poultry wastes in the Bear Creek watershed.

Date  2002

Author   Aquatic Biologist

Overview

Bear Creek is a 18-mile-long tributary to the Wolf River. Upstream of Stephensville the creek has little flow and is choked with aquatic weeds. The stream's main fishery value is as a spawning area for the Wolf River fishery. Sections of this stream are listed as variance waters for the Stephensville Sanitary District. The Winnebago Comprehensive Management Plan ranked the Bear Creek watershed as a medium priority due to cropland erosion and a few high priority barnyard/feedlot operations. This watershed has a high potential for correction with the implementation of stream and waterway buffer strips. There is some concern about land spreading of poultry wastes in the Bear Creek watershed.

From: Bougie, Cheryl A., Kosmond, Lisa D, and Watermolen, Dreux J. 1996. Wolf River Basin Water Quality Management Plan. Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, Madison, WI.



Date  1996

Author  Cheryl Bougie

Historical Description

Bear Creek, T22N, R16E , Sec. 19(3), Area = 36.1 acres, Length = 14.9 miles, M.P.A. = 250 ppm.
Bear Creek i s a hard water tributary of the Wolf River draining a portion of south central Outagamie
County. Bottom materials consist of rubble and gravel below Stephensville, and mostly silt above. Upstreem
sections contain very little flow and are choked with aquatic vegetation. The stream's main fishery value
is as a spawning area for the Wolf River fishery. Wildlife values include waterfowl, deer, furbearers,
upland game birds, and small game animals. The entire watershed is under consideration for a PL-566 project
which may eliminate some of these characteristics. One county, one state , and seven town road crossings
provide public access.

From: Nelson, Linden M. and Ronald L. Fassbender, 1972. Surface Water Resources of Outagamie County:
Lake and Stream Classification Project. Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, Madison, WI.

Date  1972

Author   Surface Water Inventory Of Wisconsin

Bear Creek, Wolf River - New London and Bear Creek Watershed (WR12) Fish and Aquatic LifeBear Creek, Wolf River - New London and Bear Creek Watershed (WR12) RecreationBear Creek, Wolf River - New London and Bear Creek Watershed (WR12) Fish Consumption

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

2020 Comprehensive WQ Assessments
Final Draft 2018 Impaired Waters List
Comprehensive 2018 River/Stream Water Quality Assessments
Comprehensive 2016 Rivers Stream Assessments
Upper Fox River and Wolf River Macroinvertebrate and Quantitative Habitat Monitoring for 303(d) Evaluation Proposal
Rivers TP Summary 2012
BEAR CREEK, OUTAGAMIE COUNTY, GREENVILLE WWTP USE DESIGNATION

Recommendations

Navigability Determination
SW NW S14 T21N R16E; Bear Creek, trib;
Navigability Determination
S1/2 S12 T21N R16E; Bear Creek, trib;
Navigability Determination
SE SE S3 T21N R16E; Bear Creek, trib;
Navigability Determination
SE NE S7 T22N R17E; Bear Creek, trib;

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
Outagamie Navigability2008
TOWN OF GREENVILLE: NW Everglade Wetland Pond #42003
TOWN OF GREENVILLE: Country Meadows #22003
TOWN OF GREENVILLE: South Everglade Wetland Pond #62003

Monitoring Projects

WBICOfficial Waterbody NameStation IDStation NameEarliest Fieldwork DateLatest Fieldwork DateView StationView Data
316000Bear Creek453259Bear Creek at Sth 763/5/199710/1/2024MapData

Watershed Characteristics

Bear Creek is located in the Wolf River - New London and Bear Creek watershed which is 142.49 mi². Land use in the watershed is primarily agricultural (43.70%), wetland (25%) and a mix of grassland (15.10%) and other uses (16.30%). This watershed has 247.64 stream miles, 423.05 lake acres and 21,530.26 wetland acres.

Nonpoint Source Characteristics

This watershed is ranked Medium for runoff impacts on streams, Medium 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.This water is ranked High Stream for individual Rivers based on runoff problems and the likelihood of success from project implementation.

Natural Community

Bear Creek is considered a Warm Headwater, COOL-Warm Mainstem, 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.

Warm Headwaters are small, usually intermittent streams with warm summer temperatures. Coldwater fishes are absent, transitional fishes are common to uncommon, and warm water fishes are abundant to common. Headwater species are abundant to common, mainstem species are common to absent, and river species are absent.

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