![Trout Creek, Reads and Tainter Creeks Watershed (LW03) Trout Creek, Reads and Tainter Creeks Watershed (LW03)](wsSWIMSDocument.ashx?documentSeqNo=47601420)
5.43 Miles
0 - 5.43
Cool-Cold Mainstem, Cool-Cold Headwater, Coldwater
2017
Good
Crawford
Yes
No
No
Fish and Aquatic Life
Overview
Trout Creek, located in northeast Crawford County, flows in a westerly direction for 3.8 miles
before reaching the Kickapoo River near Soldiers Grove. This stream has a gradient of 44 feet
per mile and drains forested hillsides and agricultural valleys. Trout Creek is a Class I trout
stream for its entire length.
The most recent survey, conducted in 1998, documented a naturally reproducing brown trout
population and numerous forage fish species. The stream bottom consisted primarily of
cobble with lesser amounts of boulder, gravel and sand. Woody debris, boulders and deep
pools made up the majority of in-stream cover. Trout Creek would benefit from the
acquisition of streambank easements from willing sellers and the restoration of in-stream
habitat. WDNR records indicate that Trout Creek has been stocked with brown trout
consistently since 1967. Access to Trout Creek is from three road crossings.
From: Ripp, Coreen, Koperski, Cindy and Folstad, Jason. 2002. The State of the Lower Wisconsin River Basin. PUBL WT-559-2002. Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, Madison, WI.
Date 2002
Author Cynthia Koperski
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
Recommendations
Citizen-Based Stream Monitoring
Collect chemical, physical, and/or biological water quality data to assess the current overall stream health. The data can inform management decisions and may be used to identify impaired waters for biennial lists.
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 |
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1187200 | Trout Creek | 10013780 | Trout Creek Station 2-1966-Sw 1/4 Se 1/4 Sec. 20-Starts At Farm Road Crossing(Pansy Ln) | 1/1/2015 | 10/30/2017 | Map | Data |
1187200 | Trout Creek | 10013836 | Trout Creek Station 4-1966-Ne 1/4 Ne 1/4 Sec. 28-Starts At Farm Road Crossing. | | | Map | Data |
1187200 | Trout Creek | 10013838 | Trout Creek Station 3-1998-Nw 1/4 Ne 1/4 Sec. 28-Starts At Line Fence. | | | Map | Data |
1187200 | Trout Creek | 123020 | Trout Creek - Hwy 61 Ne Sec 30 T11r3w | 5/14/1979 | 10/20/2016 | Map | Data |
1187200 | Trout Creek | 10013779 | Trout Creek Station 1-1966-Se 1/4 Se 1/4 Sec. 19 | | | Map | Data |
1187200 | Trout Creek | 10013835 | Trout Creek Station 3-1966-Nw 1/4 Nw 1/4 Sec. 28-Starts At Trout Creek Road Bridge Crossing. | | | Map | Data |
1187200 | Trout Creek | 10012477 | Trout Creek 1.9 Miles East Of Hwy 61 | 8/3/2003 | 1/1/2015 | Map | Data |
1187200 | Trout Creek | 10034918 | Trout Creek - Devitt Drive | 1/1/2015 | 1/1/2015 | Map | Data |
1187200 | Trout Creek | 10013837 | Trout Creek Station 1-1998-Ne 1/4 Ne 1/4 Sec. 30-Starts Appx. 200' Upstream From Hwy. 131 (61?)Bridge. | 5/14/1997 | 10/17/1997 | Map | Data |
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![](wsWaterEcosystem.ashx?watershed=LW03)
Watershed Characteristics
Trout Creek is located in the Reads and Tainter Creeks watershed which is 135.69 miĀ². Land use in the watershed is primarily forest (47.20%), agricultural (24%) and a mix of grassland (23.30%) and other uses (5.50%). This watershed has 339.00 stream miles, 221.66 lake acres and 1,867.13 wetland acres.
Nonpoint Source Characteristics
This watershed is ranked High for runoff impacts on streams, Not Ranked 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.
Trout Creek is considered a Cool-Cold Mainstem, Cool-Cold Headwater, Coldwater 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 (Cold-Transition) Mainstem streams are moderate-to-large but still wadeable perennial streams with cold to cool summer temperatures. Coldwater fishes are common to uncommon, transitional fishes are abundant to common, and warm water fishes are uncommon to absent. Headwater species are common to absent,
mainstem species are abundant to common, and river species are common to 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.