Water Detail - W. Fork Knapp Creek, Knapp Creek Watershed (LW08)

W. Fork Knapp Creek, Knapp Creek Watershed (LW08)

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W. Fork Knapp Creek (1207900)

Size

9.36 Miles

Segment

0 - 9.36

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.

Cool-Cold Mainstem, Macroinvertebrate, Cool-Cold Headwater, Coldwater

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

General Condition

Good

County

Crawford, Richland

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.

Yes

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.

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.

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.

Supported Aquatic Life

Waters that support fish and aquatic life communities (healthy biological communities).

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.

Cold (Class II Trout)

Streams supporting a cold water sport fishery, or serving as a spawning area for salmonids and other cold water fish species. Representative aquatic life communities, associated with these waters, generally require cold temperatures and concentrations of dissolved oxygen that remain above 6 mg/L through natural reproduction and selective propagation. Since these waters are capable of supporting natural reproduction, a minimum dissolved oxygen concentration of 7 mg/L is required during times of active spawning and support of early life stages of newly-hatched fish.

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.

Cold

Streams capable of supporting a cold water sport fishery, or serving as a spawning area for salmonids and other cold water fish species. Representative aquatic life communities, associated with these waters, generally require cold temperatures and concentrations of dissolved oxygen that remain above 6 mg/L. Since these waters are capable of supporting natural reproduction, a minimum dissolved oxygen concentration of 7 mg/L is required during times of active spawning and support of early life stages of newly-hatched fish.

Overview

West Fork of Knapp Creek is a spring fed stream, which begins in east central Crawford
County then flows into west central Richland County. This stream flows in an easterly
direction for a total of 6.9 miles before reaching Knapp Creek and has an average gradient of
15 feet per mile. West Fork Knapp Creek is a Class II trout stream.
The most recent biological survey, conducted in 1980, documented brook and brown trout,
burbot, white sucker, and several minnow species. In-stream cover consisted of overhanging
grasses, woody debris and some undercut banks. West Fork Knapp Creek has the potential to
become a quality trout stream, however overgrazing of streambanks, impounding of coldwater
springs, high water temperatures and flooding limit the fishery. A fish and habitat survey of
West Fork Knapp Creek should be conducted to update this 20-year-old data. West Fork
Knapp Creek has been stocked with brown trout intermittently since 1977. Access to this
stream is from seven 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

Overview

West Fork of Knapp Creek is a spring fed stream, which begins in east central Crawford County then flows into west central Richland County. This stream flows in an easterly direction for a total of 6.9 miles before reaching Knapp Creek and has an average gradient of 15 feet per mile. West Fork Knapp Creek is a Class II trout stream for its lower 1.5 miles in Richland County and Class III for the 5.4 miles in Crawford County.

The most recent biological survey, conducted in 1980, documented brook and brown trout, burbot, white sucker, and several minnow species. In-stream cover consisted of overhanging grasses, woody debris and some undercut banks. West Fork Knapp Creek has the potential to become a quality trout stream, however overgrazing of streambanks, impounding of coldwater springs, high water temperatures and flooding limit the fishery. A fish and habitat survey of West Fork Knapp Creek should be conducted to update this 20-year-old data. West Fork Knapp Creek has been stocked with brown trout intermittently since 1977. Access to this stream is from seven road crossings.

Date 2001

Author Aquatic Biologist

W. Fork Knapp Creek, Knapp Creek Watershed (LW08) Fish and Aquatic Life

W. Fork Knapp Creek, Knapp Creek Watershed (LW08) Recreation

W. Fork Knapp Creek, Knapp Creek Watershed (LW08) 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

2018 List of Healthy (Category 2) Waters

West Fork Knapp Creek, W. Fork Knapp Creek Station 3-1969-Se 1/4 Se 1/4 Sec. 12-Starts At Spring Drbridge Crossing., Wadeable Macroinvertebrate Field Form

Comprehensive 2018 River/Stream Water Quality Assessments

Comprehensive 2016 Rivers Stream Assessments

Comprehensive 2014 TP IBI Rivers Assessment

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
Fish Propagation Actions	2001

Monitoring Projects

WBIC	Official Waterbody Name	Station ID	Station Name	Earliest Fieldwork Date	Latest Fieldwork Date	View Station	View Data
1207900	West Fork Knapp Creek	10011275	West Fork Knapp Creek - West Fork Knapp Creek Station #2 5m Upstream Of Bridge On Sleepy Hollow Rd.			Map	Data
1207900	West Fork Knapp Creek	10013845	W. Fork Knapp Creek Station 5-1980-Se 1/4 Ne 1/4 Sec. 3-Starts At South Sleepy Hollow Road Bridge Crossing			Map	Data
1207900	West Fork Knapp Creek	10011276	West Fork Knapp Creek - West Fork Knapp Creek Station #3 Bridge Off Of Patton Rd.	10/28/2004	10/28/2004	Map	Data
1207900	West Fork Knapp Creek	10030537	W Fork Knapp Cr #4 at Sleepy Hollw Rd	1/1/2015	1/1/2015	Map	Data
1207900	West Fork Knapp Creek	10013846	W. Fork Knapp Creek Station 6-1980-Sw 1/4 Se 1/4 S 34-Starts At Sleepy Hollow Road Bridge Crossing.	1/1/2015	1/1/2015	Map	Data
1207900	West Fork Knapp Creek	10011274	West Fork Knapp Creek [#1] Bridge At Cth S			Map	Data
1207900	West Fork Knapp Creek	10013843	West Fork Knapp Creek US CTH S (Lower Crossing)	5/20/2008	1/1/2015	Map	Data
1207900	West Fork Knapp Creek	10013844	W. Fork Knapp Creek Station 3-1969-Se 1/4 Se 1/4 Sec. 12-Starts At Spring Drbridge Crossing.	8/21/2017	10/17/2017	Map	Data
1207900	West Fork Knapp Creek	10013847	West Fork Knapp Creek US CTH S	1/1/2015	9/11/2015	Map	Data
1207900	West Fork Knapp Creek	10013842	W. Fork Knapp Creek Station 1-1969-Ne 1/4 Sw 1/4 Sec. 17-Starts At Confluence With Knapp Creek.			Map	Data
1207900	West Fork Knapp Creek	10030336	West Fork Knapp Creek Patton Rd. Bridge			Map	Data
5032823	Unnamed	10043915	West Fork Knapp Creek at Guthrie Dr	6/28/2015	7/25/2024	Map	Data
1207900	West Fork Knapp Creek	10011659	West Fork Knapp Creek - Creek 2-12 Station 1 Confluence With W.F. Knapp Creek			Map	Data
1207900	West Fork Knapp Creek	10030338	West Branch Knapp Creek CTH S	1/1/2015	1/1/2015	Map	Data

Watershed Characteristics

West Fork Knapp Creek is located in the Knapp Creek watershed which is 158.64 mi². Land use in the watershed is primarily forest (53.60%), grassland (23%) and a mix of agricultural (13.60%) and other uses (9.90%). This watershed has 395.31 stream miles, 126.86 lake acres and 6,498.05 wetland acres.

Nonpoint Source Characteristics

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

Natural Community

W. Fork Knapp Creek is considered a Cool-Cold Mainstem, Macroinvertebrate, 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.

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