3.58 Miles
0 - 3.58
Cool-Warm Headwater
2015
Poor
Degraded Biological Community
Total Phosphorus
Monroe
No
No
Yes
Fish and Aquatic Life
Overview
Council Creek, located in eastern Monroe County, flows in a northerly direction for 10 miles
before reaching the South Fork of the Lemonweir River east of Tomah. This stream has a very
low gradient of 5.5 feet per mile and drains hilly agricultural and wooded land as well as
lowland pasture and portions of the City of Tomah. The uppermost 4 miles is a Class III trout
stream while the remainder of the stream supports forage fish species.
The most recent biological survey, conducted in 1981, documented brook trout, white sucker
and numerous forage fish species. The stream bottom consisted mainly of sand and silt with
lesser amounts of gravel and rubble. Fish cover consisted of undercut banks, rocks and woody
debris. Bank erosion was moderate. WDNR has not stocked Council Creek since 1969.
Access to Council Creek is from seven road crossings.
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
Impaired Waters
Council Creek, from its mouth to I-90 (miles 0 to 3.58), was listed in 2014 for phosphorus and degraded biology. These listings were confirmed in the 2016 and 2018 cycles. This segment is on the Restoration Waters List because it has an approved TMDL.
Council Creek, from I-90 to the headwaters (miles 3.58 to 9.85), was evaluated in 2016 and 2018 for biology and found in good condition. This stream segment is on the Healthy Waters List.
Date 2018
Author Ashley Beranek
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
Monitor Aquatic Biology
Conduct biological (mIBI or fIBI) monitoring on Council Creek, WBIC: 1341600, AU:13111
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 |
|---|
| 1341600 | Council Creek | 10014006 | Council Creek Station 117-1946-Ne 1/4 Ne 1/4 S4 | 11/17/2009 | 1/1/2015 | Map | Data |
| 1341600 | Council Creek | 10016882 | So. Fk. Lemonweir R. - 250 Feet Above Council Creek | 11/18/1993 | 11/18/1993 | Map | Data |
| 1341600 | Council Creek | 10037681 | Council Creek at Brownell St | 7/11/2012 | 1/1/2015 | Map | Data |
| 1341600 | Council Creek | 10030812 | Council Creek at Monroe St | 1/1/2015 | 1/1/2015 | Map | Data |
| 1341600 | Council Creek | 10014011 | Council Creek Station 2-1981-Ne 1/4 Se 1/4 S4-Starts 1600' Ds Of Hwy 12 (Clifton St.)Bridge Crossing | | | Map | Data |
| 1341600 | Council Creek | 10043741 | Council Creek at E Council Street | | | Map | Data |
| 1341600 | Council Creek | 10016878 | Council Creek - 100 Feet Above Mouth | 11/18/1993 | 11/18/1993 | Map | Data |
| 1341600 | Council Creek | 10016879 | Council Creek - 150 Feet Upstream From Mouth | 5/19/1993 | 5/19/1993 | Map | Data |
|
Watershed Characteristics
Council Creek is located in the Little Lemonweir River watershed which is 218.01 mi². Land use in the watershed is primarily forest (33.10%), agricultural (28.30%) and a mix of wetland (17.20%) and other uses (21.40%). This watershed has 488.22 stream miles, 1,656.86 lake acres and 18,277.64 wetland acres.
Nonpoint Source Characteristics
This watershed is ranked Not Ranked for runoff impacts on streams, Low 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.
Council Creek is considered a 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.