4 Miles
0 - 4
Cool-Warm Headwater
2017
Poor
High Phosphorus Levels, Impairment Unknown
Total Phosphorus
Wood
No
No
Yes
Fish and Aquatic Life
Overview
Beaver Creek flows for four miles before reaching its mouth at the Yellow River about three miles south of Marshfield. The general condition of the stream is unknown, but it has an attainable use as a Warm Water Forage Fishery.
Date 2011
Author Aquatic Biologist
Impaired Waters
Beaver Creek, from its mouth to near unnamed stream (WBIC 5015781) to its headwaters (miles 0 to 4) was assessed in 2014 and 2018 for chloride and levels were good for healthy aquatic communities (bugs and fish). Phosphorus was assessed in 2018 and 2020 and levels were too high to maintain healthy aquatic communities. Beaver Creek was listed for phosphorus in 2018.
Beaver Creek, from near unnamed stream (WBIC 5015781) (miles 4 to 6.2), was put on the impaired waters list in 2018 for high phosphorus levels.
Date 2020
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 Beaver Creek, WBIC: 1372300, AU:5735909
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 |
|---|
| 1372300 | Beaver Creek | 723152 | Beaver Creek at Sth 10 | 10/29/1990 | 5/24/2001 | Map | Data |
| 1372300 | Beaver Creek | 10033643 | Beaver Creek at STH 13 | 6/16/2011 | 11/5/2015 | Map | Data |
| 1372300 | Beaver Creek | 723301 | Beaver Creek - Near Marshfield WI | 6/18/2001 | 10/15/2001 | Map | Data |
| 1372300 | Beaver Creek | 10033561 | Beaver Creek at Millcreek Dr. | 5/19/2011 | 10/30/2017 | Map | Data |
|
Watershed Characteristics
Beaver Creek is located in the Upper Yellow (Wood Co.) River watershed which is 212.95 mi². Land use in the watershed is primarily agricultural (42%), forest (22.40%) and a mix of wetland (17%) and other uses (18.60%). This watershed has stream miles, lake acres and 22,147.27 wetland acres.
Nonpoint Source Characteristics
This watershed is ranked High for runoff impacts on streams, High 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.
Beaver 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.