Water Detail - Elm Brook, Upper Big Eau Pleine River Watershed (CW18)

Elm Brook, Upper Big Eau Pleine River Watershed (CW18)

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Elm Brook (1431500)

Size

3.50 Miles

Segment

0 - 3.50

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-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.

2023

General Condition

Suspected Poor

County

Marathon

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.

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.

LFF

Streams capable of supporting small populations of forage fish or tolerant macro-invertebrates that are tolerant of organic pollution. Typically limited due to naturally poor water quality or habitat deficiencies. Representative aquatic life communities associated with these waters generally require warm temperatures and concentrations of dissolved oxygen that remain above 3 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.

LFF

Historical Description

Elm Brook is classified as a limited forage fishery and limited aquatic life stream. Biotic index results indicated "very poor" water quality at a site a mile above the junction with Dill Creek. The Abbotsford WWTP, Stormwater run-off, may be responsible for degradation of water quality. The source of BOD-demanding materials is depleting oxygen in the stream.

Kreitlow, James D. 1991. Upper Wisconsin River Central Sub-Basin Water Quality Management Plan. PUBL-WR-287-91-REV. Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, Madison, WI.

Date 1991

Author Aquatic Biologist

Elm Brook, Upper Big Eau Pleine River Watershed (CW18) Fish and Aquatic Life

Elm Brook, Upper Big Eau Pleine River Watershed (CW18) Recreation

Elm Brook, Upper Big Eau Pleine River Watershed (CW18) 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

ELM BROOK CREEK, MARATHON COUNTY, ABBOTSFORD WWTP USE DESIGNATION

Recommendations

Monitor Aquatic Biology

Conduct biological (mIBI or fIBI) monitoring on Elm Brook, WBIC: 1431500, AU:12405

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
Monitoring Recommendations Stemming from CWA / IR Listings	2000

Monitoring Projects

WBIC	Official Waterbody Name	Station ID	Station Name	Earliest Fieldwork Date	Latest Fieldwork Date	View Station	View Data
1431500	Elm Brook	373265	Elm Brook - 1st Tn Rd Bl Abtsford	10/8/2019	10/8/2019	Map	Data
1431500	Elm Brook	373267	Elm Brook at Cth N Near Colby	5/1/1986	10/8/2019	Map	Data
1431500	Elm Brook	373150	Elm Brook at Cth - N			Map	Data
1431500	Elm Brook	373266	Elm Brook - 2nd Tn Rd Bl Abtsford			Map	Data
1431500	Elm Brook	10010885	Elm Brook - Upstream Lincoln Rd			Map	Data
1431500	Elm Brook	373389	Elm Brook at Adams (Lincoln) St	6/6/1989	8/23/2023	Map	Data
1431500	Elm Brook	10010884	Elm Brook - Elm Brook Downstream Cth N - Station 1			Map	Data

Watershed Characteristics

Elm Brook is located in the Upper Big Eau Pleine River watershed which is 219.52 mi². Land use in the watershed is primarily agricultural (59.10%), forest (14.90%) and a mix of grassland (14.30%) and other uses (11.70%). This watershed has stream miles, lake acres and 10,255.86 wetland acres.

Nonpoint Source Characteristics

This watershed is ranked High 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.

Natural Community

Elm Brook 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.

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