3.50 Miles
0 - 3.50
Cool-Warm Headwater
2024
Poor
Acute Aquatic Toxicity, Recreational Restrictions - Pathogens, Impairment Unknown, Chronic Aquatic Toxicity
Chloride, Total Phosphorus, E. coli, Fecal Coliform
Milwaukee
No
No
Yes
Fish and Aquatic Life
Overview
Wilson Park Creek is a five-and-a-half-mile long tributary to the Kinnickinnic River that originates on the city border of Milwaukee and Cudahy. From its mouth to three and a half miles upstream the current use of Wilson Park Creek is listed for Limited Aquatic Life, while the remainder of the stream is listed for Fish and Aquatic Life. The attainable use of the entire stream, however, is believed to be as a Warm Water Forage Fishery.
Some improvement has occurred in the concentrations of BOD in Wilson Park Creek. While BOD concentrations downstream of General Mitchell International Airport were often very high during the period 1998 to 2001, they were lower than during the period from 1996 to 1997. Deicing compounds from General Mitchell International Airport (GMIA) are likely to constitute a major source of BOD to this stream. The GMIA has implemented management measures over the last few years to reduce the amount of glycol reaching the storm sewers and the tributary draining over 2000 acres of airport lands. A monitoring effort with the U.S. Geological Survey is currently underway to document the changes in water quality in Wilson Park Creek as a result of glycol management practices in place at the airport.
Date 2011
Author Aquatic Biologist
Impaired Waters
Wilson Park Creek from its mouth at the Kinnickinnic River upstream to just north of CTH Y (miles 0 - 3.5) was put on the Impaired Waters List during the 2010 cycle due to high bacteria concentrations causing recreational restrictions. During the 2018 cycle phosphorus and chloride pollutants were identified. Evaluations in the 2020 and 2022 cycles confirmed the phosphorus and chloride listings.
Date 2022
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
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.
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.
Monitor Water Quality or Sediment
Monitor total phosphorus to corroborate poor biological condition.
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 |
|---|
| 15200 | Wilson Park Creek | 413742 | Wilson Park Creek at 2nd St. | 10/2/1992 | 10/2/1992 | Map | Data |
| 15200 | Wilson Park Creek | 10030836 | WILSON PARK CREEK AT 13TH STREET | 5/11/2012 | 1/1/2015 | Map | Data |
| 15200 | Wilson Park Creek | 10032025 | Wilson Park Creek east of S 27th St | 6/5/2010 | 10/16/2010 | Map | Data |
| 15200 | Wilson Park Creek | 413815 | Wilson Park Creek - Wilson Park Cr at St Lukes Hosp | 12/20/1998 | 7/16/2020 | Map | Data |
| 15200 | Wilson Park Creek | 10047965 | Wilson Park Creek US Confluence with Kinnickinnic River | 1/1/2015 | 12/4/2023 | Map | Data |
| 15200 | Wilson Park Creek | 413075 | Kinnickinnic River at Oklamoma Ave | 5/27/1975 | 4/12/1976 | Map | Data |
| 15200 | Wilson Park Creek | 413814 | Wilson Park Creek at 20th Place | 5/7/2009 | 10/5/2024 | Map | Data |
| 15200 | Wilson Park Creek | 10037932 | Wilson Park Creek East of 20th St. | 7/1/2007 | 10/29/2020 | Map | Data |
|
Watershed Characteristics
Wilson Park Creek is located in the Kinnickinnic River watershed which is 33.35 mi². Land use in the watershed is primarily urban (70.30%), suburban (24.10%) and a mix of forest (2.80%) and other uses (2.70%). This watershed has 26.80 stream miles, 4,950.14 lake acres and 68.30 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.This water is ranked High Stream for individual Rivers based on runoff problems and the likelihood of success from project implementation.
Wilson Park 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.