Water Detail - Copper Creek, Rush Creek Watershed (BL01)

Copper Creek, Rush Creek Watershed (BL01)

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Copper Creek (1635500)

Size

4.33 Miles

Segment

0 - 4.33

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, 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.

2016

General Condition

Good

County

Crawford

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.

Yes

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 I Trout)

Streams supporting a cold water sport fishery, or serving as a spawning area for salmonids and other cold water fish species through natural reproduction. 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.

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

The Copper Creek system, located in western Crawford County, consists of Copper Creek, North Branch Copper Creek, South Branch Copper Creek, and Upper Copper Creek. Where the North and South Branch join, Copper Creek begins. Upper Copper Creek flows into the North Branch.

Land use in the Copper Creek area is similar to the rest of Crawford County, consisting of farms and recreational homes. Steep wooded hillsides with narrow ridgetops and valleys are characteristic sights in the area. Fishery surveys dating from 1946 mention how frequent, severe flooding occurs within the Copper Creek drainage area. Streams in the Copper Creek system have been stocked with hatchery-raised brown trout for many years.

Most of these streams have not been comprehensively surveyed since the early 1970's. At the time, the Copper Creek watershed was comprised of approximately 50% agriculture and 50% forest, with small areas of wetland near the mouth. To better understand and manage the streams of the Copper Creek system, extensive fishery and habitat surveys should be conducted in the near future.

Date 2010

Author Aquatic Biologist

Copper Creek, Rush Creek Watershed (BL01) Fish and Aquatic Life

Copper Creek, Rush Creek Watershed (BL01) Recreation

Copper Creek, Rush Creek Watershed (BL01) Fish Consumption

General Condition

Copper Creek was assessed during the 2018 listing cycle; new biological (fish Index of Biotic Integrity (IBI) scores) sample data were clearly below the 2018 WisCALM listing thresholds for the Fish and Aquatic Life use. This water was meeting this designated use and was not considered impaired.

Date 2017

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

2020 Comprehensive WQ Assessments

2018 List of Healthy (Category 2) Waters

Comprehensive 2018 River/Stream Water Quality Assessments

Comprehensive 2014 TP IBI Rivers Assessment

Rush Creek WT 2010 Map

Rush Creek WT 2010 ORW/ERW Map

Rush Creek WT 2010 Land Use Map

Rush Creek WT 2010 Map Outfalls and Dams

Rush Creek WT 2010 Wetland Map

Rush Creek Watershed Plan 2010 (BL01)

Rush Creek WT 2010 BL01 Wetlands Analysis

Rush Creek Map of Stations Tributary to Lake Pepin

COPPER CREEK 2008 TROUT BOOK DATA

Crawford County Surface Water Resources 1972

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
CRAWFORD COUNTY: Copper Creek Hops	2015

Monitoring Projects

WBIC	Official Waterbody Name	Station ID	Station Name	Earliest Fieldwork Date	Latest Fieldwork Date	View Station	View Data
5032723	Unnamed	10052058	Copper Crk-Utility Corridor to N Brch Cooper Crk	8/3/2011	8/3/2011	Map	Data
1635500	Copper Creek	10009028	Copper Creek #1-Lower Bridge X-Ing On Lon Ruedisili Property	1/1/2015	1/1/2015	Map	Data
1635500	Copper Creek	10013637	Copper Creek Station 1-1965-Nw 1/4 Nw 1/4 Sec. 25	1/1/2015	1/1/2015	Map	Data
5033036	Unnamed	10052058	Copper Crk-Utility Corridor to N Brch Cooper Crk	8/3/2011	8/3/2011	Map	Data
1635500	Copper Creek	10052058	Copper Crk-Utility Corridor to N Brch Cooper Crk	8/3/2011	8/3/2011	Map	Data
5032911	Unnamed	10052058	Copper Crk-Utility Corridor to N Brch Cooper Crk	8/3/2011	8/3/2011	Map	Data
1635500	Copper Creek	10032327	Copper Creek at confluence of North and South Branches			Map	Data
1635600	Unnamed	10052058	Copper Crk-Utility Corridor to N Brch Cooper Crk	8/3/2011	8/3/2011	Map	Data
5032695	Unnamed	10052058	Copper Crk-Utility Corridor to N Brch Cooper Crk	8/3/2011	8/3/2011	Map	Data
1635500	Copper Creek	10032328	Copper Creek at 1000 ft. south of State Hwy. 171 Seneca			Map	Data
1635500	Copper Creek	10032310	Copper Creek - 175 M downstream at bend	1/1/2015	1/1/2015	Map	Data
724600	Lake Winneshiek	10022243	Lake Winneshiek	6/22/2010	9/2/2016	Map	Data

Watershed Characteristics

Copper Creek is located in the Rush Creek watershed which is 240.16 mi². Land use in the watershed is primarily forest (46.60%), grassland (16.20%) and a mix of agricultural (15%) and other uses (22.10%). This watershed has 551.06 stream miles, 1,906.88 lake acres and 9,793.93 wetland acres.

Nonpoint Source Characteristics

This watershed is ranked High for runoff impacts on streams, Not Ranked for runoff impacts on lakes and Medium for runoff impacts on groundwater and therefore has an overall rank of Medium. 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

Copper Creek is considered a Cool-Cold Mainstem, 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.

Fisheries & Habitat

Copper Creek begins where the North Branch and the South Branch of Copper Creek join together. It is a 3.5 mile tributary to the Mississippi River which flows in a westerly direction and has an average gradient of approximately 7 feet per mile.

Date 2008