3.30 Miles
0 - 3.30
Cool-Cold Headwater, Coldwater, Cool-Warm Headwater
2015
Good
Vernon
No
No
No
Fish and Aquatic Life
Overview
Creek 29-1, located in west central Vernon County, flows in a northwesterly direction for three miles before reaching the Mississippi River near Genoa. It has a moderate gradient and drains steep forested hills and agricultural valley land. Creek 29-1 is currently not a classified trout stream.
As with many other streams in Vernon County, this stream would support trout if land use improved. Even in its degraded condition, overall biological productivity was high. Rocks in riffle areas carried large numbers of mayflies, caddisflies and freshwater shrimp. Watercress was also present in areas away from severe cattle traffic. Overhead cover was virtually nonexistent except for scattered areas of logjams and fallen trees. Some game species and forage fish species were found. If land use has improved since 1988, a fish and habitat survey should be conducted to determine if brook trout reintroduction has the potential to succeed in Creek 29-1. There are no WDNR stocking records for this creek. Access to Creek 29-1 is from three road crossings.
From: Koperski, Cindy. 2002. The State of the Bad Axe - La Crosse Basin. Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, Madison, WI.
Date 2002
Author Cynthia Koperski
General Condition
A 1988 survey documented clear, cool water that carried a low suspended silt load. The streambed consisted of rubble, gravel, sand and silt. Willow, box elder, some elm and ash made up the bank cover. The 1988 survey revealed the stream was highly impacted by agriculture since virtually all of the watershed was cultivated with row crops or heavily pastured. In-stream cover consisted of rock and boulders with scattered logs and trees. Siltation and unstable streambanks caused by overgrazing and runoff seriously degraded streambank stability.
Date 2011
Author Lisa Helmuth
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
Control Streambank Erosion
The South Fork of the Bad Axe River fishery would benefit from the reduction of streambank erosion.
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 |
|---|
| 1643300 | Unnamed | 104462 | Un Cr (Intermittent Trib. To) | | | Map | Data |
| 1643300 | Unnamed | 10042726 | Genoa Cr (1643300) at Robert Ln | | | Map | Data |
| 1643300 | Unnamed | 10017158 | Creek 29-1 (Genoa Cr) Station 1 (Game) - Bridge On Cth K | | | Map | Data |
| 1643300 | Unnamed | 10010169 | Creek 29-1 (Genoa) Station #1 121m Below Bridge On K | 10/20/2014 | 1/1/2015 | Map | Data |
|
Watershed Characteristics
Unnamed is located in the Coon Creek watershed which is 238.20 mi². Land use in the watershed is primarily forest (44.60%), grassland (21.30%) and a mix of agricultural (16.50%) and other uses (17.60%). This watershed has 574.90 stream miles, 4,342.05 lake acres and 6,052.31 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.
Unnamed Stream (29-1) is considered a Cool-Cold Headwater, Coldwater, 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.
Cool (Cold-Transition) Headwaters are small, usually perennial streams with cold to cool summer temperatures. Coldwater fishes are common to uncommon (<10 per 100 m), transitional fishes are abundant to common, and warm water fishes are uncommon to absent. Headwater species are abundant to common, mainstem species are common to absent, and river species are absent.