3.48 Miles
0 - 3.48
Cool-Cold Headwater, Coldwater
1995
Good
Monroe
Yes
No
No
Fish and Aquatic Life
Overview
Sparta Creek, located in central Monroe County, originates outside Fort McCoy and flows for 2.7 miles in a westerly direction before reaching Tarr Creek in Fort McCoy. It has a gradient of 29 feet per mile. Sparta Creek is a Class I trout stream for the lower 0.7 miles and Class II for the next mile to Spring Bank Lake. The one mile of Sparta Creek upstream of Spring Bank Lake has not been surveyed and the stream classification is unknown at this time.
An impoundment on upper Sparta Creek was dredged in 1990 and the dam modified as a bottom draw structure to decrease downstream water temperatures. Another impoundment on Sparta Creek was removed and the stream returned to its previous free flowing state. Fort McCoy staff continue to monitor water temperatures and sedimentation at Upper Sparta Pond. Several ponds exist on Sparta Creek and tributaries upstream of Fort McCoy on private property. Sparta Creek contains a sand and gravel bottom with little silt. The stream contains brook trout with a few brown trout. The fishery of Sparta Creek may improve with additional in-stream cover. Upper Sparta Pond is scheduled for dredging in 2002. A fish and habitat survey should be conducted on the portion of Sparta Creek upstream of Spring Bank Lake. Access to Sparta Creek is via Fort McCoy.
Date 2002
Author Aquatic Biologist
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.
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 |
|---|
| 1663700 | Sparta Creek | 10020514 | Sparta Creek St. 9 Approx. 675ft Above Confluence With Tarr Creek | | | Map | Data |
| 1663700 | Sparta Creek | 10050710 | Sparta Creek @ EM Rd. | | | Map | Data |
| 1663700 | Sparta Creek | 10017113 | Sparta Creek Site 0701 - Samples Collected Upstream Ofsparta Pond | 3/21/1995 | 3/21/1995 | Map | Data |
| 1663700 | Sparta Creek | 10017130 | Sparta Crek Site 0702 - Samples Collected Dowstream Of Oldimpoundment Dam/Road Way. | 11/12/1994 | 11/12/1994 | Map | Data |
| 1663700 | Sparta Creek | 10050709 | Sparta Creek @ End of Quarters Dr. | | | Map | Data |
| 1663900 | Lower Sparta Pond | 10050708 | Sparta Creek @ X Rd. | | | Map | Data |
| 1663700 | Sparta Creek | 10050708 | Sparta Creek @ X Rd. | | | Map | Data |
|
Watershed Characteristics
Sparta Creek is located in the Upper La Crosse River watershed which is 126.12 mi². Land use in the watershed is primarily forest (62.40%), grassland (11.90%) and a mix of agricultural (9.80%) and other uses (16.10%). This watershed has 167.76 stream miles, 207.50 lake acres and 4,875.27 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.
Sparta Creek is considered a Cool-Cold Headwater, 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) 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.
Reclassified, David Vetrano, John Noble, October 2003, Recent surveys show this stream is a high quality trout stream, having sufficient natural reproduction to sustain populations of wild trout at or near carrying capacity. Consequently, this stream requires no stocking of hatchery raised trout.
Date 2008
Author Aquatic Biologist