Kenosha, Racine
No
No
Yes
Fish and Aquatic Life
Overview
The Pike River Basin is a 56 square mile area that lies on the eastern side of Kenosha and Racine Counties. Approximately 52 square miles of land eventually drain into the Pike River, which discharges to Lake Michigan in the City of Kenosha at a point approximately one mile north of the City of Kenosha Harbor. The remaining 4 square miles of land drain directly into Lake Michigan via swales, ditches, channels and stormsewer outlets.
The North Branch Pike River originates in a residential area in the Town of Mt. Pleasant near the junction of County Highway C and 90th Street. From this point, the river flows easterly for about one mile before turning south. Several perennial and intermittent streams, including Waxdale Creek, join this branch before it enters Petrifying Springs Park in the Town of Somers in Kenosha County. In Petrifying Springs Park the river is joined by the South Branch and becomes the Pike River.
The North Branch of Pike Creek is listed as impaired for Fish and Aquatic Life due to degraded habitat caused by stream channelization, debrushing of streambanks, draining of wetlands, sedimentation from runoff and increased stormwater drainage due to expanding development within the watershed. Fish kills attributed to potential chlorine discharge to Waxdale Creek also affected the North Branch Pike River downstream from confluence with Waxdale Creek; however, no fish kills have been documented on the North Branch Pike River since 1990.
Date 2011
Author Craig Helker
Historical Description
North Branch Pike River Restoration Project
In 1997, in response to historic flooding issues, the WDNR issued a Chapter 30 permit to the Mount Pleasant Storm Water Drainage District for the reconstruction and restoration of approximately 5.5 miles of the Pike River in the Village of Mount Pleasant. Key elements of the project included:
-Comprehensive storm water and non-point source storm water management measures to reduce peak flows and maintain base flow.
-Construction of multiple wetland systems.
-Widening of the floodplain to allow more frequent overbank events, serving to dissipate peak energy flood flows.
-Designing and placing in-stream habitat structures to increase fish community diversity. Land acquisition to expand the functioning environmental corridor.
-Implementing a monitoring plan for habitat, invertebrates, and fish to evaluate the success of the project and guide modifications as necessary.
To date, the Pike River Restoration Project has significantly increased flood storage, expanded the existing environmental corridor, improved water quality and aquatic habitat, restored and increased wetlands, and provided a recreational trail system.
The Village of Mount Pleasant intends to continue the restoration of the planned 5.5 miles of the Pike River, constructing Phase 5 (of a total of nine planned phases) in 2010.
Key elements will include floodway improvements, low-flow channel improvements and in-stream habitat expansion, construction of a storm water pond, and expansion of the Mt. Pleaseant recreation trail.
Date 2011
Author Craig Helker
Impaired Waters
The North Branch of Pike River, from highway 20 to headwaters (miles 5.23 to 7.87), was put on the impaired waters list for chloride in the 2018 cycle. Evaluations of chloride in the 2020 and 2022 cycles confirmed impairment. Phosphorus evaluation in the 2022 cycle showed no impairment.
Date 2022
Author Ashley Beranek
Impaired Waters
The North Branch of Pike River, from its mouth to highway 20 (miles 0 to 5.23), was put on the impaired waters list for aquatic toxicity in 1998. In the 2008 cycle total suspended solids and degraded habitat listings were added. This portion of the river was evaluated for phosphorus and chloride every two-year cycle from 2018 to 2022 - no impairment was found.
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.
Habitat Restoration - Upland
This project will include habitat restoration and plantings including wetland and prairie environments, channel widening and bank stabilization, replacing culverts to aid fish passage, providing fish habitat structures, and the creation of fish spawning areas.
Monitor Water Quality or Sediment
Extensive restoration of N. Br. Pike River has occurred in last 10 years. Downstream site sampled had multiple exceedances. However, this section was re-meandered two seasons before sampling. Would like additional data after vegetation firmly established and restored channel stabilized.
Habitat Restoration - Instream
Evaluate and implement aquatic habitat restoration and water quality improvement practices where applicable.
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 |
|---|
| 1900 | North Branch Pike River | 523113 | Pike River at Sth 20 (Bi Sur) | 5/19/1979 | 10/18/2001 | Map | Data |
| 1900 | North Branch Pike River | 523133 | Pike River North Branch at Sth 11 | | | Map | Data |
| 1900 | North Branch Pike River | 523147 | Pike River North Branch - Upstream Of Waxdale Cr. And Downstream Of Rr Xing Npr-3 | 8/1/1996 | 5/25/2001 | Map | Data |
| 1900 | North Branch Pike River | 523149 | Pike River North Branch - 500' Upstream Of Trib At Land Reclamation | 6/12/1997 | 10/20/2017 | Map | Data |
| 1900 | North Branch Pike River | 10014503 | Pike River - North Branch | 5/12/2006 | 1/1/2015 | Map | Data |
| 1900 | North Branch Pike River | 10048264 | Pike River at Braun Rd crossing | 10/26/2017 | 10/21/2024 | Map | Data |
| 1900 | North Branch Pike River | 523146 | NORTH BRANCH PIKE RIVER - DS OF WAXDALE CREEK BENEATH DURAND AVENUE NPR2 | 6/18/1997 | 6/18/1997 | Map | Data |
| 1900 | North Branch Pike River | 10047472 | Wetland [ID 30423690003] | 8/15/2017 | 8/15/2017 | Map | Data |
| 1900 | North Branch Pike River | 303062 | Pike River North Branch at Sth 31 | 8/1/1996 | 10/30/1996 | Map | Data |
| 1900 | North Branch Pike River | 523156 | Pike River Unnamed Tributary - Un Trib To Reclamation Landfill | 9/28/2011 | 12/2/2021 | Map | Data |
| 1900 | North Branch Pike River | 10010496 | North Branch Pike River - 33 | | | Map | Data |
| 1900 | North Branch Pike River | 523150 | Pike River North Branch - 300' Upstream Of Trib At Land Reclamation Trib 6 | 6/12/1997 | 6/12/1997 | Map | Data |
| 1900 | North Branch Pike River | 523151 | Pike River North Branch - 300' Downstream Of Trib At Land Reclamation Trib 7 | 6/12/1997 | 6/12/1997 | Map | Data |
| 1900 | North Branch Pike River | 523148 | Pike River North Branch - Downstream Of Washington Ave 75 Ft. Npr4 | 10/18/1979 | 6/18/1997 | Map | Data |
| 1900 | North Branch Pike River | 523152 | Pike River North Branch - 500' Downstream Of Trib At Land Reclamation Trib 8 | 6/12/1997 | 6/12/1997 | Map | Data |
| 1900 | North Branch Pike River | 10008155 | North Branch Of Pike River (atCounty Line Rd) | 11/2/1999 | 10/10/2024 | Map | Data |
| 1900 | North Branch Pike River | 10047515 | North Branch Pike River 263 ft north of railroad tracks | 10/20/2017 | 10/20/2017 | Map | Data |
| 1900 | North Branch Pike River | 10048263 | Pike River Greenspace, downstream of surface mining | 9/29/2017 | 9/29/2017 | Map | Data |
| 1900 | North Branch Pike River | 523145 | NORTH BRANCH PIKE RIVER - DS OF WAXDALE CREEK AND DURAND AVENUE NPR1 | 6/18/1997 | 6/18/1997 | Map | Data |
| 1900 | North Branch Pike River | 523184 | Pike River - Upstream of Hwy 11 | 10/17/1996 | 9/8/2017 | Map | Data |
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Watershed Characteristics
North Branch Pike River is located in the Pike River watershed which is 56.51 mi². Land use in the watershed is primarily agricultural (39%), suburban (26.20%) and a mix of urban (19.40%) and other uses (15.30%). This watershed has 85.36 stream miles, 4,846.64 lake acres and 701.59 wetland acres.
Nonpoint Source Characteristics
This watershed is ranked High for runoff impacts on streams, Not Ranked for runoff impacts on lakes and Low for runoff impacts on groundwater and therefore has an overall rank of Low. 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.