Water Detail - Ulao Creek, Milwaukee River South Watershed (MI02)

Ulao Creek, Milwaukee River South Watershed (MI02)

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Ulao Creek (21200)

Size

8.60 Miles

Segment

0 - 8.60

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-Warm Headwater

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.

2024

General Condition

Poor

This river is impaired

Impairments include

Acute Aquatic Toxicity, Degraded Biological Community, Chronic Aquatic Toxicity

Pollutants include

Chloride, Total Phosphorus

County

Ozaukee

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.

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.

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.

Yes

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.

Restricted Aquatic Life

Fish and Aquatic Life communities are not fully supported in this ecosystem.

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.

WWSF

Streams capable of supporting a warm waterdependent sport fishery. Representative aquatic life communities associated with these waters generally require cool or warm temperatures and concentrations of dissolved oxygen that do not drop below 5 mg/L.

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.

Default FAL

Fish and Aquatic Life - Default Waters do not have a specific use designation subcategory but are considered fishable, swimmable waters.

Overview

Ulao Creek, in the Milwaukee River South Watershed, is a 9.16 mile river that falls in Ozaukee County. This river is managed for fishing and swimming and is currently considered impaired.

Date 2022

Author Ashley Beranek

Ulao Creek, Milwaukee River South Watershed (MI02) Fish and Aquatic Life

Ulao Creek, Milwaukee River South Watershed (MI02) Recreation

Ulao Creek, Milwaukee River South Watershed (MI02) Fish Consumption

Impaired Waters

Ulao Creek was evaluated every two-year cycle from 2014 to 2022. During the 2014 cycle phosphorus was identified as too high, causing degraded biological community. This phosphorus listing is covered by the Milwaukee River TMDL, approved in 2018. During the 2016 cycle chloride was identified as causing toxicity for organisms in the stream. The 2022 assessments confirmed the chloride and phosphorus 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

Unnamed, Ulao Creek at Bonniwell Rd at Oriole Lane, Wadeable Macroinvertebrate Field Form

Unnamed, Ulao Creek at Hwy 60 East Of Hwy 43, Wadeable Macroinvertebrate Field Form

2020 Comprehensive WQ Assessments

Final Draft 2018 Impaired Waters List

Milwaukee River Watershed TMDL USEPA Approval Letter

USEPA Decision Document for the Milwaukee River Watershed TMDL, WI

Comprehensive 2018 River/Stream Water Quality Assessments

Comprehensive 2016 Rivers Stream Assessments

Milwaukee River South Watershed Plan 2014 (MI02)

2013 Total Phosphorus Monitoring Report -Ulao Creek at Bonniwell Rd at Oriole Lane

2013 Total Phosphorus Monitoring Report -Ulao Creek at Falls Rd East Of Hwy 43

2013 Total Phosphorus Monitoring Report -Ulao Creek at Pioneer Rd., Mequon

2013 Total Phosphorus Monitoring Report -Unnamed (20400) Stream at Hwy 60

Comprehensive 2014 TP IBI Rivers Assessment

TP Assessment Package Report MI02 2003 to 2013

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

Monitor Water Quality or Sediment

Exceedances limited in number and year of recent exceedence. Suggest one more year of data collection. ID: 10028775; AU 10012

Habitat Restoration - Instream

The Ulao Creek Partnership proposes to use the grant funds to collect baseline information, initiate small scale restoration demonstration projects and gather species at risk status information including species abundance and distribution relative to habitat conditions.

Watershed Mapping or Assessment

The Ulao Creek Partnership proposes to use the grant funds to collect baseline information- initiate small scale restoration demonstration projects and gather species at risk status information including species abundance and distribution relative to habitat conditions.

Data analysis, report production

gather species at risk status information including species abundance and distribution relative to habitat conditions

Monitor Baseline Survey

Watershed Mapping or Assessment

Habitat Restoration - Shoreland

Restore Wetlands

Monitor Water Quality or Sediment

Deploy thermistors to collect more temperature data for impairment assessment.

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
Milwaukee River TMDL	2012
Monitoring Recommendations Stemming from CWA / IR Listings	2000
Wetland Restoration Database	2016
Ulao Creek at Falls Rd East of HWY 43	2008
Ulao Creek at Pioneer Rd	2006
Ulao Creek at Bonniwell Rd at Oriole Lane	2008
ULAO CREEK PARTNERSHIP: Ulao Creek Restoration and Management Project	2000

Monitoring Projects

WBIC	Official Waterbody Name	Station ID	Station Name	Earliest Fieldwork Date	Latest Fieldwork Date	View Station	View Data
21200	Unnamed	10041925	Ulao Creek at Kaul Property			Map	Data
21200	Unnamed	10015273	Ulao Creek Upstream Of Cth W			Map	Data
21200	Unnamed	10031114	Unnamed (20400) Stream at Hwy 60	5/15/2013	4/20/2015	Map	Data
21200	Unnamed	10046981	Ulao Creek - Above Helm's Creek	1/1/2015	10/26/2021	Map	Data
21200	Unnamed	10046975	Ulao Creek - Headwaters	1/1/2015	10/26/2021	Map	Data
21200	Unnamed	10028773	Ulao Creek at Bonniwell Rd at Oriole Lane	5/11/2008	10/30/2024	Map	Data
21200	Unnamed	10012614	Ulao Creek at Pioneer Rd. Mequon	5/25/2006	4/20/2015	Map	Data
21200	Unnamed	10046982	Ulao Creek - Below Helm's Creek	1/1/2015	10/26/2021	Map	Data
21200	Unnamed	10050932	Ulao Creek - downstream of County W	10/18/2018	8/10/2021	Map	Data
21200	Unnamed	10046983	Ulao Creek - Gateway RR crossing	1/1/2015	9/30/2024	Map	Data
21200	Unnamed	10028774	Ulao Creek at Falls Rd East Of Hwy 43	5/13/2008	4/20/2015	Map	Data
21200	Unnamed	10031113	Unnamed (21200) Stream 40m US Falls Rd			Map	Data
21200	Unnamed	10028775	Ulao Creek at Hwy 60 East Of Hwy 43	5/11/2008	10/31/2022	Map	Data
21200	Unnamed	10010602	Unnamed River T9n R21e S12 (55)	10/8/1997	9/30/1999	Map	Data
21200	Unnamed	10010604	Unnamed			Map	Data
21200	Unnamed	10046976	Ulao Creek - Below confluence with Kaul Creek	1/1/2015	8/26/2023	Map	Data

Watershed Characteristics

Unnamed is located in the Milwaukee River South watershed which is 167.90 mi². Land use in the watershed is primarily suburban (27.40%), urban (24.80%) and a mix of agricultural (18%) and other uses (29.80%). This watershed has 203.63 stream miles, 13,038.94 lake acres and 5,996.03 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.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

Ulao 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.

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