Ashland, Sawyer
No
No
Yes
Fish and Aquatic Life
Overview
Black Lake (Birch), in the East Fork Chippewa River Watershed, is a 133.22 acre lake that falls in Ashland and Sawyer Counties. This lake is managed for fishing and swimming and is currently considered impaired.
Date 2011
Author Aquatic Biologist
Historical Description
Source: 1969, Surface Water Resources of Sawyer County Black Lake, T41N, R5W, Section 36
A soft water, drainage lake on Fish Trap Creek. There is a six-foot concrete roller dam on the lake outlet controlled by the U.S. Forest Service. The normal estimated outlet flow is 6.2 cfs. The fish population includes muskellunge, largemouth bass, and panfish. The surrounding lakeshore vegetation is upland hardwood, balsam and pine with a four acre wetland area near the inlet, made up of fresh meadow and leatherleaf bog. Waterfowl nesting here include puddle ducks, loon, and grebes. The U.S. Forest Service owns the entire three miles of lakeshore and maintains a campground on the east side. Its facilities include boat access, picnicking and camping facilities, and a swimming beach. There is no private development on the lake.
Surface Acres = 129.4, Maximum Depth = 15 feet, M.P.A. = 27 ppm, Secchi Disk = 3 feet
Date 1969
Author Surface Water Inventory Of Wisconsin
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
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 |
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2401300 | Black Lake | 584003 | Black Lake - Deepest Spot | | | Map | Data |
2401300 | Black Lake | 10018292 | Black Lake -- Access at East Side Of Lake | 8/6/2024 | 8/6/2024 | Map | Data |
2401300 | Black Lake | 583173 | Black Lake - Deep Hole | 7/21/1979 | 9/6/2004 | Map | Data |
2401300 | Black Lake | 583203 | Black Lake - Deepest Spot | | | Map | Data |
2401300 | Black Lake | 10005610 | Black Lake | 8/29/2000 | 8/6/2024 | Map | Data |
2401300 | Black Lake | 10047537 | Black Lake Access | 8/6/2024 | 8/6/2024 | Map | Data |
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![](wsWaterEcosystem.ashx?watershed=UC21)
Watershed Characteristics
Black Lake is located in the East Fork Chippewa River watershed which is 305.16 miĀ². Land use in the watershed is primarily forest (63.90%), wetland (32.70%) and a mix of grassland (1.60%) and other uses (1.70%). This watershed has 310.53 stream miles, 2,431.41 lake acres and 65,073.81 wetland acres.
Nonpoint Source Characteristics
This watershed is ranked Not Ranked for runoff impacts on streams, Low 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.