2.36 Miles
0 - 2.36
Cool-Warm Headwater
2024
Poor
Acute Aquatic Toxicity, Degraded Biological Community, Degraded Habitat, Chronic Aquatic Toxicity
Chloride, Total Phosphorus, Sediment/Total Suspended Solids
Milwaukee
No
No
Yes
Fish and Aquatic Life
Overview
South Branch Creek, in the Milwaukee River South Watershed, is a 2.36 mile river that falls in Milwaukee County. This river is managed for fishing and swimming and is currently considered impaired.
Date 2011
Author Aquatic Biologist
Impaired Waters
South Branch Creek was listed for Total Suspended Solids and Degraded Habitat in 1998. It was listed for Total Phosphorus and Degraded Biological Community in 2012. It was also listed for Chloride in 2018. The 2020 assessment confirmed the chloride and total phosphorus impairments. The 2022 assessments again confirmed the phosphorus impairment.
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
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 |
|---|
| 3000073 | Unnamed | 10016226 | Southbranch Creek between Teutonia and STH 57 | 5/15/1992 | 6/3/2018 | Map | Data |
| 3000073 | Unnamed | 10047971 | Unnamed Creek (Southbranch Creek) US N Green Bay Court | 1/1/2015 | 11/8/2023 | Map | Data |
| 3000073 | Unnamed | 10047969 | Unnamed Creek (Southbranch Creek) DS N 55th Street | 1/1/2015 | 1/1/2015 | Map | Data |
| 3000073 | Unnamed | 10047970 | Unnamed Creek (Southbranch Creek) US N 47th Street | 1/1/2015 | 1/1/2015 | Map | Data |
| 3000073 | Unnamed | 413934 | Unnamed Creek (Southbranch Creek) at Bradley Rd | 1/1/2015 | 1/1/2015 | Map | Data |
| 3000073 | Unnamed | 10037442 | Southbranch Creek at Teutonia & STH 57 | 5/24/2012 | 10/19/2024 | 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.
South Branch 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.