![Lake Fifteen Creek, East and West Branches Milwaukee River Watershed (MI06) Lake Fifteen Creek, East and West Branches Milwaukee River Watershed (MI06)](wsSWIMSDocument.ashx?documentSeqNo=47601420)
2.57 Miles
0 - 2.57
Warm Mainstem, Warm Headwater, COOL-Warm Headwater
2024
Excellent
Fond Du Lac
Yes
Yes
No
Fish and Aquatic Life
Overview
Lake Fifteen Creek, in the East and West Branches Milwaukee River Watershed, is a 7.79 mile river that falls in Fond du Lac County. This river is an outstanding/exceptional resource water under NR102 as well as a Class II Trout Water under the Fisheries Program. This river is managed for fishing and swimming and is currently not considered impaired.
Date 2011
Author Aquatic Biologist
General Condition
Lake Fifteen Creek (WBIC 41600) was assessed during the 2018 listing cycle; new total phosphorus and biological (fish Index of Biotic Integrity (IBI) scores) sample data were clearly below the 2018 WisCALM listing thresholds for the Fish and Aquatic Life use. This water was meeting this designated use and was not considered impaired.
Date 2017
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
Navigability Determination
T14N R19 E & T13N R19E; Extension of previous determination
Navigability Determination
T14N R19E S35; Auburn Lake Creek;
Monitor Water Quality or Sediment
Station with temperature data is very close to lake outlet and likely warmer as a result. Please review.
More temperature data needed in representative stream sections to determine impairment status
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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41600 | Auburn Lake Creek | 10052436 | Auburn Lake Creek at Bridge Crossing | 10/1/2023 | 10/29/2023 | Map | Data |
41600 | Auburn Lake Creek | 10045080 | Phragmites Occurrence - Auburn Lake | | | Map | Data |
41600 | Auburn Lake Creek | 10002478 | Auburn Lake | 7/27/1999 | 5/2/2022 | Map | Data |
41600 | Auburn Lake Creek | 10045081 | Phragmites Occurrence - Auburn Lake | | | Map | Data |
42400 | Auburn Lake | 10002478 | Auburn Lake | 7/27/1999 | 5/2/2022 | Map | Data |
41600 | Auburn Lake Creek | 10016755 | Auburn Lake Cr #33 - 85 M Us From Milwaukee River | 9/28/1999 | 3/7/2020 | Map | Data |
42400 | Auburn Lake | 10045081 | Phragmites Occurrence - Auburn Lake | | | Map | Data |
41600 | Auburn Lake Creek | 10016731 | Auburn Lake Cr - Confluence W 5C Milwaukee R =300mdownstream Of Hwy 45 | 9/23/1998 | 9/23/1998 | Map | Data |
41600 | Auburn Lake Creek | 10043571 | Auburn Lake Creek at DD | 1/1/2015 | 7/2/2024 | Map | Data |
42400 | Auburn Lake | 10045080 | Phragmites Occurrence - Auburn Lake | | | Map | Data |
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![](wsWaterEcosystem.ashx?watershed=MI06)
Watershed Characteristics
Auburn Lake Creek is located in the East and West Branches Milwaukee River watershed which is 266.00 miĀ². Land use in the watershed is primarily agricultural (35.50%), wetland (19.20%) and a mix of forest (17.90%) and other uses (27.40%). This watershed has 312.44 stream miles, 2,023.13 lake acres and 32,107.47 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.
Lake Fifteen Creek is considered a Warm Mainstem, Warm Headwater, 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.
Warm Mainstem waters are moderate-to-large but still wadeable perennial streams with relatively warm summer temperatures. Coldwater fishes are absent, transitional fishes are common to uncommon, and warm water fishes are abundant to common. Headwater species are common to absent, mainstem species are abundant to common, and river species are common to absent.
Warm Headwaters are small, usually intermittent streams with warm summer temperatures. Coldwater fishes are absent, transitional fishes are common to uncommon, and warm water fishes are abundant to common. Headwater species are abundant to common, mainstem species are common to absent, and
river species are absent.