Rock
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No
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Fish and Aquatic Life
Overview
Rock River Water Quality Management Plan, Lower Rock River Appendix. WT-668-2002. South Central Region, WDNR.
The Marsh Creek watershed is a small agricultural watershed. Much of the middle and upper reaches of the creek are ditched and straightened, destroying habitat and making the stream silt-laden and sluggish. Cropland erosion is presently the primary cause of water quality problems. The reach below State Highway 184 to the Rock River flows through a more hilly, diverse terrain and has a smallmouth bass fishery. Water quality in the lower half of the stream may benefit by the application of best management practices.
Date 2002
Author Aquatic Biologist
Historical Description
Originating from a spring in Section 22, this small stream flows southwest and joins the Sugar River below Albany. The upper end of Marsh Creek runs through 20 acres of fresh meadow, while the lower portion flows through hardwoods and pasture. Silt is the primary bottom type with gravel, rubble, sand and detritus also present. The water is clear. but in dry periods the flow is barely discernible. Instream vegetation consists of coontails.
A stream improvement project has completed some fencing and bank repair in Section 33 in an effort to increase the stream's trout potential. Stable, undercut banks provide good instream cover, but insufficient flow at crucial times restricts the trout habitat to a very marginal Class III. Brown trout have been stocked on occasion, but management is generally for forage species. Northern pike and many other species common to the Sugar River can also be found in Marsh Creek. Wildlife values consist of a few muskrats. Public access includes three road crossings.
Fish Species: Brown trout, central mudminnow, northern pike, stoneroller unspecified, carp, hornyhead chub, common shiner, bigmouth shiner, spotfin shiner, bluntnose minnow, creek chub, white sucker, shorthead redhorse, black .bullhead, brook stickleback, Johnny darter.
Surface Acres = 0.4, Length = 2.8 Miles, Gradient = 9 ft./mi., Base Discharge = 9 cu ft./sec
Bush, D.M., R. Cornelius, D. Engle, and C.L. Brynildson. 1980. Lake and Stream Classification Project. Surface Water Resources of Green County, 2nd Edition. Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, Madison, Wisconsin.
Date 1980
Author Surface Water Inventory Of Wisconsin
Historical Description
From: Ball, Joseph R., and Ronald J. Poff, Lake and Stream Classification Project. Surface Water Resources of Rock County, Department of Natural Resources, 1970.
Surface Acres = 26.24, Miles -13.2, Gradient = .7.6 feet per mile.
A warm water stream flowing eastward and entering the Rock River
north of Janesville. The upper one-half of the stream has been straightened. The fishery is composed primarily of forage species although lower portions of the stream support a few smallmouth bass and northern pike. There are 161 acres of adjoining fresh meadow wetland, about 8 percent of which is wooded. Muskrats are present and migrating waterfowl are commonly observed. Access is available from the Rock River and from five town road crossings.
Date 1970
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
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.
Restore Wetlands
Restore Wetlands
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 |
|---|
| 797700 | Marsh Creek | 543286 | Marsh Creek at Burdick Rd | 9/30/1998 | 9/30/1998 | Map | Data |
| 797700 | Marsh Creek | 543227 | Marsh Creek - Confluence At Rock River | | | Map | Data |
| 797700 | Marsh Creek | 543205 | Marsh Creek - Just Ab Mouth | 8/21/1978 | 7/13/1981 | Map | Data |
| 797700 | Marsh Creek | 10043125 | Marsh Creek at Cook Arboretum Foot Bridge | 7/20/2014 | 6/2/2022 | Map | Data |
| 797700 | Marsh Creek | 10037777 | Marsh Creek at Polzin Road | 7/12/2012 | 1/1/2015 | Map | Data |
| 797700 | Marsh Creek | 10007890 | Marsh Creek 1 | | | Map | Data |
| 797700 | Marsh Creek | 10010935 | Marsh Creek - Marsh Creek At N. Burdich Rd | 5/16/2011 | 7/25/2019 | Map | Data |
| 797700 | Marsh Creek | 10017037 | Marsh Creek - 10 M Downstream Of Sth 184 | 5/21/1997 | 5/21/1997 | Map | Data |
| 797700 | Marsh Creek | 10007891 | Marsh Creek 2 (Burdick Rd) | 5/21/1997 | 6/18/2024 | Map | Data |
| 797700 | Marsh Creek | 10010934 | Marsh Creek - Cth E | 5/21/1997 | 1/1/2015 | Map | Data |
|
Watershed Characteristics
Marsh Creek is located in the Rock River - Milton watershed which is 48.76 mi². Land use in the watershed is primarily agricultural (49.70%), forest (16.40%) and a mix of suburban (13.20%) and other uses (20.70%). This watershed has 31.74 stream miles, 123.56 lake acres and 290.20 wetland acres.
Nonpoint Source Characteristics
This watershed is ranked Low for runoff impacts on streams, Not Ranked 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.