Dodge
No
No
No
Fish and Aquatic Life
Overview
Mud Lake, in the Beaver Dam River and Lower Crawfish River Watersheds, is a 116.80 acre lake that falls in Dodge County. This lake is managed for fishing and swimming and is currently not considered impaired.
Date 2011
Author Aquatic Biologist
Historical Description
Source: 1965, Surface Water Resources of Dodge County Mud Lake T9N, R14E, S19
A shallow, muck bottomed widespread lake on the Beaver Dam River. Annual winterkill precludes the establishment of a permanent fishery, although carp, bullheads, northern pike and channel catfish may enter the lake from the river during periods of open water. Its greatest value lies in its attractiveness to wildlife, particularly waterfowl. For this reason it was included in the Wisconsin Conservation Department acquisition project which at the present consists of 2,909 acres in the area. Expansion to 6,762 acres is anticipated, along with control structures on the river which would allow manipulation of water levels on the lake and adjacent area. Almost all of the 1.4 miles of shoreline is in public ownership, and although no boat launching facilities exist, navigable water access is possible via the Beaver Dam River, and hunting is permitted. Mallards, black ducks, blue-winged teal, wood ducks and coot have raised broods on and around the lake, and large numbers of waterfowl visit the lake during the migrations. Upon occasion in the spring, up to 500 ducks, 200 coot, 50 swans and 100 geese have been seen on the lake, which may swell to over 3,500 acres during periods of high water.
Surface Acres = 94, S.D.F. = 1.03, Maximum Depth = 3 feet
Date 1965
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
Shoreland Ordinance
Dodge County Planning & Development Department is interested in revising the Dodge County Shoreland Zoning Regulations and adopting a "waterway" classification system to better regulate and manage the county's water resources.
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 |
|---|
| 831400 | Beaver Dam River | 10041686 | Mud Lake Wildlife Area Boat Launch | 11/20/2021 | 4/27/2023 | Map | Data |
| 831500 | Mud Lake | 10041686 | Mud Lake Wildlife Area Boat Launch | 11/20/2021 | 4/27/2023 | Map | Data |
| 831500 | Mud Lake | 10001267 | Mud Lake | 7/27/1999 | 9/22/2017 | Map | Data |
|
Watershed Characteristics
Mud Lake is located in the Lower Crawfish River watershed which is 177.65 mi². Land use in the watershed is primarily agricultural (66.50%), grassland (11.20%) and a mix of wetland (10.70%) and other uses (11.60%). This watershed has 331.66 stream miles, 1,780.53 lake acres and 12,199.86 wetland acres.
Nonpoint Source Characteristics
This watershed is ranked Low for runoff impacts on streams, Not Available 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.