3.25 Miles
2.26 - 5.51
Warm Headwater, COOL-Warm Headwater
2019
Good
Kewaunee
No
No
No
Fish and Aquatic Life
Overview
Tisch Mills Creek is a low gradient tributary to the East Twin River. It generally has very good water quality and 1.9 miles are Class II brown trout water. The stream is buffered by cedar swamp along much of its headwaters, thus nonpoint sources of water pollution have little impact on the stream. Fisheries managers believe that water quality cannot be significantly increased through nonpoint source management, but habitat improvements may increase fish populations by providing more cover.
Date 2001
Author Michael Toneys
General Condition
Tisch Mills Creek (WBIC 85500) from its mouth to "little" Jambo Creek 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
Standards Details
Tisch Mills Creek is an 8 mile long creek that is low gradient. The headwaters of the creek are in Kewaunee County where it drains a large amount of wetland. Upper sections of Tisch Mills Creek are classified a warmwater forage fishery because of low flow and poor habitat in these stream sections (WCC 1968). The lower 1 ½ miles of Tisch Mills Creek are classified as Class II brown trout waters because of improved flow and habitat. Recent invertebrate surveys had similar results, with scores of good for habitat and very good for water quality in sections classified as trout waters and fair in other sections of the river (Gansberg 1995).
Date 2012
Author Steven Hogler
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 |
|---|
| 85500 | Tisch Mills Creek | 10039486 | Tisch Mills Creek at Collegiate Rd | 10/10/2019 | 10/10/2019 | Map | Data |
| 85500 | Tisch Mills Creek | 10030758 | Tisch Mills Creek - upstream from CTH AB | 9/15/2008 | 1/1/2015 | Map | Data |
|
Watershed Characteristics
Tisch Mills Creek is located in the East Twin River watershed which is 183.58 mi². Land use in the watershed is primarily agricultural (57.30%), grassland (16.50%) and a mix of wetland (14.70%) and other uses (11.50%). This watershed has 314.70 stream miles, 12,446.75 lake acres and 14,181.41 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.
Tisch Mills Creek is considered a 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 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.
Electroshocking surveys by Schultz and Wiegert (1964 and 1965) found that stocked trout clipped from previous seasons had survived well and showed good growth rates. Northern pike, white sucker, black side darter, pearl dace, longnose dace, common shiners and sculpin were common with rock bass classified as present. Bank and pool cover, and food abundance were considered good. The bottom type was classified as mostly gravel with some rock and rubble. Silt was a minor component of the bottom. Belonger (1974) noted similar fish species, although the number of northern pike was greatly reduced. However, he did note a shift in bottom type with less gravel observed and more sand, silt and detritus in the make-up of the bottom.
Date 2012
Author Steven Hogler