Skillet Creek, Narrows Creek and Baraboo River Watershed (LW22)
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Skillet Creek, Narrows Creek and Baraboo River Watershed (LW22)
Skillet Creek (1274300)
7.70 Miles
0 - 7.70
Natural Community
Natural communities (stream and lake natural communities) represent model results that use predicted flow and temperature based on landscape features and related assumptions. Ranges of flow and temperature associated with specific aquatic life communities (fish, macroinvertebrates) help biologists identify appropriate resource management goals. Wisconsin Natural Communities.
Cool-Cold Headwater
Year Last Monitored
This is the most recent date of monitoring data stored in SWIMS. Additional surveys for fish and habitat may be available subsequent to this date.
2015
Good
 
Sauk
Trout Water 
Trout Waters are represented by Class I, Class II or Class III waters. These classes have specific ecological characteristics and management actions associated with them. For more information regarding Trout Classifications, see the Fisheries Trout Class Webpages.
No
Outstanding or Exceptional 
Wisconsin has designated many of the state's highest quality waters as Outstanding Resource Waters (ORWs) or Exceptional Resource Waters (ERWs). Waters designated as ORW or ERW are surface waters which provide outstanding recreational opportunities, support valuable fisheries and wildlife habitat, have good water quality, and are not significantly impacted by human activities. ORW and ERW status identifies waters that the State of Wisconsin has determined warrant additional protection from the effects of pollution. These designations are intended to meet federal Clean Water Act obligations requiring Wisconsin to adopt an 'antidegradation' policy that is designed to prevent any lowering of water quality - especially in those waters having significant ecological or cultural value.
No
Impaired Water 
A water is polluted or 'impaired' if it does not support full use by humans, wildlife, fish and other aquatic life and it is shown that one or more of the pollutant criteria are not met.
No

Fish and Aquatic Life

Current Use
The use the water currently supports. This is not a designation or classification; it is based on the current condition of the water. Information in this column is not designed for, and should not be used for, regulatory purposes.
Supported Aquatic Life
Waters that support fish and aquatic life communities (healthy biological communities).
Attainable Use
The use that the investigator believes the water could achieve through managing "controllable" sources. Beaver dams, hydroelectric dams, low gradient streams, and naturally occurring low flows are generally not considered controllable. The attainable use may be the same as the current use or it may be higher.
WWFF
Streams capable of supporting a warm waterdependent forage fishery. Representative aquatic life communities associated with these waters generally require cool or warm temperatures and concentrations of dissolved oxygen that do not drop below 5 mg/L.
Designated Use
This is the water classification legally recognized by NR102 and NR104, Wis. Adm. Code. The classification determines water quality criteria and effluent limits. Waters obtain designated uses through classification procedures.
Default FAL
Fish and Aquatic Life - Default Waters do not have a specific use designation subcategory but are considered fishable, swimmable waters.

Overview

Skillet Creek is a tributary to the Baraboo River. The creek supports a population of warm water forage fish. A fish survey conducted in 1998 indicated that the stream had fair water quality for warmwater fish.

Ripp, Coreen, Koperski, Cindy and Folstad, Jason. 2002. The State of the Lower Wisconsin River Basin.
PUBL WT-559-2002. Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, Madison, WI.

Date  2002

Author  Cynthia Koperski

Skillet Creek, Narrows Creek and Baraboo River Watershed (LW22) Fish and Aquatic LifeSkillet Creek, Narrows Creek and Baraboo River Watershed (LW22) RecreationSkillet Creek, Narrows Creek and Baraboo River Watershed (LW22) Fish Consumption

General Condition

Skillet Creek (WBIC 1274300) was assessed during the 2018 listing cycle; new biological (macroinvertebrate and 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

2020 Comprehensive WQ Assessments
2018 List of Healthy (Category 2) Waters
Comprehensive 2018 River/Stream Water Quality Assessments
2015 Total Phosphorus Monitoring Report - Skillet Cr. St. #1- 49m Upstream Cth W
Comprehensive 2016 Rivers Stream Assessments
2013 Total Phosphorus Monitoring Report -Skillet Cr. St. #1- 49m Upstream Cth "W"
Narrows Creek and Baraboo River Watershed Plan 2011 (LW22)

Recommendations

Monitor Water Quality or Sediment
Category 2. 2018 TP Results: May Exceed. Station: 10008327. AU: 12988.
Monitor Watershed (Status,Sources,Impairments)
The small waterfall on Skillet Creek should be examined for restoration and/or tourism potential.

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

Project Name (Click for Details)Year Started
Monitoring Recommendations Stemming from CWA / IR Listings2000

Monitoring Projects

WBICOfficial Waterbody NameStation IDStation NameEarliest Fieldwork DateLatest Fieldwork DateView StationView Data
1274300Skillet Creek10008333Pine Creek #1 - 200m Downstream Rr Bridge Downstream Hatchery RoadMapData
1274300Skillet Creek10008327Skillet Cr. St. #1- 49m Upstream Cth W10/12/199010/21/2015MapData
1274300Skillet Creek573162Skillet Creek at STH159 bridge6/13/200310/22/2004MapData
1274300Skillet Creek10010453Skillet Creek - Skillet Creek Remap 160-B 1/1/20151/1/2015MapData
1274300Skillet Creek573161Skillet Creek - Skillet Creek6/13/200310/1/2015MapData
1274300Skillet Creek10032022Pine/Skillet Creek at Hatchery Rd bridge6/17/20076/17/2007MapData
1274300Skillet Creek10010452Skillet Creek - Skillet Creek Remap 160-X10/26/19904/25/1991MapData

Watershed Characteristics

Skillet Creek is located in the Narrows Creek and Baraboo River watershed which is 176.33 mi². Land use in the watershed is primarily forest (31.70%), agricultural (30.90%) and a mix of grassland (25.80%) and other uses (11.60%). This watershed has 368.35 stream miles, 331.44 lake acres and 4,694.54 wetland acres.

Nonpoint Source Characteristics

This watershed is ranked Not Available 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.

Natural Community

Skillet Creek is considered a Cool-Cold 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 (Cold-Transition) Headwaters are small, usually perennial streams with cold to cool summer temperatures. Coldwater fishes are common to uncommon (<10 per 100 m), transitional fishes are abundant to common, and warm water fishes are uncommon to absent. Headwater species are abundant to common, mainstem species are common to absent, and river species are absent.