Water Detail - West Branch White River, White River Watershed (UF08)

West Branch White River, White River Watershed (UF08)

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West Branch White River (151700)

Size

7.87 Miles

Segment

8 - 15.87

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, Coldwater

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.

2024

General Condition

Good

County

Waushara

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.

Yes

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.

Yes

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.

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.

Cold (Class I Trout)

Streams supporting a cold water sport fishery, or serving as a spawning area for salmonids and other cold water fish species through natural reproduction. Representative aquatic life communities, associated with these waters, generally require cold temperatures and concentrations of dissolved oxygen that remain above 6 mg/L. Since these waters are capable of supporting natural reproduction, a minimum dissolved oxygen concentration of 7 mg/L is required during times of active spawning and support of early life stages of newly-hatched fish.

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.

Cold

Streams capable of supporting a cold water sport fishery, or serving as a spawning area for salmonids and other cold water fish species. Representative aquatic life communities, associated with these waters, generally require cold temperatures and concentrations of dissolved oxygen that remain above 6 mg/L. Since these waters are capable of supporting natural reproduction, a minimum dissolved oxygen concentration of 7 mg/L is required during times of active spawning and support of early life stages of newly-hatched fish.

Overview

West Branch White River, in the White River Watershed, is a 7.90 mile river that falls in Waushara County. This river is an outstanding/exceptional resource water under NR102 as well as a Class I 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

West Branch White River, White River Watershed (UF08) Fish and Aquatic Life

West Branch White River, White River Watershed (UF08) Recreation

West Branch White River, White River Watershed (UF08) Fish Consumption

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

West Branch White River, West Branch White River - Highway 22, Wadeable Macroinvertebrate Field Form

2020 Comprehensive WQ Assessments

2018 List of Healthy (Category 2) Waters

Comprehensive 2018 River/Stream Water Quality Assessments

2015 Total Phosphorus Monitoring Report - West Branch White River west 125 yards of CTH T

Comprehensive 2016 Rivers Stream Assessments

New Zealand Mudsnail Response Monitoring [Paul Skawinski; West Branch; 2014]

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.

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
FOX VALLEY TROUT UNLIMITED: West Branch White River Restoration at Younglove Easement	2021
West Branch White River west 125 yds of CTH T	2006

Monitoring Projects

WBIC	Official Waterbody Name	Station ID	Station Name	Earliest Fieldwork Date	Latest Fieldwork Date	View Station	View Data
151700	West Branch White River	10022010	West Branch White River Cth T Upstream			Map	Data
151700	West Branch White River	10055757	West Branch of the White River at 13th Ave	7/3/2010	7/3/2010	Map	Data
151700	West Branch White River	10052082	West Branch of White River CTH T Downstream	8/29/2023	8/29/2023	Map	Data
151700	West Branch White River	10022009	West Branch White River Snowmobile Bridge (Primisings)	10/18/2022	10/9/2023	Map	Data
151700	West Branch White River	10030594	West Branch White River - Highway 22	7/7/2005	9/18/2024	Map	Data
151700	West Branch White River	10047481	Wetland [ID 70423692886]	9/29/2016	9/29/2016	Map	Data
151700	West Branch White River	10051446	West Branch White River - Gun Range (public land off of CTH C)			Map	Data
151700	West Branch White River	10052084	West Branch White below RR Grade Downstream CTH Y Station 1			Map	Data
151700	West Branch White River	10039100	West Branch White River 100 meters DS 13th Ave	7/16/2013	10/15/2024	Map	Data
151700	West Branch White River	10048580	West Branch White River - 13th Ave (500ft DS)	8/20/2013	4/14/2022	Map	Data
151700	West Branch White River	703086	White River West Branch at Cottonville Ave.	3/5/1997	8/29/2023	Map	Data
151700	West Branch White River	10012437	West Branch White River - County T (125 Yards West)	6/28/2005	10/7/2024	Map	Data
151700	West Branch White River	10048576	West Branch White River 100ft US Confluence	5/20/2017	10/24/2018	Map	Data
151700	West Branch White River	10052085	West Branch White below RR Grade Downstream CTH Y Station 2			Map	Data
151700	West Branch White River	10040925	West Branch of White River 0.25 mi W of W9179 CTH C	6/2/2013	10/7/2014	Map	Data
151700	West Branch White River	10048574	West Branch White River 0.7mi S STH 21, 0.3mi E CTH Y	5/31/2017	9/18/2021	Map	Data
151700	West Branch White River	10030595	West Branch White River - CTH Y	7/6/2017	10/9/2023	Map	Data
151700	West Branch White River	703129	West Branch White River at Cht Y	5/13/1998	5/13/1998	Map	Data
151700	West Branch White River	10030592	West Branch White River - Cottonville Ave.	1/1/2015	9/8/2022	Map	Data
151700	West Branch White River	10048573	West Branch White River at STH 21	5/31/2017	8/29/2023	Map	Data
151700	West Branch White River	10016211	West Branch White River - County Y	10/8/1998	10/8/1998	Map	Data
151700	West Branch White River	10048575	West Branch White River 0.4mi DS Cottonville Ave	5/31/2017	10/26/2019	Map	Data

Watershed Characteristics

West Branch White River is located in the White River watershed which is 149.81 mi². Land use in the watershed is primarily forest (47%), agricultural (21.20%) and a mix of wetland (20%) and other uses (11.90%). This watershed has 156.65 stream miles, 1,017.38 lake acres and 18,495.17 wetland acres.

Nonpoint Source Characteristics

This watershed is ranked Not Ranked 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.

Natural Community

West Branch White River is considered a Cool-Cold Headwater, Coldwater 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.

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