Buffalo
No
No
No
Fish and Aquatic Life
Overview
Joos Valley Creek is a major tributary of Eagle Creek and flows southwest 7 miles before emptying into Eagle Creek. The headwater area has steep gradients, significant spring seeps and a coarse gravel substrate. Moving downstream, the stream is severely impacted by streambank erosion, sedimentation and elevated water temperatures. A limited coldwater trout fishery exists in the upstream area and the lower portion supports a warmwater forage fish community.
Date 2011
Author Aquatic Biologist
Overview
Joos Valley Creek is identified as currently supporting a warmwater forage fishery (WWFF), but has potential to support a coldwater (Class III)
sport fishery (WDNR 1990, 1996). The stream is limited by excessive
sediment loading, elevated water temperatures and habitat unsuitable to support a coldwater fishery.
Date 2002
Author Aquatic Biologist
General Condition
The degraded habitat can be characterized as stream banks trampled by cattle, little overhanging vegetation and loose sediment over sandy, unstable substrate. As a result, much of the length of the stream is wide and shallow; not the narrow and deep cross-section characteristic of a healthy coldwater stream in the driftless area of the state.
The extensive coverage of the substrate with silt and soft organic sediment limits the areas of exposed gravel necessary for reproduction. It also greatly reduces the primary food sources that depend on clean interstitial areas. The relative smoothness of the substrate also minimizes areas for smaller forage fish to get out of faster currents. Sediment has been identified as the pollutant causing these impairments. As such, the extensive coverage of the substrate with sediment constitutes an objectionable deposit under the narrative water quality standards criterion in s. NR 102.04(1)(a) cited below.
The extensive sedimentation is a year round situation. As such, there is no critical condition. This is not to say that there is not variation on the sediment carried in runoff to a stream.
The TMDL addresses impairments in both streams (specifically sediment and loss of habitat), since they are located in the same drainage area (see Fig. 1). Elevated water temperatures will be indirectly addressed by reducing sedimentation and improving overall stream habitat conditions.
Date 2011
Author Aquatic Biologist
Impaired Waters
The TMDL for Waumandee Creek Watershed was approved in 2003. Joos Valley Creek is a major tributary of Eagle Creek and flows southwest 7 miles before emptying into Eagle Creek. The headwater area has steep gradients, significant spring seeps and a coarse gravel substrate. The stream was impacted by streambank erosion and sedimentation.
Joos Valley Creek was included in the Waumandee Creek Priority Watershed project area where several types of management practices were implemented, including manure storage facilities, livestock crossings, and streambank fencing and stabilization. These practices resulted in a statistically significant reduction in suspended solids concentrations and increase in habitat condition. A total suspended solids (TSS) Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) report was approved by EPA in 2003 that addresses the degraded habitat impairment. Post-implementation assessment reports document recovery of this stream's habitat quality (Wang, Lyons, and Kanehl, 2002) and decreased TSS concentrations (USGS, unpublished draft).
Date 2011
Author Aquatic Biologist
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
TMDL (USEPA) Approved
This Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) for sediment addresses sedimentation and degraded habitat impairments conditions in the upper 7 miles of Eagle Creek, and the
entire 7 mile length of Joos Valley Creek, a tributary of Eagle Creek. The TMDL identifies load allocations and management actions that will restore the biological integrity of these streams. Both streams were identified as a medium priority on the 1998 303(d) list. USEPA Decision Document for the Approval of the Eagle Creek Joos Valley Creek Sediment TMDL is documented and the streams have been delisted.
Delist Impaired Water
Joos Valley Creek was included in the Waumandee Creek Priority Watershed project area where several types of management practices were implemented, including manure storage facilities, livestock crossings, and streambank fencing and stabilization. These practices resulted in a statistically significant reduction in suspended solids concentrations and increase in habitat condition. A total suspended solids (TSS) Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) report was approved by EPA in 2003 that addresses the degraded habitat impairment. Post-implementation assessment reports document recovery of this stream's habitat quality (Wang, Lyons, and Kanehl, 2002) and decreased TSS concentrations (USGS, unpublished draft).
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 |
|---|
| 1808900 | Unnamed | 10010653 | Unnamed, 102 | | | Map | Data |
| 1808900 | Unnamed | 063067 | Unnamed Creek (Joos Valley) - Remap: Bridge Site Id 125 | 4/30/1987 | 10/16/2003 | Map | Data |
| 5022195 | Unnamed | 10015733 | Eagle Creek (East Fork) - Ec 1-Just Below Long Pond About50 Feet Downstream From Robt. Siebenaler Farmentrance. | 4/30/1987 | 4/30/1987 | Map | Data |
| 1808900 | Unnamed | 10010320 | Joos Valley Creek #2 Dust Farm Xing | | | Map | Data |
| 1808900 | Unnamed | 10015456 | Joos Creek 3 - Behind Farm | 4/17/2007 | 1/1/2015 | Map | Data |
| 1808900 | Unnamed | 10013179 | Unnamed Creek)Joos Creek Remap 1447 | | | Map | Data |
| 1808900 | Unnamed | 063050 | Joos Valley Creek Site #4 - Near Fountain City WI | 10/12/1993 | 5/21/2001 | Map | Data |
| 1808900 | Unnamed | 10010354 | Joos Creek Remap 125-B | | | Map | Data |
| 1808900 | Unnamed | 10015458 | Joos Creek 1 | | | Map | Data |
| 1808900 | Unnamed | 063037 | Joos Valley Creek - Near Fountain City WI | 7/25/1990 | 1/1/2015 | Map | Data |
| 1808900 | Unnamed | 10010652 | Unnamed | | | Map | Data |
| 1808900 | Unnamed | 10015451 | Joos Creek 4 - Joos Valley Rd | 4/17/2007 | 1/1/2015 | Map | Data |
| 1808900 | Unnamed | 063093 | Joos Creek - 1447-X N of Joos Valley Rd | 4/26/1993 | 10/20/2001 | Map | Data |
| 1808900 | Unnamed | 10010651 | Unnamed | | | Map | Data |
| 1808900 | Unnamed | 10010656 | Unnamed | | | Map | Data |
| 1808900 | Unnamed | 10010658 | Unnamed | | | Map | Data |
| 1808900 | Unnamed | 063049 | Joos Valley Creek Site #3 - Near Fountain City WI | 10/12/1993 | 10/7/2002 | Map | Data |
| 1808900 | Unnamed | 10010321 | Joos Valley Creek #5 Private Xing | | | Map | Data |
| 1808900 | Unnamed | 10015459 | Joos Creek 2 | | | Map | Data |
| 1808900 | Unnamed | 10055911 | Joos Valley Creek Mouth | | | Map | Data |
| 1808900 | Unnamed | 063094 | Joos Creek - Joos Creek 1447-X | | | Map | Data |
| 1808900 | Unnamed | 063066 | Unnamed Creek (Joos Valley Creek) - Remap: Site Id 125 - Random 3rd Order | 6/17/2003 | 10/16/2003 | Map | Data |
| 1808900 | Unnamed | 10010353 | Joos Creek Remap 125-X | | | Map | Data |
|
Watershed Characteristics
Unnamed is located in the Waumandee Creek watershed which is 221.97 mi². Land use in the watershed is primarily forest (49%), agricultural (24.60%) and a mix of grassland (13.70%) and other uses (12.60%). This watershed has 508.29 stream miles, 3,011.30 lake acres and 8,253.68 wetland acres.
Nonpoint Source Characteristics
This watershed is ranked Not Available for runoff impacts on streams, Not Available for runoff impacts on lakes and Medium for runoff impacts on groundwater and therefore has an overall rank of Medium. This value can be used in ranking the watershed or individual waterbodies for grant funding under state and county programs.This water is ranked High Stream for individual Rivers based on runoff problems and the likelihood of success from project implementation.