Washburn
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Fish and Aquatic Life
Overview
Ellsworth Lake, in the Shell Lake and Upper Yellow River Watershed, is a 160.93 acre lake that falls in Washburn County. This lake is managed for fishing and swimming and is currently not considered impaired.
Date 2011
Author Aquatic Biologist
Historical Description
Source: 1978, Surface Water Resources of Washburn County
Ellsworth Lake, T39N, R13W, Section 17, 18, Surface Acres-173.8, Maximum
Depth-6 feet, M.P.A.-37 ppm, Secchi Disk-Bottom
A soft water, seepage lake, it is landlocked and subject to an
occasional severe winterkill of the fishery. Water levels during the
mid-1930's were quite low in this shallow lake. The present fishery is
made up of northern pike, largemouth bass, and bluegills. This clear
water lake has hardwoods along the most of the north and south shores and
tag alder swamps are found on the east and west ends. A wooded island is
also found off the west end, and a bed of emergent vegetation nearby has
a gravel bottom. The remaining shore bottom type is sand and gravel off
the uplands and muck and silt off the wetlands. A small, rather isolated
bay of about 9 acres is located off the west shore and is connected to
the main basin by a narrow channel. The bay also has a maximum depth of
six feet. The lake is heavily used by ducks during migration and some
mallards and wood ducks nest here. A few muskrats are also present.
Private development amounts to 14 cottages and homes on the north shore.
Public accesses are located on the east end and the south side of the
lake. Besides the access frontage, the island is state-owned for a total
public frontage of 0.14 mile.
Date 1978
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
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 |
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2463500 | Ellsworth Lake | 10019882 | Ellsworth Lake -- Ramp | 5/18/2012 | 8/5/2014 | Map | Data |
2463500 | Ellsworth Lake | 10006695 | Ellsworth Lake | 9/5/2000 | 8/14/2015 | Map | Data |
2463500 | Ellsworth Lake | 10020099 | Ellsworth Lake -- Access | 7/11/2013 | 7/11/2013 | Map | Data |
|
![](wsWaterEcosystem.ashx?watershed=SC15)
Watershed Characteristics
Ellsworth Lake is located in the Shell Lake and Upper Yellow River watershed which is 166.67 miĀ². Land use in the watershed is primarily forest (56.10%), agricultural (12.10%) and a mix of grassland (11%) and other uses (20.70%). This watershed has 118.54 stream miles, 5,764.04 lake acres and 9,834.60 wetland acres.
Nonpoint Source Characteristics
This watershed is ranked Not Ranked for runoff impacts on streams, Not Ranked for runoff impacts on lakes and Low for runoff impacts on groundwater and therefore has an overall rank of Low. 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.