Water Detail - Mink Creek, North Branch Milwaukee River Watershed (MI05)

Mink Creek, North Branch Milwaukee River Watershed (MI05)

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Mink Creek (30600)

Size

14.49 Miles

Segment

0 - 14.49

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 Mainstem, 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

Poor

This river is impaired

Impairments include

Impairment Unknown

Pollutants include

Total Phosphorus

County

Sheboygan

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.

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.

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.

Yes

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.

Restricted Aquatic Life

Fish and Aquatic Life communities are not fully supported in this ecosystem.

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

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.

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

Mink Creek, in the North Branch Milwaukee River Watershed, is a 14.49 mile river that falls in Sheboygan County. This river is managed for fishing and swimming and is currently considered impaired.

Date 2022

Author Ashley Beranek

Historical Description

The Mink Creek Drainage System includes two subwatersheds, Mink Creek and Beechwood Lake, located in the
northwest and west-central portion of the watershed. County Trunk "S" is the subwatershed divide of Mink Creek.

Water Resources. Mink Creek is considered a cold headwater tributary of the North Branch and is one of the longest
streams in the entire Milwaukee River drainage basin. Biological collections indicate good water quality conditions.
However, its small size and warm water temperatures have been cited as reasons for its marginal cold water sport
fishery. Barnyards in the area contribute nutrients and bacteria to the creek degrading water quality. Bacterial
sampling from three sites has shown continuous water quality standards violation from summer through fall durin
1985 inventories. Possible sources include pastures on CTH. "F' and wildlife associated with adjacent wetland areas.
Extensive shrub and brush bank cover, while excellent wildlife habitat, limits easy access to the creek for recreational
purposes. There are no lakes or impoundments in the Mink Creek Subwatershed.
The portion of Mink Creek that drains the Beechwood Lake Subwatershed exhibits the same water quality conditions
and impacts as the northern reaches. Here bacterial contamination occurs throughout the year and fecal
coliform/streptococcus ratios indicate livestock as the probable source. Livestock access to the stream has also caused
severe stream bank degradation.
Beechwood Lake itself is a highly fertile seepage lake which has ,experienced fish winterkills in the past. Depth
fluctuations account for flooding aver CTH "S" and inundation of structures on the south side of the lake. The entire
west shore of the lake is used as pastureland. Steep slopes and disturbed soil contribute significantly to observed lake
problems such as aquatic vegetation, severe algal blooms and turbidity.
Recreational classification for Mink Creek downstream of C'I'H "S" is full-My contact although bacterial contamination
exists. Tributaries and portions above CTH "S" support partial-body contact. Beechwood Lake is physically capable of
full-body types of recreation, but may also experience unhealthy levels of bacteria.
No toxic screening has been conducted on streams in this drainage system.
Fisheries. Mink Creek is managed primarily for forage fish and supports a variety of cold-water species including
mottled sculpin, blacknose dace, white sucker and several species of minnows and darters. Historically, the stream was
stocked with trout and may be able to support an improved cold-water fishery in the future if land use impacts can be
minimized. Northern pike, rock bass and several panfish species utilize the limited habitat found in larger, downstream
reaches. Siltation and elevated stream temperatures, related to intensive land use, are primary limiting factors.
Overall, its small size ultimately limits sport fishery potential. Portions of Mink Creek within the Beechwood Lake
Subwatershed are capable of supporting a game fish population as well as a diverse cold-water forage fish community.
With shading in upstream areas and the resulting cooler water temperatures, portions of Mink Creek in this
Subwatershed may support a trout fishery.

Date 1990

Author Surface Water Inventory Of Wisconsin

Mink Creek, North Branch Milwaukee River Watershed (MI05) Fish and Aquatic Life

Mink Creek, North Branch Milwaukee River Watershed (MI05) Recreation

Mink Creek, North Branch Milwaukee River Watershed (MI05) Fish Consumption

Impaired Waters

This segment of Mink Creek was evaluated for phosphorus and biology every two years between 2014 and 2022. Phosphorus levels were found to be too high. This water is covered by the Milwaukee River TMDL restoration plan.

Date 2022

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

Mink Creek, Mink Creek Station #2 Down From Cth D, Wadeable Macroinvertebrate Field Form

Mink Creek, Mink Creek1, Wadeable Macroinvertebrate Field Form

2020 Comprehensive WQ Assessments

Final Draft 2018 Impaired Waters List

Milwaukee River Watershed TMDL USEPA Approval Letter

USEPA Decision Document for the Milwaukee River Watershed TMDL, WI

Comprehensive 2018 River/Stream Water Quality Assessments

Comprehensive 2016 Rivers Stream Assessments

2013 Total Phosphorus Monitoring Report -Mink Creek at CTH S

Comprehensive 2014 TP IBI Rivers Assessment

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
Mink Creek at CTH S	2008
Milwaukee River TMDL	2012
Fish Propagation Actions	2001

Monitoring Projects

WBIC	Official Waterbody Name	Station ID	Station Name	Earliest Fieldwork Date	Latest Fieldwork Date	View Station	View Data
30600	Mink Creek	603300	Mink Creek at Sth 28 (Bi Sur)	5/15/1979	11/12/1985	Map	Data
30600	Mink Creek	10008826	Mink Creek Station #2 Down From Cth D	11/12/1985	8/21/2024	Map	Data
30600	Mink Creek	10029058	Mink Creek at CTH S	5/18/2008	10/1/2024	Map	Data
30600	Mink Creek	10032505	Mink Creek at Hwy. F bridge			Map	Data
30600	Mink Creek	10053703	Mink Creek 500 Yards Upstream North Branch Milwaukee River	7/12/2020	10/9/2024	Map	Data
30600	Mink Creek	10039348	Mink Creek at Hwy W			Map	Data
30600	Mink Creek	10039347	Mink Creek at Boltonville Rd			Map	Data
30600	Mink Creek	10029085	Mink Creek - Downstream of Boltonville Road	8/25/2008	1/1/2015	Map	Data
30600	Mink Creek	10008851	Mink Creek3	10/21/2010	10/20/2022	Map	Data
30600	Mink Creek	10008825	Mink Creek Station #1 59 M Up From Cth A	11/12/1985	10/26/2000	Map	Data
30600	Mink Creek	10053704	Mink Creek at Cranberry Road	6/30/2020	10/6/2021	Map	Data
30600	Mink Creek	10008850	Mink Creek2			Map	Data
30600	Mink Creek	10008852	Mink Creek1	5/15/1979	8/21/2024	Map	Data
30600	Mink Creek	10039350	Mink Creek near CTH A	10/3/2022	10/3/2022	Map	Data

Watershed Characteristics

Mink Creek is located in the North Branch Milwaukee River watershed which is 149.67 mi². Land use in the watershed is primarily agricultural (45.40%), grassland (20.30%) and a mix of wetland (15.50%) and other uses (18.80%). This watershed has 159.81 stream miles, 886.38 lake acres and 13,793.69 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.

Natural Community

Mink Creek is considered a Cool-Cold Mainstem, 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) Mainstem streams are moderate-to-large but still wadeable perennial streams with cold to cool summer temperatures. Coldwater fishes are common to uncommon, transitional fishes are abundant to common, and warm water fishes are uncommon to absent. Headwater species are common to absent, mainstem species are abundant to common, and river species are common to absent.

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.