Chambers Creek, North Branch Milwaukee River Watershed (MI05)
Chambers Creek, North Branch Milwaukee River Watershed (MI05)
Chambers Creek (32200)
2.90 Miles
0 - 2.90
Cool-Cold Headwater, Coldwater
2025
Good
 

Overview

Chambers Creek, in the North Branch Milwaukee River Watershed, is a 2.90 mile river that falls in Sheboygan 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

Historical Description

Water Resources. Chambers Creek is the primary perennial stream in this subwatershed. It originates in a wetland
devloping its own channel, and receives discharge from one small perennial and one intermittent tributary.
Chambers Creek itself, discharges to the North Branch of the Milwaukee River at T13N R20E NENE Sec. 1.
Chambers Creek generally has good cover comprised of undercut banks and well established grassed banks. Water
clarity is generally good, with water temperatures and dissolved oxygen levels sufficient to support trout. It has minor
sedimentation and shallow pool depth in meanders and pools in the lower reaches. Bacterial contamination occurs at
CTH "W" generally during wet weather. Animal pasturing adjacent to the Creek appears to be a significant
contributor.

No toxic screening has been conducted on streams in this drainage system.

Fisheries. Chambers Creek supports a native population of brook trout. The unnamed perennial tributary also
providers consistantly cool water temperatures and high quality spawning areas. Dense shoreline vegetation and small
size limit, significant recreational opportunities along the unnamed tributary.

Date  1990

Author   Surface Water Inventory Of Wisconsin

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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Waters that support fish and aquatic life communities (healthy biological communities).
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.
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.
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.
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.