Watershed - Springbrook Creek (CW21)
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Springbrook Creek Watershed

Details

The Springbrook Creek Watershed, 69.8 square miles in size in Marathon and Langlade Counties, has 99.5 stream miles , 65.9 lake acres, and 977.95 wetland acres. This groundwater fed region is rich in springs and natural coldwater fisheries. Portions of the watershed have changed over time due to land uses that have modified the regional hydrography. The watershed is a mix of agriculture (62%) and forest (25%) as the dominant land uses. Spring Brook flows in a generally southwesterly direction to its confluence with the Eau Claire River in Marathon County. Spring Brook Watershed is divided into four smaller drainage areas. With Spring Brook Creek being the only main source of surface water throughout the watershed and almost 50 percent of this creek is classified as ERW trout waters, maintaining a high water quality is very important to this valuable resource. The watershed was ranked per the Nonpoint Source Priority Watershed Selection Criteria. Based on surface and ground water data, the overall ranking is high, establishing a high priority for future grant eligibility through the Nonpoint Source Program. In 1997, a nonpoint source control plan was approved for the Spring Brook Creek Watershed. The anticipated completion date was December 2008 (Tollard, 1997).

Date  2010

Population, Land Use

Agriculture is important to the area economy, as agriculture comprises over 60 percent of the overall land use in the watershed. There are about 51 active farmers in the watershed and about 30 landowners that rent their land to farmers. The number of farms in both Langlade and Marathon counties has decreased steadily since 1980, however, the average farm size has increased. Over the last 20 years, total farmland acreage has decreased by about 7 percent in Langlade County and by 14 percent in Marathon County. There is currently one confined area feeding operation (CAFO) in the watershed. Following an incident in 2005, where manure was spread from this farm on frozen soil and subsequently was washed into Spring Brook, an adequate manure storage facility was installed. Approximately 80% of the manure from this farm is spread onto lands within the Spring Brook Watershed.

Date  2010

Nonpoint and Point Sources

Prior to building the city of Antigo’s Waste Water Treatment Plant (WWTP), Spring Brook was classified as a non-trout water below the city. Since that time, water quality in Spring Brook has improved dramatically, allowing for the reestablishment of trout in the 12 mile reach below Antigo (Class I). However, a 2.5- mile stretch of the creek near Antigo is still non-trout water. Warmer waters due to Antigo Lake and urban runoff prevent establishment of trout in this stretch. Biotic index sampling conducted in 1987 showed very poor, very poor and good water quality conditions in Spring Brook. Spring Brook also experiences excessive growths of filamentous algae and aquatic plants downstream of Antigo WWTP, indicating nutrient problems. Monitoring in 2009 and 2010 indicated nutrient levels are elevated below the WWTP when compared to background levels upstream. This is believed to accentuate the excessive algae and macrophyte growth found downstream of the discharge. Extreme diurnal dissolved oxygen swings have been recorded downstream, all the wayto the Eau Claire River. In the 1990s, the watershed was ranked per Wisconsin’s DNR Nonpoint Source Priority Watershed selection criteria. Based on surface and groundwater data and land use characteristics, the overall ranking is high, establishing a high priority for future grant eligibility through the DNR Nonpoint Source Program. In 1997, a nonpoint source control plan was approved for the Spring Brook Watershed; the plan completion date was December 2008.

Date  2010