Details

The Fourmile and Fivemile Creek Watershed is 213.96 square miles located in Wood and Portage Counties. Seventy-eight streams (654.12 miles) and twenty-four lakes and flowages (3538.98) are located in the watershed. Much of the watershed lies within the townships of Plover, Buena Vista, and Grant in Portage County. The Portage County Soil Erosion Control Plan (1986) ranked these towns as high priority for erosion control work because of both wind and water erosion.

Date  2014

Population, Land Use

The Fourmile and Fivemile Creek watershed is 213.96 square miles, Land use in the watershed is primarily agricultural (53.49%), forest (25.29%) and a mix of open (6.09%) and other uses (15.13%). This watershed has stream miles, lake acres and 13,528.97 wetland acres.

Date  2014

Nonpoint and Point Sources

Three cranberry marshes exist along the Wisconsin River northeast of Biron. It is unknown whether these marshes are contributing a significant amount of nutrients to the Wisconsin River. Water drawn from ditches reduces stream depth, decreases adult fish cover, reduces spawning areas for trout and likely exposes fish redds, and may result in an increase of water temperatures. Discharges from cranberry marshes can adversely affect water temperatures, deposit sediment, and release nutrients to the ditches. Periodic impounding of the ditches to flood marshes prevents fish migration, increases water temperatures and de-waters downstream reaches.

Golden Sands Resource Conservation and Development Planning Agency studied wind erosion impacts on water quality in the watershed. The study found that wind eroded soil from agricultural cropfields is a source of sediment, nutrients and pesticides to surface waters in the watershed. Much of the agricultural activity includes potatoes and processing vegetable production. Typically, these farming activities result in smooth, flat seedbeds that are free of residues and are susceptible to wind erosion. Winter, late fall and early spring are critical wind erosion periods.

The study recommends several practices that could be installed to protect the soils from being eroded by wind and thereby protect surface water quality. Some of these practices include; crop rotation, conservation tillage, cover crops, field windbreaks, nutrient management, pest management, and crop residue management and wind barriers. These practices and others are explained further in Wind Erosion Impacts on Water Quality in the Sand Plain of Central Wisconsin, 1993.

High livestock concentrations have severely compromised the physical integrity of a number of streambank sites within the Buena Vista Marsh. Unlimited livestock access within these areas has negatively impacted water quality and aquatic habitat.

Significant impacts include in-stream sedimentation, the loss of adequate riparian vegetative cover and organic loading. The Portage County Land Conservation Department, Golden Sands RC&D and the Department of Natural Resources have combined efforts to work with grazers within the Buena Vista Marsh area to find alternative methods for livestock watering. Portage County LCD staff will assist these landowners with the technical aspects of implementing a conservation plan that will achieve desired water quality improvements.

Date  2002

Ecological Landscapes

The Fourmile and Fivemile Creek Watershed is located primarily in the Central Sand Plains Ecological Landscape which is located in central Wisconsin, occurs on a flat, sandy lake plain, and supports agriculture, forestry, recreation, and wildlife management. The Ecological Landscape formed in and around what was once Glacial Lake Wisconsin, which contained glacial meltwater extending over 1.1 million acres at its highest stage. Soils are primarily sandy lake deposits, some with silt-loam loess caps. Sandstone buttes carved by rapid drainage of the glacial lake, or by wave action when they existed as islands in the lake, are distinctive features of this landscape.

The historic vegetation of the area included extensive wetlands of many types, including open bogs, shrub swamps, and sedge meadows. Prairies, oak forests, savannas and barrens also occurred in the Ecological Landscape. An area of more mesic forest with white pine and hemlock was found in the northwest portion, including a significant pinery in eastern Jackson County. Today, nearly half of the Ecological Landscape is nonforested, in agriculture and grassland. Most of the historic wetlands were drained early in the 1900s and are now used for vegetable cropping. The forested portion is mostly oak-dominated forest, followed by aspen and pines. A minor portion is maple-basswood forest and lowland hardwoods.

Date  2010

Hydrologic Features

Much of the watershed has been ditched to drain Buena Vista Marsh for farming. This has led to heavy streambank and streambed erosion due to high water velocity in the ditches. High-suspended solids, pesticides and nutrients are entering streams and impacting water quality. The Drainage District continues to provide maintenance dredging in order to remove sediment and vegetation from the channel. According to the District, this practice improves drainage of the adjacent agricultural fields. A recent decision by DATCAP requires maintenance dredging to go no deeper than the approved profile. The Department supports this because over-dredging removes critical in-stream habitat for trout and other aquatic organisms, creates deep, low velocity pools, increases sedimentation, increases in-stream habitat recovery time and reduces potential spawning areas.

Date  2002

Wildlife and Habitat

The Buena Vista Prairie Chicken Meadow is a part of Buena Vista Marsh, a large outwash plain and former glacial lake bed. The original marsh and tamarack swamp have been altered by land drainage, agricultural use, and wildfires. Much of the topography has been altered by fire and wind erosion, but the depressions still retain some organic matter and support sedges, bulrush, and willow. The remainder of the site is grassland dominated by bluegrass and is managed for prairie chickens. The natural area contains a pesticide and herbicide-free tract, studied extensively by the Hamerstroms in their classic work with prairie chickens (Tympanuchus cupido pinnatus), a state threatened species. Because the site has been maintained as an open grassland, several rare and uncommon grassland bird species thrive: grasshopper (Ammodramus savannarum), Henslow's (Ammodramus henslowii), clay-colored, and savannah sparrows; bobolink; meadowlarks; and northern harriers (Circus cyaneus). Buena Vista Prairie Chicken Meadow is owned by the DNR and was designated a State Natural Area in 1970.

A full list of special concern plants and animals for this watershed can be found below from the state?s Natural Heritage Inventory (NHI).

The Central Wisconsin Grassland Conservation Area

The Central Wisconsin Grassland Conservation Area (CWGCA) stretches from southeastern Taylor County, through parts of Clark and Marathon counties, between Stevens Point and Wisconsin Rapids and south to northeastern Adams County. It includes the Leola Marsh Wildlife Area, Buena Vista Marsh Wildlife Area, Paul J. Olson Wildlife Area and George W. Mead Wildlife Area. DNR proposes to protect up to 15,000 acres of additional grassland habitat. Due to the size, quality and distribution of the existing public and private grasslands, this area is particularly attractive to a diverse community of grassland birds. The state's largest populations of greater prairie chicken, short-eared owl and possibly Henslow's sparrow are found here. A great diversity of other declining or rare grassland birds, including sedge wren, Wilson's phalarope, blue-winged teal, bobolink, upland sandpiper, Brewer's blackbird, eastern and western meadowlarks, northern harrier and several rare sparrows (including grasshopper, field and clay-colored) are found locally. For more information on the Buena Vista Prairie Chicken Meadow (No. 85), visit: http://dnr.wi.gov/topic/Lands/naturalareas/index.asp?SNA=85. For information on Buena Vista Quarry Prairie (No. 29), also contained in the Fourmile and Fivemile Creek Watershed, visit: http://dnr.wi.gov/topic/Lands/naturalareas/index.asp?SNA=29.

Date  2014

Only 7.9% of waterbodies in the Fourmile and Fivemile Creek Watershed have not been assessed for fish and aquatic life use, and 91.1% of waterbodies in this watershed are supporting or fully supporting this designated use.

Of the 32% of rivers and streams that have been assessed in the Fourmile and Fivemile Creek Watershed, all are supporting or fully supporting their fish and aquatic life designated use. Sixty-eight percent of the rivers and streams in this watershed have not yet been assessed, however. Three cranberry marshes exist along the Wisconsin River northeast of Biron. It is unknown whether these marshes are contributing a significant amount of nutrients to the Wisconsin River. Water drawn from ditches reduces stream depth, decreases adult fish cover, reduces spawning areas for trout and likely exposes fish redds, and may result in an increase of water temperatures. Discharges from cranberry marshes can adversely affect water temperatures, deposit sediment, and release nutrients to the ditches. Periodic impounding of the ditches to flood marshes prevents fish migration, increases water temperatures and de-waters downstream reaches.

Class I trout streams are high quality trout waters that have sufficient natural reproduction to sustain populations of wild trout, at or near carry capacity. Consequently, streams in this category require no stocking of hatchery trout. These streams or stream sections are often small and may contain small or slow-growing trout, especially in the headwaters. Class II trout streams may have some natural reproduction, but not enough to utilize available food and space. Therefore, stocking is required to maintain a desirable sport fishery. These streams have good survival and carryover of adult trout, often producing some fish larger than average size. Class III trout streams are marginal trout habitat with no natural reproduction occurring. They require annual stocking of trout to provide trout fishing. Generally, there is no carryover of trout from one year to the next. (http://dnr.wi.gov/topic/fishing/trout/streamclassification.html).

The Fourmile and Fivemile Creek Watershed contains over eighty-two stream miles of trout water. Over ninety-six percent of the trout streams miles in this watershed are classified as class I or class II trout streams, supporting at least some natural reproduction of trout. The table below indicates the names of, and where trout waters are located in the watershed, starting from the mouth at mile zero.

Date  2014

Lakes and Impoundments

Over 3,091 lake acres are contained in the Fourmile and Fivemile Creek Watershed. Of the 29 lakes found in this watershed, only six have been assessed, and are supporting their designated use.

Date  2014

Impaired Waters

The Wisconsin River from the Merrill dam downstream to the Nekoosa dam, has been listed on the 303(d) Impaired Waters List since 1998 for Mercury and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). Previous sampling has found high levels of 2,3,7,8-TCDD and 2,3,7,8-TCDF in sediments. PCBs and mercury have also been detected at limited sampling sites. Currently, a fish consumption advisory exists on the flowage for PCBs, dioxin and mercury. Since the mercury listing was delisted in 2008, the current listing is impaired for PCBs only, which are a class of compounds used in a wide variety of manufacturing processes and in transformers. The use of PCBs in new applications is no longer possible, but historical discharges or dumping of PCBs throughout the U.S. has resulted in contamination of river bottoms and surrounding bays where PCBs attach to sediment or soil and are redistributed when the sediment is disrupted or disturbed. Organic contaminants are bio accumulating substances; meaning they are stored in the fat of animals, such as fish, and transferred to predators, such as humans

Date  2014

Aquatic Invasive Species

Several aquatic invasive species have been identified and confirmed in Sevenmile and Tenmile Creeks Watershed since 1984. In 2002, 2004, 2011, and 2006 zebra mussels were verified and vouchered in the Wisconsin River from Nepco Lake to Petenwell Lake, downstream of the Mud Lake outfall, and in Wazeecha Lake, respectively. Eurasian Water Milfoil was verified and vouchered in Pacawa Lake in 1994, Nepco Lake in 1995, Wazeecha Lake in 1997, and Biron Flowage in 2008. Hybrid watermilfoil has also been documented in Nepco and Pacawa Lakes. At this time it cannot be determined if the hybrid milfoil (northern watermilfoil x Eurasian watermilfoil) found in the lakes was introduced as hydrid watermilfoil or created by hybridization of northern watermilfoil and Eurasian watermilfoil within the lake. Banded mystery snail, Chinese mystery snail, curly-leaf pondweed, narrow cattail, purple loosestrife, and rusty crayfish have also been verified and vouchered throughout the watershed.

Date  2014

Fish Consumption Advice

Wisconsin�s fish consumption advisory is based on the work of public health, water quality, and fisheries experts from eight Great Lakes states. Based on the best available scientific evidence, these scientists determined how much fish is safe to eat over a lifetime based on the amount of contaminants found in the fish and how those contaminants affect human health. Advisories are based on concentrations of contaminants, along with angler habits, fishing regulations, and other factors. In 2001, Wisconsin adopted a statewide general fish consumption advisory that applies to all (non-Great Lakes) waters of the state based on statewide distribution of mercury in fish and species differences in mercury concentrations. The statewide general advisory eliminated the need for many of the pre-2001 advisories because the equivalent of more stringent advice now applied through the general advisory. In addition to the statewide general advisory, some waters still require more stringent advice or exceptions to the general advisory. Exceptions to the general advice apply to some species of fish from specific waters where higher concentrations of mercury, PCBs, or other chemicals require advice more stringent than the general advisory. The Wisconsin River, from the dam at Stevens Point downstream to the dam at Wisconsin Rapids, and from the Wisconsin Rapids dam downstream to the Petenwell Flowage, has a specific fish consumption advisory in addition to the general statewide advice. The specific advisory is for contaminated fish tissue from PCBs and atmospheric deposition mercury, which are toxics. More information about the specific consumption advisory can be found in the publication: Choose wisely: a health guide for eating fish in Wisconsin [PUB-FH-824]. It is available online at http://dnr.wi.gov/topic/fishing/consumption/index.html.

Date  2014

Projects including grants, restoration work and studies shown below have occurred in this watershed. Click the links below to read through the text. While these are not an exhaustive list of activities, they provide insight into the management activities happening in this watershed.

Priorities

Watershed Plan for Fourmile and Fivemile Creek (CW10) is in final draft format.

Date  2015

The city of Wisconsin Rapids is split by the Wisconsin River. The eastern side of the city is located in the Fourmile and Fivemile Creek watershed. The history of Wisconsin Rapids literally is "a Tale of Two Cities." It was not until 1900 that "Grand Rapids" on the east, and "Centralia" on the west bank of the Wisconsin River, consolidated, and not until 1920 that its name became "Wisconsin Rapids." The English and Irish founders of Grand Rapids had worked their way westward from New York, attracted by the newly discovered and apparently limitless forests, chiefly of White and Norway pine, bordering the Wisconsin River. They settled here because of the tremendous fall, thought to be 45 feet, of tumbling waters, split at its top by a tremendous rock, called "Shaurette," or "Sherman", making available two fine water powers. Sherman Rock received its name from an incident in the "running of the river" days when a man named Shaurette was hung with his raft on this big rock late one afternoon and as no help could get to him that night he stayed on the raft on this rock all night. After that it was called "Shaurette Rock".

The second group of founders included the more relaxed, but undoubtedly courageous French-Canadians, who recklessly drove the rafts of logs from timber camps farther north through the dangerous rapids and formed a nucleus for the settlement of "Centralia." Within a few years after the founding of the two settlements, the astute business men of the East Side had taken over all available power sites with the exception of two. Those French-Canadians, who for one reason or another had abandoned raft piloting, had settled mainly on the West Side. Thus the two communities growing up side by side with little in common, merged into the city of Wisconsin Rapids in 1900.

Date  2010