Watershed - Otter Creek (LC25)
Otter Creek Watershed

Details

The Otter Creek watershed boundary was newly created for the purpose of improved hydrologic distinction. Otter Creek was removed from the Lowes and Rock Creek watershed because it drains to the Eau Claire River, while the streams in the Lowes and Rock Creek watershed drain directly to the Chippewa River. No large lakes exist in this watershed and no permitted dischargers are located here.

Date  1996

Ecological Landscapes for Otter Creek Watershed

Ecological Landscapes

The Western Coulee and Ridges Ecological Landscape in southwestern and west central Wisconsin is characterized by its highly eroded, driftless topography and relatively extensive forested landscape. Soils are silt loams (loess) and sandy loams over sandstone residuum over dolomite. Several large rivers including the Wisconsin, Mississippi, Chippewa, Kickapoo and Black flow through or border the Ecological Landscape. Historical vegetation consisted of southern hardwood forests, oak savanna, scattered prairies, and floodplain forests and marshes along the major rivers. With Euro-American settlement, most of the land on ridgetops and valley bottoms was cleared of oak savanna, prairie, and level forest for agriculture. The steep slopes between valley bottom and ridgetop, unsuitable for raising crops, grew into oak-dominated forests after the ubiquitous presettlement wildfires were suppressed. Current vegetation is a mix of forest (40%), agriculture, and grassland with some wetlands in the river valleys. The primary forest cover is oak-hickory (51%) dominated by oak species and shagbark hickory. Maple-basswood forests (28%), dominated by sugar maple, basswood and red maple, are common in areas that were not subjected to repeated presettlement wildfires. Bottomland hardwoods (10%) are common in the valley bottoms of major rivers and are dominated by silver maple, ashes, elms, cottonwood, and red maple. Relict conifer forests including white pine, hemlock and yellow birch are a rarer natural community in the cooler, steep, north slope microclimates.

Date  2010

Watershed Grants
Grant Details
Lake Protection Grant
Date
9/1/2010
Waters Involved
Eau Claire Lake
Status
Complete

Eau Claire County: Lco-Shoreland Ordinance Rev.: Eau Claire County proposes to amend or create a shoreland zoning ordinance that complies with the requirements of NR 115, Wisconsin Administrative Code (as revised effective February 1, 2010) and retain existing regulations that exceed the water resource protections of NR 115 or are specific or unique to local needs.

Project deliverables include: 1. Copies of any fact sheets or handouts created for public hearings. 2. A summary of the comments received at public hearings. 3. A certified copy of the County Board-approved updated shoreland ordinance or ordinance language (if integrated into other codes). 4. Any GIS maps of the shoreland zone or shoreland condition surveys related to the project.

Specific conditions for this Project: 1. The WDNR will be provided electronic and hard copies of all data and or reports or surveys generated as a result of this project.


Grant Details
Lake Protection Grant
Date
9/1/2012
Waters Involved
Eau Claire Lake
Status
Complete

Lake Eau Claire Association, Inc.: Lmi-Lake Eau Claire Implement.: The Lake Eau Claire Association proposes to implement practices called for in the lake management plan developed for Lake Eau Claire in Eau Claire County. Major project elements to include: a) establishment of sediment traps, b) installation of aerator, c) re-establishment of habitat including course woody debris d) water quality sampling and analysis.


Grant Details
Lake Protection Grant
Date
9/1/2010
Waters Involved
Eau Claire River
Status
Complete

Eau Claire County: Lco-Shoreland Ordinance Rev.: Eau Claire County proposes to amend or create a shoreland zoning ordinance that complies with the requirements of NR 115, Wisconsin Administrative Code (as revised effective February 1, 2010) and retain existing regulations that exceed the water resource protections of NR 115 or are specific or unique to local needs.

Project deliverables include: 1. Copies of any fact sheets or handouts created for public hearings. 2. A summary of the comments received at public hearings. 3. A certified copy of the County Board-approved updated shoreland ordinance or ordinance language (if integrated into other codes). 4. Any GIS maps of the shoreland zone or shoreland condition surveys related to the project.

Specific conditions for this Project: 1. The WDNR will be provided electronic and hard copies of all data and or reports or surveys generated as a result of this project.


Grant Details
Lake Protection Grant
Date
4/15/2017
Waters Involved
Halfmoon Lake
Status
Complete

City Of Eau Claire: Lmi-Alum Treatment Half Moon Lake: The City of Eau Claire is sponsoring a Lake Management Planning Implementation project aimed to control internal sediment phosphorus loading in Halfmoon Lake by applying alum. The lake received an initial AL treatment in 2011 and was effective at maintaining TP WQ goals for three years, however after five years the effects have diminished. The initial alum treatment dosage was adequate however the floc did not sink into the upper sediment due to higher bulk density characteristics allowing upward P diffusion and decreasing binding efficiency of phosphorus. The second treatment is needed to bind available TP limiting the amount available to algae uptake. The City continues to address other sources of TP including stormwater management, rain gardens etc.

Project activities include: Apply a buffered AL dose to the western arm of Half Moon Lake that is encompassed by the 10 foot contour in late May or early June 2017. Dosage is based on sequestering the annual sediment P flux rate of 0.4g/m2 for 2 to 3 years and factors in an Al binding efficiency of 60% (James 2016 and 2017).

Project deliverables: The outcome of AL treatment to the western arm will be control of internal P loading and reduction of cyanobaceterial biomanss and chlorophyll to target levels. Limnological monitoring will be conducted to verify outcomes.

Special conditions:
1. The Half moon lake Team consisting of DNR, UW Stout, City of EC and Friends of Halfmoon Lake meet quarterly to assess current lake management actions. There continues to be open and ongoing communication with the group to inform residents on current lake conditions and management decisions.
2. All necessary permits must be issued prior to the project being implemented.


Grant Details
Lake Protection Grant
Date
9/1/2010
Waters Involved
Unnamed
Status
Complete

Eau Claire County: Lco-Shoreland Ordinance Rev.: Eau Claire County proposes to amend or create a shoreland zoning ordinance that complies with the requirements of NR 115, Wisconsin Administrative Code (as revised effective February 1, 2010) and retain existing regulations that exceed the water resource protections of NR 115 or are specific or unique to local needs.

Project deliverables include: 1. Copies of any fact sheets or handouts created for public hearings. 2. A summary of the comments received at public hearings. 3. A certified copy of the County Board-approved updated shoreland ordinance or ordinance language (if integrated into other codes). 4. Any GIS maps of the shoreland zone or shoreland condition surveys related to the project.

Specific conditions for this Project: 1. The WDNR will be provided electronic and hard copies of all data and or reports or surveys generated as a result of this project.


Grant Details
Urban Nonpoint - Stormwater Planning
Date
1/1/2004
Waters Involved
Otter Creek
Status
Complete

City Of Altoona: Ordinance & Utility Analysis: to costshare at 63% development of stormwater ordinances & analysis of stormwater utility district


Grant Details
River Planning Grant
Date
7/1/2004
Waters Involved
Beaver Creek
Status
Complete

Friends Of Beaver Creek Reserve, Inc.: Beaver Creek Study-Outreach: Friends of Beaver Creek Reserve, Inc. proposes to enhance its organizational capacity by developing a base of volunteers and training them through its newly established Citizen's Science Center.

Major project elements include: 1) employment of CSC Coordinator, 2) hiring a summer intern, 3) recruitment and training of volunteers, 4) formation and steering committee, 5) stream monitoring, 6) website development, 7) development of database, newsletter and brochures, 8) organizational assessment.


Grant Details
River Planning Grant
Date
10/18/2000
Waters Involved
Otter Creek
Status
Complete

Eau Claire County: Otter Creek: The main goal with the project is to inventory, assess, and develop a plan of action to address water quality in Otter Creek. Use county funding to install rural BMPs to address cropland erosion, animal waste, nutrient managment plans, streambank erosion and gully erosion. Propose to develop an implementation plan that will accomplish their goals.


Otter Creek Watershed
Watershed Recommendations
Monitor Fish Community
Beaver Creek fIBI
Date
Status
AU 16366, poor fIBI, Station 10008300
1/1/2018
Proposed
Projects
 
Monitor or Propose 303(d) Listing
Otter Creek Follow Up Monitoring
Date
Status
Otter Creek impaired waters monitoring (303d List Evaluation)
1/1/2000
In Progress
Projects
 
Stormwater Planning, Implementation
Eau Claire County Rain to Rivers of Western Wisconsin (R2R)
Date
Status
This project promotes nonpoint source best management practices to contribute to the restoration of Wisconsin?s waters and was funded by the 319 grant. Specifically, the grantee will implement: Rain to Rivers program which brings together local and county governments to promote urban stormwater BMPs.
1/1/2015
In Progress
Projects
Documents
 
Otter Creek WatershedWatershed History Note

The settlement of Altoona began in 1881 when the Chicago, St. Paul, Minneapolis and Omaha Railway selected the site for a new terminal to replace the overcrowded existing terminal in Eau Claire. The railroad had originally planned to put the new terminal in Fall Creek, but the city of Eau Claire lobbied for a site closer to the existing one, and representatives from Eau Claire and the railroad walked the tracks from Fall Creek to Eau Claire to determine a suitable site. When the location of present-day Altoona, approximately three miles east of the existing Eau Claire terminal, was found to have sufficient flat land and access to water, the railroad began construction of the new terminal and the community of "East Eau Claire" was platted in October. Residents began moving into the community in early 1882 and the railroad terminal became operational in May of that year. However, confusion between the "Eau Claire" and "East Eau Claire" stations quickly caused the railroad to rename the new terminal "Altoona" on October 14, 1882. Altoona was incorporated as a city on April 5, 1887. Continued growth in both Altoona and Eau Claire over the past century has left the two cities adjacent to one another.

Date  2010