Plum Creek Watershed (LF03)

Historical data indicates water quality problems in the Plum Creek Watershed. Problems with low dissolved oxygen, high nutrient levels and sediment levels which were attributed primarily to nonpoint pollution. Poor land practices in the Plum Creek Watershed (84 square miles, 102 square kilometers), cause nonpoint source pollution that degrades water quality in the upper reaches of the Plum Creek. The headwaters are intensively farmed and cropland erosion, streambank pasturing and barnyard runoff are common. The lower reaches have very steep banks which prohibit pasturing and cropping.

In 1992 a watershed assessment was conducted by WDNR to determine the impacts of nonpoint source pollution on water quality. A predominately agricultural watershed, the Plum Creek Watershed was ranked "High" for streams. The watershed is now eligible for selection as a priority watershed under the Wisconsin Nonpoint Source Pollution Abatement Program. Refer to the 1994 Plum Creek Watershed Nonpoint Source Assessment Report by Mary Gansberg for more information.

There is one municipal point source dischargers and five industrial point source dischargers in the Plum Creek Watershed: Holland Town Sanitary District No. 1, Appleton Papers Inc Locksmill, Interlake papers, Kerwin Paper Co. Div. Riverside Corp., White Clover Dairy Co Inc. and White Clover Dairy Inc Sherwood.

Recommendations

1. Lower Fox River Basin Team staff should conduct water quality monitoring (D.O. & temperature) on Garners Creek to determine if there are any water quality standards violations. If so the stream should be placed on the 303(d) impaired waterbodies list in 2000 (Type B).

2. Lower Fox River Basin Team should conduct basin assessment trend station stream monitoring on Plum Creek, Kankapot Creek and Garners Creek to assess long-term water quality trends in the Lower Fox River Basin (Type B).

3. The Lower Fox River Basin Team should continue to monitoring activities on Plum Creek, Kankapot Creek and Garners Creek to meet the Lower Fox River Basin IEM Project goals (Type B).

4. The State Lab of Hygiene and Lower Fox River Basin Team should conduct biomonitoring on Plum Creek, Kankapot Creek and Garners Creek to determine acute and chronic toxicity levels and how it is impacting aquatic organisms (Type B).

5. Lower Fox River Basin Team should conduct sediment sampling on Plum Creek, Kankapot Creek and Garners Creek to determine if sediment contamination exists and to develop a sediment inventory for the Lower Fox River Basin (Type B).

6. WDNR FMHP staff, in cooperation with WT, should analyze walleye, northern pike, white bass, crappie, yellow perch, carp, gizzard shad, common shiners and smallmouth bass, from Lower Fox River to determine PCB concentrations and to update the Fish Consumption Advisory. Large walleye should also be analyzed for mercury (Type B).

7. Town of Holland Sanitary District No. 1 should develop and implement a facilities plan to determine the most cost-effective treatment alternatives (Type B).

8. The Land and Water Conservation Boardshould consider the Plum Creek Watershed as a potential NPS project due to its "High" streams ranking (Type B).

9. Brown County Planning Commission should continue updating and amending the Brown County Sewerage Plan (SSA Plan) on an as needed basis to prevent development in unsuitable areas (environmental sensitive areas) and protect surface and ground water quality (Type B).

10. East Central Regional Planning Commission should continue updating and amending the Fox-Cities Sewer Service Area Plan (Heart of the Valley) on an as needed basis to prevent development in unsuitable areas (environmental sensitive areas) and protect surface and ground water quality (Type B).

11. Lower Fox River Basin Team, Bureau of Watershed Management, Bureau of Fish Management & Habitat Protection should work with local governments, industry and other environmental agencies (USEPA, USFWS, USGS etc) to remediate contaminated sediment deposits in the Lower Fox River (Type B).

12. Lower Fox River Basin Team should conduct water quality monitoring on an unnamed tributary (T21N,R19E,S35-7) to Plum Creek below White Clover Dairy Co. Inc. to determine whether it is impacting water quality, and if so, to make recommendations to alleviate the problem (Type B).

Garners Creek

Garners Creek, is a 5-mile stream with poor water quality. During rain events the creek flow increases and recedes very fast. Stream flows were practically non-existent in July and August (flows approximately 0.2 cfs). A very brief fish survey was conducted in August 1992, in a stretch of creek near Hartjes Road. One large pollution tolerant rough fish (carp) was found in a deep pool area and one tolerant sport fish (green sunfish) was present. The most abundant fish present were tolerant forage species, such as emerald shiners, white suckers, bluntnose minnows and creek chubs. Garners Creek receives a considerable amount of suspended solids and bacteria during runoff events. Dissolved phosphorus and chlorides were slightly elevated on several occasions. Stream habitat was rated fair to poor. Streambank erosion and failure is common with frequent slumping and raw areas form bank flooding. Gravel, rubble and other stable habitat lie under a layer of clay sediment and many of the pools are filled in. Filamentous algae covers the rocks and bottom substrate in shallow exposed areas. In the rural portion of the watershed, row crops border streambanks. Garners Creek travels a short distance through an urban area before entering the Fox River (Gansberg 1995). Additional water quality data (D.O. and temperature data) should be collected from Garners Creek to determine if there are any water quality standards violations and if it should be placed on the 303(d) list of impaired waterbodies. The next update of 303(d) impaired waterbodies is scheduled for the year 2000.

Kankapot Creek

Kankapot Creek, is a 9-mile stream with poor water quality. Stream habitat was rated poor to fair. The heavy clay soils that cover the stream bottom provide very little habitat for fish and other aquatic life. Pools are generally filled in and riffles are uncommon. The streambanks are eroded and slumping in many places, due to flooding. Gully erosion is common from roadway drainages. Macroinvertebrate samples indicate poor to fair water quality, very significant to significant organic pollution. Lack of suitable habitat is the most significant limiting factor for abundance and diversity of macroinvertebrates in this stream. Kankapot Creek receives a considerable amount of nutrients, suspended solids and bacteria as indicated by the high concentrations during runoff sampling periods (Gansberg 1995).

Plum Creek

Plum Creek, is a 19-mile stream with poor water quality. Aquatic life habitat of Plum Creek is generally poor. Clay is the predominant substrate type with little gravel, rubble and sand present. Many of the pools that are necessary to support fish and other aquatic life have been filled in from bank erosion and upland sediment runoff. The streambanks are eroding because of the lack of stable bank protection and from frequent flooding. Stream flow appears to be a major limiting factor for aquatic life during the summer months. Macroinvertebrate sample results indicate poor to good water quality with very significant to some organic pollution present. Macroinvertebrate abundance and diversity appears to be limited by the lack of suitable habitat. The water is generally very turbid, which limits light penetration for desirable rooted aquatic plants. Filamentous algae, however, appears to be common on the rocks and along the banks. Suspended solids, total and dissolved phosphorus and bacteria levels were excessively high during runoff event sampling. The Fox River receives a high pollutant loading from Plum Creek. Plumes of sediment are evident where Plum Creek discharges to the Fox River in the spring of the year.

Un Trib to Plum Creek (T21N,R19E,S35-4)

Town of Holland Sanitary No. 1 discharges to this tributary and has not consistently met their effluent limit requirements in the WPDES Permit #0028207. The compliance maintenance annual report scores indicate that they should develop and implement a facilities plan.

Un Trib to Plum Creek (T21N,R19E,S35-7)

White Clover Dairy Co. Inc. discharges its non-contact cooling water and condensate of whey water to Plum Creek via unnamed tributary. Algae growth at the pipe outlet and downstream of the pipe indicate that this discharge is impacting the water quality of the unnamed tributary and ultimately Plum Creek. Water quality monitoring should be conducted on the stream to determine impacts by the discharge and to make recommendations to alleviate the problem.

Map of the Watershed