Water Detail - Beaver Dam Creek, Duck Creek Watershed (LF05)

Beaver Dam Creek, Duck Creek Watershed (LF05)

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Beaver Dam Creek, Duck Creek Watershed (LF05)

Beaver Dam Creek (410100)

Size

4 Miles

Segment

0 - 4

Natural Community

Natural Communities represent analyzed products from a USGS/ WDNR hydrologic model which uses predicted flow and temperatures to generate a specific “natural community” category. Ranges of flow and temperature are associated with specific aquatic life communities (fish, macroinvertebrates) help biologists identify appropriate resource management goals.

Warm Headwater

Year Last Monitored

This date represents the most recent date of water quality monitoring for this stream. Additional field surveys for fish and habitat may be available subsequent to this date.

2011

General Condition

Unknown

Counties

Brown

Trout Water

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.

Outstanding or Exceptional

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.

Impaired Water

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.

Fish and Aquatic Life

Current Use

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.

FAL

Fish and Aquatic Life - waters that do not have a specific use designation subcategory assigned but which are considered fishable, swimmable waters.

Attainable Use

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.

WWFF

Streams capable of supporting a warm waterdependent forage fishery. Representative aquatic life communities associated with these waters generally require cool or warm temperatures and concentrations of dissolved oxygen that do not drop below 5 mg/L.

Designated Use

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.

Default FAL

Fish and Aquatic Life - Default Waters do not have a specific use designation subcategory but are considered fishable, swimmable waters.

Overview

Beaver Dam Creek is a small, shallow stream originating Southwest High School and meanders its way north 4 miles to eventually drain into the Duck Creek near Velp Avenue. The stream is very flashy and carries a considerable sediment load. Substrate is made up of gravel, cobble and some soft sediments. The stream has a "fair" habitat rating below Memorial Drive. Macroinvertebrates collected there in October 1994 rated water quality as "poor", in April 1995 water quality was rated as "fairly poor".

Oxygen levels recorded in August and September 1995 never fell below 6 mg/l. This stream has a history of fish kills occurring every 2-3 years since the 1970's. they have been caused by ammonia spills, discharges of blood (very high BOD) from a rendering plant and other, mostly industrial practices. Fish kills are not normally severe in Beaver Dam Creek because there are not many resident fish present and most of the fish that are there can migrate downstream to Duck Creek and Green Bay. No fish surveys were conducted during the priority watershed appraisal monitoring, though it is presumed that any fish species living in Duck Creek can travel up Beaver Dam Creek (Johnson 1996).

Bougie, Cheryl A. 1999. Lower Fox River Basin Water Quality Management Plan. Public Review Draft. Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, Madison, WI.

Date 1999

Author Cheryl Bougie

Beaver Dam Creek, Duck Creek Watershed (LF05) Fish and Aquatic Life

Beaver Dam Creek, Duck Creek Watershed (LF05) Recreation

Beaver Dam Creek, Duck Creek Watershed (LF05) Fish Consumption

Condition

Wisconsin has over 84,000 miles of streams, 15,000 lakes and milllions of acres of wetlands. Assessing the condition of this vast amount of water is challenging. The state's water quality monitoring program uses a tiered approach to analyze compliance with Clean Water Act fishable, swimmable standards. The narrative summary of water condition will be posted here when one is available. See also 'monitoring' and 'projects'.

Reports

Brown County Surface Water Resources 1972

Management Goals

Wisconsin's Water Quality Standards (State Administrative Code NR 102) provide qualitative and quantitative goals for waters that are protective of Fishable, Swimmable conditions [Learn more]. Waters that do not meet water quality standards are considered impaired and restoration actions are planned and carried out until the water is once again fishable and swimmable.

Management goals can include creation and implementation of a Total Maximum Daily Load Analysis, habitat restoration work, partnership education and outreach and more. If specific recommendations exist for this water, they will be displayed below.

Monitoring

Monitoring the condition of a river, stream, or lake includes gathering physical, chemical, biological, and habitat data. Comprehensive studies often gather all these parameters in great detail, while lighter assessment events will involve sampling physical, chemical and biological data such as macroinvertebrates. Aquatic macroinvertebrates and fish communities integrate watershed or catchment condition, providing great insight into overall ecosystem health. Chemical and habitat parameters tell researchers more about human induced problems including contaminated runoff, point source dischargers, or habitat issues that foster or limit the potential of aquatic communities to thrive in a given area.

Grants and Management Projects

Project Name (Click for Details)	Year Started
Lower Fox River TMDL	2007

Monitoring Projects

WBIC	Official Waterbody Name	Station ID	Station Name	Earliest Fieldwork Date	Latest Fieldwork Date	View Station	View Data
410100	Beaver Dam Creek	10007662	Bever Dam Creek at Velp Ave			Map	Data
410100	Beaver Dam Creek	10007663	Beaver Dam Creek at Vincent Rd			Map	Data
409700	Duck Creek	053699	Duck Creek at Velp Ave #10	8/1/2005	9/6/2006	Map	Data
410100	Beaver Dam Creek	10007661	Beaver Dam Creek at Lone Grove Ave			Map	Data
410100	Beaver Dam Creek	053558	Beaver Dam Creek - Memorial Drive	1/12/1994	6/23/1998	Map	Data
410100	Beaver Dam Creek	10034514	Beaver Dam Creek-West of Memorial Dr.	6/9/2011	6/9/2011	Map	Data
410100	Beaver Dam Creek	053230	Beaver Dam Creek - Taylor St 85 Ft Up	8/19/1976	7/30/1979	Map	Data

Watershed Characteristics

Beaver Dam Creek is located in the Duck Creek watershed which is 151.61 mi². Land use in the watershed is primarily agricultural (63.62%), forest (15.32%) and a mix of suburban (6.50%) and other uses (14.57%). This watershed has 302.11 stream miles, 2,064.01 lake acres and 8,189.35 wetland acres.

Nonpoint Source Characteristics

This watershed is ranked high for streams, not available for lakes and high for groundwater and therefore has an overall rank of high. This water is not ranked for pollution runoff.

Natural Community

Beaver Dam Creek is considered a Warm Headwater under the state's Natural Community Determinations.

Natural Communities are identified based on modeled flow and temperature characteristics. Learn More

Warm Headwaters are small, usually intermittent streams with warm summer temperatures. Coldwater fishes are absent, transitional fishes are common to uncommon, and warm water fishes are abundant to common. Headwater species are abundant to common, mainstem species are common to absent, and river species are absent.

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