
5.14 Miles
0 - 5.14
Cool-Cold Mainstem, Cool-Warm Mainstem, Coldwater, Cool-Warm Headwater
2022
Poor
Elevated Water Temperature
Unknown Pollutant
Marquette
Yes
No
Yes
Fish and Aquatic Life
Overview
Wedde Creek, in the Mecan River Watershed, is a 5.14 mile river that falls in Marquette County. This river is a Class II Trout Water under the Fisheries Program. This river is managed for fishing and swimming and is currently considered impaired.
Date 2018
Author Ashley Beranek
Historical Description
Wedde Creek, TI7N, RIDE, Section 18, Surface Acres = 12.6, Miles = 8.0, Gradient. 4.8 feet per mile.
A small, spring-fed stream which flows generally southeasterly to Chaffee Creek south of Crystal Lake. The stream has no tributaries in Marquette County. Trout are present its entire length and there is natural reproduction upstream from the Imm Lake vicinity. Northern pike are present and pose a threat to the trout population through predation. Access is possible along 0.59 miles of stream through public land, in addition to several road crossings. There are no significant marshlands in the Wedde watershed.
From: Poff, Ronald J. and Threinen, C.W., 1963. Lake and Stream Classification Project. Surface Water Resources of Marquette County, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, Madison, WI.
Date 1963
Author Surface Water Inventory Of Wisconsin
Impaired Waters
Wedde Creek was put on the impaired waters list in 2016 for elevated temperature. Evaluation in 2018 of phosphorus and biology showed no additional impairment.
Date 2018
Author Ashley Beranek
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 monitoring program uses a media-based, cross-program approach to analyze water condition. An updated monitoring strategy (2015-2020) is now available. Compliance with Clean Water Act fishable, swimmable standards are located in the Executive Summary of Water Condition in 2018. See also the 'monitoring and projects' tab.
Reports
Recommendations
Citizen-Based Stream Monitoring
Collect chemical, physical, and/or biological water quality data to assess the current overall stream health. The data can inform management decisions and may be used to identify impaired waters for biennial lists.
Management Goals
Wisconsin's Water Quality Standards 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 or implementation of a Total Maximum Daily Load analysis, a Nine Key Element Plan, or other restoration work, education and outreach and more. If specific recommendations exist for this water, they will be displayed below online.
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. Wisconsin's Water Monitoring Strategy was recenty updated.
Grants and Management Projects
Monitoring Projects
WBIC | Official Waterbody Name | Station ID | Station Name | Earliest Fieldwork Date | Latest Fieldwork Date | View Station | View Data |
---|
156000 | Wedde Creek | 10055928 | Weddle Creek - Dakota Ave. below confluence | | | Map | Data |
156000 | Wedde Creek | 10054847 | Wedde Creek US 11th Drive | 5/16/2021 | 7/17/2022 | Map | Data |
156000 | Wedde Creek | 10055933 | Wedde Creek at 11th Dr | 9/10/2021 | 9/10/2021 | Map | Data |
156000 | Wedde Creek | 10030591 | Wedde Creek - County Road Y | 9/10/2021 | 9/10/2021 | Map | Data |
156000 | Wedde Creek | 10029375 | WEDDE CREEK AT DEERBORN AVE DOWNSTREAM | 8/7/2014 | 1/1/2015 | Map | Data |
156000 | Wedde Creek | 10010711 | Wedde Creek - Deerborn Avenue Station 1 | 10/6/2003 | 9/10/2021 | Map | Data |
156000 | Wedde Creek | 10055934 | Weddle Creek at Dakota Ave (below confluence) | 9/10/2021 | 9/10/2021 | Map | Data |
|

Watershed Characteristics
Wedde Creek is located in the Mecan River watershed which is 148.31 mi². Land use in the watershed is primarily forest (48.40%), agricultural (21.30%) and a mix of wetland (20.30%) and other uses (10.00%). This watershed has 166.56 stream miles, 1,837.44 lake acres and 18,622.87 wetland acres.
Nonpoint Source Characteristics
This watershed is ranked Not Ranked for runoff impacts on streams, Not Ranked for runoff impacts on lakes and High for runoff impacts on groundwater and therefore has an overall rank of High. This value can be used in ranking the watershed or individual waterbodies for grant funding under state and county programs.However, all waters are affected by diffuse pollutant sources regardless of initial water quality. Applications for specific runoff projects under state or county grant programs may be pursued. For more information, go to surface water program grants.
Wedde Creek is considered a Cool-Cold Mainstem, Cool-Warm Mainstem, Coldwater, Cool-Warm Headwater under the state's Natural Community Determinations.
Natural communities (stream and lake natural communities) represent model resultsand DNR staff valiation processes that confirm or update predicted conditions based on flow and temperature modeling from historic and current landscape features and related variables. Predicated flow and temperatures for waters are associated predicated fish assemblages (communities). Biologists evaluate the model results against current survey data to determine if the modeled results are corect and whether biological indicators show water quaity degradation. This analysis is a core component of the state's resource management framework. Wisconsin's Riverine Natural Communities.
Cool (Warm-Transition) Headwaters are small, sometimes intermittent streams with cool to warm summer temperatures. Coldwater fishes are uncommon to absent, transitional fishes are abundant to common, and warm water fishes are common to uncommon. Headwater species are abundant to common, mainstem species are common to absent, and river species are absent.
Cool (Cold-Transition) Mainstem streams are moderate-to-large but still wadeable perennial streams with cold to cool summer temperatures. Coldwater fishes are common to uncommon, transitional fishes are abundant to common, and warm water fishes are uncommon to absent. Headwater species are common to absent,
mainstem species are abundant to common, and river species are common to absent.