Lower Sugar River watershed (SP11)

The Lower Sugar River watershed in western Rock County and eastern Green County includes the reach of the Sugar River from the dam at Albany downstream to the Wisconsin-Illinois state line. The watershed is intensively agricultural. Three municipal wastewater treatment facilities discharge to surface waters in the watershed: Albany, Brodhead and Orfordville.

The Juda wastewater treatment facility discharges to groundwater. On industrial facility discharges to surface water: Sylvester Whey. Polluted runoff is the primary cause of water quality and in-stream habitat problems in the watershed, though one of the wastewater treatment facilities has presented problems.

Large, important floodplain wetland complexes exist along the Sugar River. These wetlands complexes have a high value for wildlife and water quality. Many of these wetlands are encompassed in the Avon Bottoms State Wildlife Area and Avon Bottoms State Natural Area in Rock County. wetlands along streams in this watershed should be protected because there are so few wetlands in this region. Public acquisition of higher quality wetlands complexes should be considered a priority.

East Fork Raccoon Creek

This tributary to Raccoon Creek supports a warmwater fishery (Eagan, 1988). It could potentially support a coldwater community. basin assessment monitoring done in 1988 showed the stream suffered from problems due to agricultural runoff, particularly in its headwaters reach (Marshall, 1988⁴). The stream, which was recently added to the state's antidegradation list (NR 102) as an exceptional resource water (ERW), is buffered by wetlands for much of its length, including a very high-quality floodplain forest with springs. The least darter, redside dace and redfin shiner, "special concern" species on Wisconsin's threatened and endangered list, have been found in the stream (Fago, 1982).

North Fork Juda branch

This is a tributary of Juda branch in the community of Juda. Extensive streambank erosion exists and small portions of the stream have been channelized. The stream's present biological use likely a limited forage fishery. It has the potential for a diverse forage fishery, perhaps even a limited trout fishery as trout have been reported in the stream (Marshall, 1992-92). Some small springs exist above Juda. In-stream habitat has been rated as poor, due to agricultural ditching and polluted runoff. An industrial discharger has also contributed to poor water quality in the stream (Marshall, 1988⁴).

In the past, unpermitted discharges and discharges which violated Wisconsin Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (WPDES) permit limits occurred from a whey processing plant. Hilsenhoff biotic index monitoring showed the discharges degraded water quality and in-stream habitat (Marshall and Vollrath, 1993). The state has taken legal action, which should lead to the resolution of this problem and improvement in water quality in the stream.

Raccoon Creek

Raccoon Creek is considered a warmwater sport fishery stream (Marshall, 1988). It is a good example of a stream in the basin that supports rare and diverse fish communities. Polluted runoff may be degrading stream water quality, but additional monitoring is necessary to identify and assess the sources and impacts. Biotic index monitoring in 1988 indicated water quality in the stream ranged from excellent to fair (Marshall, 1988).

The stream was added to the state's antidegradation list in 1993 as an exceptional resource water (ERW). The least darter, redside dace, redfin shiner and starhead topminnow, all "species of special concern" on Wisconsin's threatened and endangered species list, have been found in the stream (Fago, 1982).

Raccoon Creek is buffered by a band of wetlands throughout much of its length. These wetlands appear to have a diverse wetland vegetation composition and probably have high functional values for wildlife as well as water quality. An undetermined area of wetlands within its sub-watershed has been drained and are cultivated annually. These wetlands complexes include a very high-quality emergent aquatic, southern sedge meadow, wet prairie and shrub-carr.

Sylvester Creek

Sylvester Creek is a tributary to the Sugar River in Green County. Four miles of its length in the upper reach of the stream is classified as class III trout waters (Wisconsin DNR, 1980). The stream was added to the state's antidegradation list in NR 102 as exceptional resource waters (ERW) in the spring of 1993. It has a diverse forage fish population (DNR, 1992-92¹). The redfin shiner, a watch species fish, has also been found here (Fago, 1982). Much of the lower reach of the stream has been channelized, affecting habitat and water quality. Other sources of polluted runoff also affect water quality and habitat.

MORE INFORMATION

Any comments or suggestions, please contact DNR's Jim Amrhein.