Allen Creek and Middle Sugar River watershed (SP13)
The Allen Creek and Middle Sugar River watershed is in northeast Green County, northwest Rock County and south-central Dane County. The dominant land use in the watershed is agriculture, though some low-intensity urban development exists in the upper reaches of the watershed. Municipal wastewater treatment plant discharges to surface water in the watershed come from Belleville, Brooklyn and Evansville. We know little about the existing water quality of streams in this watershed.
Allen Creek
Allen Creek rises in southern Dane County, flows through northwest Rock County and northeast Green County before emptying into the Sugar River. About 4.5 miles of the stream above Lake Leota are classified class II and class III trout waters (Wisconsin DNR, 1980). Allen Creek below Evansville was recently added to the state's antidegradation list (NR 102) as an Exceptional Resource Water (ERW), affording it a greater level of protection. The stream below Evansville has a very good, diverse warmwater sport fishery. There is some public ownership along the stream south of Evansville.
Gill Creek
Gill Creek is a warmwater forage fishery stream. It has the potential to support a coldwater sport fishery but is limited by polluted runoff (Eagan, 1988). Gill Creek was recently added to the state's antidegradation list (NR 102) as an ERW, affording it a greater level of protection.
Liberty Creek
Liberty Creek is classified as a class II and class III trout stream for about four miles of its length (Wisconsin DNR, 1980). About 2.5 to three miles are within the Liberty Creek State Wildlife Area. A high-quality wetlands complex exists adjacent to the creek. Liberty Creek was recently added to the state's antidegradation list (NR 102) as an ERW, affording it a greater level of protection. The least darter, a Wisconsin watch species fish, has been reported in this stream.
Ross Crossing Creek
Ross Crossing Creek is a warmwater forage fishery with the potential to become a coldwater sport fishery (Eagan, 1988). The redfin shiner, a fish on the Wisconsin watch list, has been found here (Fago, 1982). The stream was recently added to the state's antidegradation (NR 102) as an ERW, affording it a greater level of protection.
Albany Lake (Lake Winnetka)
This lake is an impoundment of the Sugar River at Albany. It has poor water quality, similar to other impoundments in the driftless area (Marshall, 198812). This 102-acre lake has a drainage area of about 465 square miles. Sedimentation and turbidity impair the uses of the lake. A best-case scenario for the Sugar River at Albany is that the dam is operated as "run of the river" dam, allowing much of the existing millpond to become a riverine wetland complex. The Albany State Wildlife Area borders the northwest corner of the lake.