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Pokegama River Targeted Watershed Assessment: a Water Quality Report to Protect September 15, 2019 Wisconsin Watersheds, 2020]

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Pokegama River Targeted Watershed Assessment: a Water Quality Report to Protect September 15, 2019 Wisconsin Watersheds, 2020] PUBLIC REVIEW DRAFT[Pokegama – FOR River PUBLIC Targeted WatershedCOMMENT Assessment: A Water Quality Report to Protect A Water Quality September 15, 2019 Wisconsin Watersheds, 2020] Monitoring Report created by the Bureau of Pokegama River Targeted Watershed Water Quality in support Assessment: A Water Quality Report to of the Clean Water Act. Protect Wisconsin Watersheds, 2020 St. Louis & Lower Nemadji Watershed (LS01) HUC12 040102011602 Pokegama River Upstream of Cemetery Road Photo by Craig Roesler, North District Water Quality Biologist Department of Natural Resources To learn more about this area, see this plan on Wisconsin’s TWA Projects Online! Or search for Pokegama River at Explore Wisconsin’s Waters Online for more detail. EGAD # 3200-2019-11 Water Quality Bureau Wisconsin DNR P a g e 1 | 41 . [Pokegama River Targeted Watershed Assessment: A Water Quality Report to Protect September 15, 2019 Wisconsin Watersheds, 2020] Contents Figures .............................................................................................................................................................................................. 3 Tables ................................................................................................................................................................................................ 3 Targeted Watershed Assessment Study Summary ........................................................................................................................... 4 About the Watershed .................................................................................................................................................................. 4 Biological Communities and Water Quality ................................................................................................................................. 4 Recommendations ....................................................................................................................................................................... 4 Wisconsin Water Quality Monitoring and Planning.......................................................................................................................... 5 Basin/Watershed Partners ........................................................................................................................................................... 5 Report Acknowledgements .......................................................................................................................................................... 5 Abbreviations ............................................................................................................................................................................... 6 WQM Plan Goals ............................................................................................................................................................................... 8 Resources Overview ......................................................................................................................................................................... 8 Location, Size, Land Use & Population ......................................................................................................................................... 8 Ecological Landscapes ................................................................................................................................................................ 10 Hydrology ................................................................................................................................................................................... 10 Soils ............................................................................................................................................................................................ 10 Trout Waters .............................................................................................................................................................................. 10 Other Notable Fisheries ............................................................................................................................................................. 10 Outstanding and Exceptional Resource Waters ......................................................................................................................... 11 Impaired Waters ........................................................................................................................................................................ 11 Monitoring Project Study Summary ............................................................................................................................................... 11 Site Selection and Study Design ................................................................................................................................................. 11 Methods, Equipment, and Quality Assurance ........................................................................................................................... 13 Fish Assemblage and Natural Community ................................................................................................................................. 13 Fish Habitat Evaluation .............................................................................................................................................................. 13 Macroinvertebrate Evaluation ................................................................................................................................................... 13 Water Sampling ......................................................................................................................................................................... 13 Project Results and Discussion ....................................................................................................................................................... 14 Fish Communities....................................................................................................................................................................... 14 Fish Condition ............................................................................................................................................................................ 14 Qualitative Fish Habitat ............................................................................................................................................................. 19 Macroinvertebrate Data ............................................................................................................................................................ 20 Water Quality............................................................................................................................................................................. 20 Village of Superior Wastewater Treatment Ponds ..................................................................................................................... 22 Management Recommendations ................................................................................................................................................... 27 Management Options ................................................................................................................................................................ 27 Management Recommendations for DNR and External Partners ............................................................................................. 27 Management Recommendations for External Partners ............................................................................................................ 27 Monitoring and Assessment Recommendations ....................................................................................................................... 27 P a g e 2 | 41 [Pokegama River Targeted Watershed Assessment: A Water Quality Report to Protect September 15, 2019 Wisconsin Watersheds, 2020] Appendix A: References .................................................................................................................................................................. 28 Appendix B: Stream Narratives ....................................................................................................................................................... 29 Waters in the Pokegama River Watershed ................................................................................................................................ 29 Waters in the St. Louis and Lower Nemadji River Watershed ................................................................................................... 30 Appendix C: St. Louis Nemadji River Watershed Fish and Aquatic Life Use Attainment ................................................................ 32 Figures Figure 1. Pokegama River Watershed Location ........................................................................................................... 4 Figure 2. Pokegama River Watershed and St. Louis River Lower Nemadji River Watershed ....................................... 8 Figure 3. Pokegama River Watershed Land Use Percentage ........................................................................................ 8 Figure 4. Pokegama Watershed NLCD 2011 Land Cover Map .....................................................................................
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