PECATONICA RIVER WATERSHED (WI) HUC: 07090003 Wisconsin Illinois Rapid Watershed Assessment Pecatonica River Watershed Rapid watershed assessments provide initial estimates of where conservation investments would best address the concerns of landowners, conservation districts, and other community organizations and stakeholders. These assessments help landowners and local leaders set priorities and determine the best actions to achieve their goals. Wisconsin June 2008 The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination in all its programs and activities on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, religion, age, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, and marital or family status. (Not all prohibited bases apply to all programs.) Persons with disabilities who require alternative means for communication of program information (Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.) should contact USDA’s TARGET Center at 202-720-2600 (voice and TDD). To file a complaint of discrimination, write USDA, Director, Office of Civil Rights, Room 326W, Whitten Building, 14th and Independence Avenue, SW, Washington DC 20250-9410, or call (202) 720-5964 (voice and TDD). USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer. PECATONICA RIVER WATERSHED (WI) HUC: 07090003 Contents INTRODUCTION 1 COMMON RESOURCE AREAS 3 ASSESSMENT OF WATERS 5 SOILS 7 DRAINAGE CLASSIFICATION 8 FARMLAND CLASSIFICATION 9 HYDRIC SOILS 10 LAND CAPABILITY CLASSIFICATION 11 RESOURCE CONCERNS 12 PRS PERFORMANCE MEASURES 12 CENSUS AND SOCIAL DATA (RELEVANT) 13 POPULATION ETHNICITY 14 URBAN POPULATION 14 ECOLOGICAL LANDSCAPES 15 WATERSHED ASSESSMENT 16 WATERSHED PROJECTS, STUDIES, MONITORING, ETC. 16 PARTNER GROUPS 17 FOOTNOTES/BIBLIOGRAPHY 18 PECATONICA RIVER WATERSHED (WI) HUC: 07090003 INTRODUCTION 1. The Pecatonica River watershed encompasses over 1.2 million acres southwest Wisconsin and northwest Illinois. The Pecatonica River, beginning in southwestern Iowa County, WI, flows southeast and enters the Rock River at Rockton, IL. Significant tributaries include the East Branch of the Pecatonica River, Yellowstone Creek, the Sugar River (itself an 8-digit hydrologic unit code watershed) and Raccoon Creek. The rolling, mainly agricultural landscape has many small streams and very few natural lakes, typical of the Driftless Area. Yellowstone Lake, a PL-566 impoundment on Yellowstone Creek, is the largest lake in the watershed at 455 acres. The vast majority of the land in the watershed, 87.1%, is devoted to agriculture. Forest accounts for 9.8% of the area while wetlands, urban areas and open water comprise the balance of the watershed. Farms consist of dairy, cash grain, hog, and beef operations. Major crops include corn, soybeans and alfalfa. The population of the watershed is 54% rural and there are many small cites and villages found throughout the area. The largest population centers are the cities of Freeport, IL, with 25,612 residents and Monroe, WI, with a population of 10,563. Dodgeville, WI (pop. 4,880), and Rockton, IL (pop. 5,348), are the only other cities with more than 4,000 residents. Agriculture, food processing and manufacturing are large components of the regional economy. Highland Blue Mounds 23 Barneveld Madison 80 Ridgeway Mount Horeb Dodgeville 18 18 90 151 Montfort Eden Blue Mounds 18 Brigham 18 Cobb Dodgeville Ridgeway 92 78 Linden 191 Primrose Livingston 39 Hollandale 151 Iowa Perry Linden Mifflin Mineral 39 39 69 Rewey Point 80 Waldwick Moscow 39 Grant Mineral Point New Glarus Blanchardville York Willow 90 Belmont Blanchard Green 151 Springs 81 Fayette Kendall Monticello Adams Lafayette 78 Washington Belmont 23 Rock Platteville 151 Argyle Albany Janesville Lamont Argyle Darlington 69 104 Footville 126 81 Monroe 151 59 81 81 78 81 Brodhead Plymouth Elk Grove Darlington Wiota Jordan Seymour Sylvester Orfordville 69 51 176 South Monroe 23 Gratiot 11 213 Shullsburg Wayne 11 Beloit 43 11 81 Newark 61 Browntown Gratiot 176 Jefferson Beloit 11 Shullsburg Clarno 81 Cadiz Monticello 78 Wayne X51 80 26 Lake Rockton Warren Winslow Oneco Rock Grove South Beloit Apple Winslow Summerset Shirland Rockton River Warren Orangeville Stephenson Rock Durand 84 75 Roscoe Nora 73 Dakota City Buckeye Davis Rush Nora 75 Harrison 90 Jo Daviess West Point Waddams Durand 173 Dakota Owen 78 Lena Cedarville 70 Machesney Stockton Harlem Rock Run Park 20 Pecatonica Burritt Lancaster Loves Park Kent 20 Pecatonica Winnebago Wards Erin 75 Ridott 20 Stockton Freeport 20 Grove 20 Rockford Pearl City Seward Ridott Winnebago 78 90 Jefferson Loran Florence German Winnebago 26 Valley 73 Maryland Cherry Grove- Forreston Ogle 2 Shannon Leaf 251 39 72 Adeline Carroll River Byron Forreston 72 Shannon 72 PECATONICA RIVER WATERSHED (WI) HUC: 07090003 Acreage in the Pecatonica River Watershed County County Acres in % of HUC % of County Acres HUC from County in HUC Lafayette 405,691.2 292,366.4 24.3% 72.1% Rock 464,369.0 28,708.9 2.4% 6.2% Green 373,816.6 155,405.1 12.9% 41.6% Iowa 491,228.9 223,416.9 18.6% 45.5% Grant 755,312.9 689.2 0.1% 0.1% Dane 791,851.7 31,990.5 2.7% 4.0% Carroll 298,548.9 10,949.5 0.9% 3.7% Ogle 488,005.2 6,676.9 0.6% 1.4% Winnebago 332,188.2 106,387.4 8.8% 32.0% Stephenson 361,126.4 327,951.0 27.2% 90.8% Jo Daviess 395,749.2 19,840.5 1.6% 5.0% Wisconsin Watershed Map DANE CO., WI GRANT CO. WI IOWA CO., WI GREEN CO. WI LAFAYETTE CO. WI ROCK CO. WI Elevation (m) 519 - 523 489 - 518 458 - 488 427 - 457 JO DAVIESS CO. IL 397 - 426 STEPHENSON CO. IL 367 - 396 WINNEBAGO CO., IL 336 - 366 306 - 335 275 - 305 245 - 274 CARROLL CO., IL OGLE CO., IL < 244 Elevation Map3. PECATONICA RIVER WATERSHED (WI) HUC: 07090003 COMMON RESOURCE AREAS 2. Common Resource Area delineations are defined as a 32-34” geographical areas where resource concerns, problems and treatment needs are similar. Common Resource areas are a subdivision of an existing Major Land Resource Area (MLRA). Landscape conditions, soil, climate and human considerations are used to determine the boundary of 34-36” 32-34” Common Resource Areas. 34-36” 105.WI1 WEST WISCONSIN DRIFTLESS LOESS HILLS Highly dissected hills and valleys. Mississippi, Chippewa, and Wisconsin River valleys. Western Baraboo Hills. Silty soils over bedrock residuum. Mostly cropland and pasture 34-36” on ridgetops, deciduous forest on steep sideslopes. Eau 34-36” Claire and LaCrosse urban areas. 95B.WI1 SOUTHERN WISCONSIN AND NORTHERN ILLINOIS TILL PLAIN Nearly level to strongly sloping till plain with prominent drumlins. Well drained silty and loamy soils with poorly 4. drained organic soils in the depressions. Mostly cropland Average Annual Precipitation Map (inches) with a mix of livestock and cash grain enterprises. Grazing land and scattered deciduous forest, lakes, and marshes are also present. Primary resource concerns include cropland and construction site erosion, surface water 92.1 93B.2 quality, storm water management, and wetland habitat .1 93B.1 protection and restoration A 90 .1 A 0 9 91B.1 95B.IL3 NORTHERN ILLINOIS DRIFT PLAIN - OUTWASH 94D.1 90A.1 Nearly level to sloping outwash plains, terraces, and alluvial 90A.2 90A.1 plains. Well drained and moderately well drained loamy and 94B.2 94B.1 sandy soils in sloping areas, poorly drained loamy soils in 90B.1 nearly level areas, and organic soils in the depressions. 90B.1 90A.3 Much of the area underlain by sandy and gravelly material. 104.1 95A.2 Mostly cropland with a mix of livestock and cash grain 105.1 95A.1 enterprises. Grazing land and scattered deciduous forest, 89.2 89.1 lakes, and marshes are also present. The Rockford urban area influences land use. Primary resource concerns include 95B.2 cropland and construction site erosion, surface water quality, stormwater management, and wetland habitat 105.1 protection and restoration. 95B.1 110.1 105B.IL1 DRIFTLESS LOESS HILLS AND BEDROCK Gently sloping to very steep dissected uplands strongly 110.1 105.1 influenced by bedrock. Corn, soybeans, and hay are the 95B.3 95B.1 108B.1 main crops. Livestock operations are common in this area. 95B.2 Steep and very steep areas are in woodland. Well drained 110.2 115C.1 108B.2 97.3 108A.1 and moderately well drained silty soils on ridges are 108A.3 115C.1 110.1 dominantly cultivated. Bedrock is shallow on sideslopes and 110.2 110.3 110.1 98.1 very deep on ridgetops. Poorly drained and somewhat poorly drained alluvial soils are along the Mississippi River. Common Resource Area Map Major resource concerns are cropland and pasture land erosion, water quality, woodland improvement, and wetland preservation. PECATONICA RIVER WATERSHED (WI) HUC: 07090003 108B.IL1 CENTRAL CORN BELT DEEP LOESS AND DRIFT PLAINS, WESTERN PART Nearly level and gently sloping ground moraine. The soils are dark colored, poorly drained to moderately well drained and formed in loess. The area is extensively subsurface drained and use for corn and soybean production. More diverse agriculture and the few remaining woodlands are in the more rolling areas associated with small to medium streams. The main resource concerns are cropland erosion, stormwater management, maintaining drainage, and wetland preservation and restoration. IOWA CO., WI DANE CO., WI GRANT CO. WI GREEN CO. WI ROCK CO., WI LAFAYETTE CO. WI JO DAVIESS CO. IL STEPHENSON CO. IL WINNEBAGO CO., IL Land Cover Map 5. CARROLL CO., IL OGLE CO., IL Low Intensity Residential 5,541 0.5 Pasture Hay 597,888 49.7 High Intensity Residential 3,461 0.3 Deciduous Forest 114,142 9.5 Evergreen Forest 1,525 0.1 Row Crops 450,340 37.4 Mixed Forest 1,825 0.2 Open Water 3,102 0.3 Transitional 0 0 Woody Wetlands 10,308 0.9 Urban / Recreational Grasses 5,627 0.5 Small Grains 298 0 Quarries / Strip Mines, Gravel Pits 313 0 Emergent Herbaceous Wetlands 1,693 0.1 Bare Rock / Sand / Clay 17.8 0 Commercial/Industrial / Transport 4,691 0.4 Grasslands / Herbaceous 3,145.