SUGAR RIVER WATERSHED (WI) HUC: 07090003 Wisconsin Illinois Rapid Watershed Assessment Sugar 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. SUGAR RIVER WATERSHED (WI) HUC: 07090003 Contents INTRODUCTION 1 ASSESSMENT OF WATERS 5 SOILS 6 DRAINAGE CLASSIFICATION 7 FARMLAND CLASSIFICATION 8 HYDRIC SOILS 9 LAND CAPABILITY CLASSIFICATION 10 RESOURCE CONCERNS 11 PRS PERFORMANCE MEASURES 11 CENSUS AND SOCIAL DATA (RELEVANT) 12 POPULATION ETHNICITY 13 URBAN POPULATION 13 ECOLOGICAL LANDSCAPES 14 WATERSHED ASSESSMENT 15 WATERSHED PROJECTS, STUDIES, MONITORING, ETC. 15 FOOTNOTES/BIBLIOGRAPHY 17 SUGAR RIVER WATERSHED (WI) HUC: 07090003 1. INTRODUCTION The Sugar River watershed encompasses nearly 487,000 acres in south central Wisconsin and a small area of north central Illinois. It begins in southwest Dane County, Wisconsin and flows south-southeast through Green County and the southwest corner of Rock County to Winnebago County, Illinois where it enters the Pecatonica River. Major tributaries include the West Branch of the Sugar River, the Little Sugar River and Allen Creek. The upper reaches of the river and its tributaries support excellent trout fisheries due to baseflow from coldwater springs. Characteristic of the Driftless Area and its dendritic drainage pattern, the low number of lakes in the watershed are mainly small impoundments. The vast majority of the land in the watershed, 84.8%, is Æ%78 ¤£12 devoted to agriculture. VERMONT CROSS ¤£14 ¤£151 ¤£51 Madison Forest accounts for 10.7% of PLAINS MIDDLETON the area while wetlands, Mount ¤£12 ¤£18 urban areas and open water ¤£18 ¤£151 Horeb ¨¦§39 Verona Fitchburg ¨¦§90 comprise the rest of the BLUE SPRINGDALE ¤£18 ¤£151 watershed. Farms consist of MOUNDS D A N E VERONA ¤£14 dairy, cash grain, beef, and Æ%92 several community Æ%78 supported agriculture (CSA) Æ%69 Æ%138 ¤£51 PERRY PRIMROSE operations. Major crops MONTROSE OREGON include corn, soybeans, and Belleville Æ%138 alfalfa. 39 Æ% Æ%69 Brooklyn Æ%78 New 39 The northeastern Æ% Glarus 92 YORK Æ% Æ%59 EXETER headwaters area is the major NEW BROOKLYN UNION population center of GLARUS watershed and includes the city of Verona and well as Monticello Evansville ¤£14 portions of Madison, ADAMS WASHINGTON MOUNT R O C K ALBANY Fitchburg and Mt. Horeb. PLEASANT MAGNOLIA The rest of the watershed is Æ%69 Æ%39 Albany Æ%213 largely rural and dotted with G R E E N Æ%104 several small cities and Æ%59 Æ%11 Æ%81 villages. Agriculture, food MONROE SYLVESTER DECATUR Orfordville processing, technology, SPRING VALLEY PLYMOUTH manufacturing, outdoor Brodhead recreation and tourism are Æ%11 Æ%11 large components of the Æ%213 regional economy. Æ%69 JEFFERSON SPRING GROVE AVON NEWARK Æ%81 Æ·73 ROCK GROVE Æ·26 LAONA SHIRLAND W I N N E B A G O S T E P H E N S O N ROCK RUN DURAND Æ·75 HARRISON : Æ·75 SUGAR RIVER WATERSHED (WI) HUC: 07090003 Acreage in the Sugar River Watershed % of HUC % of County Acres in from County County Acres HUC County in HUC Dane 791852 141951 29 18 Green 373817 218893 45 59 Rock 464369 81898 17 18 Stephenson 361126 7381 2 2 Winnebago 332188 36736 8 11 Wisconsin Watershed Map DANE CO., WI GREEN CO. WI ROCK CO. WI WINNEBAGO CO. IL STEPHENSON CO. IL Elevation Map3. SUGAR RIVER WATERSHED (WI) HUC: 07090003 COMMON RESOURCE AREAS 2. Common Resource Area delineations are defined as a 30-32” 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 Common Resource Areas. 32-34” 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 Claire and LaCrosse urban areas. 95B.WI1 SOUTHERN WISCONSIN AND NORTHERN ILLINOIS TILL PLAIN 34-36” Average Annual Precipitation Map (inches)4. Nearly level to strongly sloping till plain with prominent drumlins. Well drained silty and loamy soils with poorly drained organic soils in the depressions. Mostly cropland 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 92.1 cropland and construction site erosion, surface water 90A.1 93B.1 93B.2 93B.1 .1 quality, storm water management, and wetland habitat A 0 9 91B.1 protection and restoration 94D.1 90A.2 90A.1 90A.1 .2 B 94B.1 4 95B.IL3 NORTHERN ILLINOIS DRIFT PLAIN - OUTWASH 9 90B.1 90B.1 Nearly level to sloping outwash plains, terraces, and alluvial 90A.3 104.1 95A.2 plains. Well drained and moderately well drained loamy and 95A.1 89.2 sandy soils in sloping areas, poorly drained loamy soils in 89.1 nearly level areas, and organic soils in the depressions. 95B.2 Much of the area underlain by sandy and gravelly material. 105.1 Mostly cropland with a mix of livestock and cash grain enterprises. Grazing land and scattered deciduous forest, 95B.1 lakes, and marshes are also present. The Rockford urban 110.1 area influences land use. Primary resource concerns include cropland and construction site erosion, surface water 105.1 95B.1 110.1 quality, stormwater management, and wetland habitat 95B.3 .2 B 5 protection and restoration. 108B.1 9 2 . 97.3 .1 0 C 1 5 B.2 1 1 08 .1 1 1 .3 A A 8 8 10 110.1 10 1 108B.1 10 .3 98.1 Common Resource Area Map SUGAR RIVER WATERSHED (WI) HUC: 07090003 DANE CO., WI GREEN CO. WI ROCK CO., WI WINNEBAGO CO., IL STEPHENSON CO. IL Land Cover Map 5. Low Intensity Residential 2,995 0.6 Pasture Hay 212,633 43.7 High Intensity Residential 2,064 0.4 Deciduous Forest 50,056 10.3 Evergreen Forest 1,293 0.3 Row Crops 199,620 41.0 Mixed Forest 316 0.1 Open Water 1,179 0.2 Transitional 0 0 Woody Wetlands 9,099 1.9 Urban / Recreational Grasses 2,182 0.4 Small Grains 454 0.1 Quarries / Strip Mines, Gravel Pits 133 0 Emergent Herbaceous Wetlands 414 0.1 Bare Rock / Sand / Clay 1 0 Commercial/Industrial / Transport 1,634 0.3 Grasslands / Herbaceous 2,781 0.6 Total Acres 486,654 100 SUGAR RIVER WATERSHED (WI) HUC: 07090003 6 ASSESSMENT OF WATERS Section 303(d) of the Clean Water Act states that water bodies that are not meeting their designated uses (fishing, swimming), due to pollutants, must be placed on this list. The 303(d) impaired Waters List is updated every two years. Wisconsin is required to develop TMDLs, Total Maximum Daily Loads, for water bodies on this list. Exceptional Resource Waters (ERW) provide valuable fisheries, hydrologically or geologically unique features, outstanding recreational opportunities, unique environmental settings, and which are not significantly impacted by human activities may be classified as exceptional resource waters. Outstanding Resource waters (ORW) and ERW differ in that ORW do not have an associated point source discharge, where ERWs do. S uga r R. Schalpbach Cr. F S F Headwaters r u e y g e e a s r D d Sugar e R e r i e v C e r r r River C . r . M DANE CO., WI t. V e West Branch r F n l o y n n Sugar River C n r . C r . Henry Cr. L i r. tt C le m ilu S M u g Story Creek- a Spring r R Valley Cr. Sugar River . k r Pioneer Valley Cr. e Ross C e r Crossing y r C o t d Cr. r L S e . gl a r N. Branch er C Sc W ll Hefty Cr. ho i k ol G e Br e . r . C r y B t Center l r o Allen Creek Little e Branch o b i h L Hefty c Sugar S Creek r e S v River l u i Allen C g reek S a r R i reek v Burgy C e GREEN CO. WI r ROCK CO., WI Sylvester Creek-Sugar River Norwegian Se arle Creek s Cr. Sylvest er Creek S N. Fork u g a Juda Br. r R Taylor iv Listed Waters Map e r Creek- Listed Waters Sugar 303(d) Listed River Exceptional Resource Waters S u g Outstanding Resource Waters a r R iv WINNEBAGO CO., IL Sub Watersheds e STEPHENSON CO.