[Wood River-Barrett Creek-Crex Meadows Targeted Watershed Assessment: A Water Quality Plan to Protect March 23, 2020 Wisconsin’s Watersheds 2020] Water Quality Monitoring conducted Wood River-Barrett Creek-Crex Meadows by the Bureau of Water Quality in support of Targeted Watershed Assessment: A Water the Clean Water Act. Quality Plan to Protect Wisconsin’s Watersheds 2020 Wood River Watershed (SC11) HUC10: 0703000501 Barrett Creek-Saint Croix River Watershed HUC12: 070300011205 Hay Creek at Benson Road Photo by Craig Roesler, North District Water Quality Biologist Department of Natural Resources Crex Meadows Wildlife Area Photo by Aaron Carlson, Google Earth. EGAD # 3200-2019-01 Water Quality Bureau To learn more about this area, see Wisconsin TWA Projects Online! Wisconsin DNR Wood River, Barrett Creek & Crex Meadows TWA Project https://dnr.wi.gov/water/TwaPlanSearch.aspx Or Search for the Wood River (HUC10) and Barrett Creek-St. Croix Watersheds (HU12) at Wisconsin Watershed Search https://dnr.wi.gov/water/watershedSearch.aspx P a g e 1 | 38 (huc [Wood River-Barrett Creek-Crex Meadows Targeted Watershed Assessment: A Water Quality March 23, 2020 Plan to Protect Wisconsin’s Watersheds 2020] Contents Targeted Watershed Assessment Study Summary ........................................................................................................................................... 4 About the Watersheds ......................................................................................................................................................................... 4 Water Quality and Biological Communities ......................................................................................................................................... 5 Management Recommendations ........................................................................................................................................................ 5 Wisconsin Water Quality Monitoring and Planning.......................................................................................................................................... 6 Basin/Watershed Partners ................................................................................................................................................................... 6 Report Acknowledgements .................................................................................................................................................................. 6 Abbreviations ....................................................................................................................................................................................... 7 WQM Plan Goals ............................................................................................................................................................................................... 9 Resources Overview ......................................................................................................................................................................................... 9 Location, Size, Land Use ....................................................................................................................................................................... 9 Ecological Landscapes ........................................................................................................................................................................ 11 Hydrology ........................................................................................................................................................................................... 11 Soils .................................................................................................................................................................................................... 11 Trout Waters ...................................................................................................................................................................................... 11 Outstanding and Exceptional Resource Waters ................................................................................................................................. 11 Impaired Waters ................................................................................................................................................................................ 12 Project Methods ............................................................................................................................................................................................. 12 Site Selection ..................................................................................................................................................................................... 12 Study Design and Methods ................................................................................................................................................................ 12 Stream, Flowage Outlet, Spring, and Ditch Water Quality and Flow Monitoring ................................................................................. 12 Macroinvertebrate Community Assessment ........................................................................................................................................ 16 Fish Community and Habitat Assessment ............................................................................................................................................. 16 Flowage (Impoundment) Water Quality Monitoring ............................................................................................................................ 16 Soil Sampling ......................................................................................................................................................................................... 19 Flowage Sediment sampling ................................................................................................................................................................. 19 Project Results and Discussion ....................................................................................................................................................................... 20 Stream Fish Communities .................................................................................................................................................................. 20 Species Diversity & Condition ............................................................................................................................................................ 20 Habitat Conditions ............................................................................................................................................................................. 27 Macroinvertebrate Data .................................................................................................................................................................... 28 Water Quality Total Phosphorus Concentrations .............................................................................................................................. 30 Iron Concentrations .............................................................................................................................................................................. 31 Dissolved Oxygen .................................................................................................................................................................................. 31 Additional Information .......................................................................................................................................................................... 31 Management Recommendations ................................................................................................................................................................... 32 P a g e 2 | 38 [Wood River-Barrett Creek-Crex Meadows Targeted Watershed Assessment: A Water Quality March 23, 2020 Plan to Protect Wisconsin’s Watersheds 2020] Management Recommendations for DNR ......................................................................................................................................... 32 Management Recommendations of External Partners ...................................................................................................................... 32 Monitoring and Assessment Recommendations ............................................................................................................................... 32 Appendix A: References .................................................................................................................................................................................. 33 Appendix B: Water Narratives ........................................................................................................................................................................ 34 Waters in the Hay Creek-Wood River-Crex Meadows TWA............................................................................................................... 34 Appendix C: Hay Creek-Barrett Creek-Crex Meadows TWA, Fish and Aquatic Life Use Attainment .............................................................. 36 Appendix D: Soil & Sediment Sites Hay Creek-Barrett Creek-Crex