West Branch Sugar River
Encyclopedia
The West Branch Sugar River is a tributary
of the Sugar River
, about 22.3 miles (35.9 km) long, in south central Wisconsin
in the United States
. Via the Sugar, Pecatonica
, and Rock Rivers, it is part of the watershed of the Mississippi River
. Its watershed
lies entirely within Dane County
.
and follows a generally southeasterly course through the county. It flows into the Sugar River about 2 miles (3.2 km) west of Belleville
in Montrose
, near the intersection of County Highway PB and Walter Road.
Its main tributary is Mt. Vernon Creek, which is formed from the confluence of Deer Creek and Fryes Feeder and empties into the West Branch Sugar River in Primrose near the intersection of WI-92 and County Road A. There is a small dam where County Highway G crosses the creek in the unincorporated community of Mt. Vernon
. Other tributaries include Flynn Creek, Milum Creek, and the Primrose Branch.
The watershed, including portions of Blue Mounds
, Springdale
, Verona
, Montrose, Primrose
, and Perry
and is mostly rural; the only village in the watershed is Mt. Horeb. U.S. Route 18
passes through the northern part of the watershed, and Wisconsin Highway 92 crosses through it from northwest to southeast.
savannah: "the characteristic landform pattern is sloping with summits, shoulders, and backslopes of ridges common. Soils are well drained silt loam." The southeastern portion of the watershed is labeled as the Sugar River Valley: "undulating valley floor with floodplains, terraces, beaches, lake plains and scattered bedrock knolls. Soils are predominantly well drained loam and silt over gravelly sandy outwash, silty alluvium, silty and clayey lacustrine, or silty loess." The original vegetation cover consists primarily of oak forest, prairie, marsh and sedge meadow, wet prairie, and lowland shrubs.
The West Branch Sugar River is part of the larger Sugar Pecatonica Basin. The 156.64 miles (252.1 km) of the streams comprising the West Branch Sugar River watershed cover 66.74 square miles (173 km²), or 42713 acres, with 9.41 acres covered by unnamed lakes and 1131.91 acres of wetlands.
, the first one in Wisconsin to be so removed. Prior to this the river had been impaired by contaminated fish tissue (mercury) and degraded habitat (sediment and suspended solids) exceeding its total maximum daily load
. In fact, almost all of Deer Creek, Fryes Feeder, Flynn Creek, and Milum Creek, as well as part of Mt. Vernon Creek, have been designated exceptional or outstanding streams. The majority of the river's course and tributaries are designated Class 1 and Class 2 trout
stream lines, and a small stretch of the river is designated wadable cool water for smallmouth bass
by the Wisconsin DNR.
Additionally, Dane County has been granted both Large and Small Scale Lake Protection Grants which include the West Branch Sugar River watershed. There are two DNR managed lands, both a part of the Mount Vernon Creek Fishery Area.
Tributary
A tributary or affluent is a stream or river that flows into a main stem river or a lake. A tributary does not flow directly into a sea or ocean...
of the Sugar River
Sugar River (Wisconsin)
The Sugar River is a tributary of the Pecatonica River, approximately long, in the U.S. states of Wisconsin and Illinois.It rises in the hills of southwest Wisconsin, in southwest Dane County, approximately southwest of Madison. The headwaters are at the southern terminus of the last North...
, about 22.3 miles (35.9 km) long, in south central Wisconsin
Wisconsin
Wisconsin is a U.S. state located in the north-central United States and is part of the Midwest. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michigan to the northeast, and Lake Superior to the north. Wisconsin's capital is...
in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Via the Sugar, Pecatonica
Pecatonica River
The Pecatonica River is a tributary of the Rock River, long, in southern Wisconsin and northern Illinois in the United States.The word Pecatonica is an anglicization of two Algonquian language words: Bekaa , which means "slow", and niba, which means "water", forming the conjunction Bekaaniba or...
, and Rock Rivers, it is part of the watershed of the Mississippi River
Mississippi River
The Mississippi River is the largest river system in North America. Flowing entirely in the United States, this river rises in western Minnesota and meanders slowly southwards for to the Mississippi River Delta at the Gulf of Mexico. With its many tributaries, the Mississippi's watershed drains...
. Its watershed
Drainage basin
A drainage basin is an extent or an area of land where surface water from rain and melting snow or ice converges to a single point, usually the exit of the basin, where the waters join another waterbody, such as a river, lake, reservoir, estuary, wetland, sea, or ocean...
lies entirely within Dane County
Dane County, Wisconsin
As of the census of 2000, there were 426,526 people, 173,484 households, and 100,794 families residing in the county. The population density was 355 people per square mile . There were 180,398 housing units at an average density of 150 per square mile...
.
Course
The West Branch Sugar River rises in southeastern Dane County just west of Mt. HorebMount Horeb, Wisconsin
Mount Horeb is a village in Dane County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 7,009 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Madison Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:...
and follows a generally southeasterly course through the county. It flows into the Sugar River about 2 miles (3.2 km) west of Belleville
Belleville, Wisconsin
Belleville is a village in Dane and Green Counties in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. The population was 1,908 at the 2000 census.The Dane County portion of Belleville is part of the Madison Metropolitan Statistical Area, while the Green County portion is part of the Monroe Micropolitan Statistical...
in Montrose
Montrose, Wisconsin
Montrose is a town in Dane County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 1,134 at the 2000 census. The unincorporated communities of Basco, Montrose, and Paoli are located within the town.-Geography:...
, near the intersection of County Highway PB and Walter Road.
Its main tributary is Mt. Vernon Creek, which is formed from the confluence of Deer Creek and Fryes Feeder and empties into the West Branch Sugar River in Primrose near the intersection of WI-92 and County Road A. There is a small dam where County Highway G crosses the creek in the unincorporated community of Mt. Vernon
Mount Vernon, Wisconsin
Mount Vernon is an unincorporated community in the town of Springdale, Dane County, Wisconsin, United States.-Geography:Mount Vernon is located south of Mount Horeb and southwest of Madison...
. Other tributaries include Flynn Creek, Milum Creek, and the Primrose Branch.
The watershed, including portions of Blue Mounds
Blue Mounds (town), Wisconsin
Blue Mounds is a town in Dane County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 842 at the 2000 census. The Village of Blue Mounds is located within the town.-Geography:...
, Springdale
Springdale, Wisconsin
Springdale is a town in Dane County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 1,530 at the 2000 census. The unincorporated communities of Klevenville, Mount Vernon, and Riley are located in the town.-Geography:...
, Verona
Verona (town), Wisconsin
Verona is a town in Dane County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 2,153 at the 2000 census. The City of Verona is located within the town...
, Montrose, Primrose
Primrose, Wisconsin
Primrose is a town in Dane County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 682 at the 2000 census. The unincorporated community of Primrose is located in the town.-Geography:...
, and Perry
Perry, Wisconsin
Perry is a town in Dane County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 670 at the 2000 census. The unincorporated communities of Daleyville and Forward are located in the town.-Geography:...
and is mostly rural; the only village in the watershed is Mt. Horeb. U.S. Route 18
U.S. Route 18
U.S. Route 18 is an east–west U.S. highway in the Midwestern United States. The western terminus is in Orin, Wyoming at an interchange with Interstate 25. Its eastern terminus of US 18 is in downtown Milwaukee, Wisconsin. However, US 18 runs concurrent with other U.S...
passes through the northern part of the watershed, and Wisconsin Highway 92 crosses through it from northwest to southeast.
Geography
The region is predominantly agricultural, with some wetlands, grassland, and forested areas. The Wisconsin DNR labels the majority of the landtype as the PlattevillePlatteville, Wisconsin
Platteville is the largest city in Grant County in southwestern Wisconsin. The population was 11,224 at the 2010 census, growing 12% since the 2000 Census. Much of this growth is likely due to the enrollment increase of the University of Wisconsin–Platteville...
savannah: "the characteristic landform pattern is sloping with summits, shoulders, and backslopes of ridges common. Soils are well drained silt loam." The southeastern portion of the watershed is labeled as the Sugar River Valley: "undulating valley floor with floodplains, terraces, beaches, lake plains and scattered bedrock knolls. Soils are predominantly well drained loam and silt over gravelly sandy outwash, silty alluvium, silty and clayey lacustrine, or silty loess." The original vegetation cover consists primarily of oak forest, prairie, marsh and sedge meadow, wet prairie, and lowland shrubs.
The West Branch Sugar River is part of the larger Sugar Pecatonica Basin. The 156.64 miles (252.1 km) of the streams comprising the West Branch Sugar River watershed cover 66.74 square miles (173 km²), or 42713 acres, with 9.41 acres covered by unnamed lakes and 1131.91 acres of wetlands.
Conservation
The river's watershed includes extensive wetlands, some of which are in the process of restoration. The only noted aquatic invasive is reed canary grass along much of the downstream wetlands. The river was delisted in 2004 from the 303(d) list of the Clean Water ActClean Water Act
The Clean Water Act is the primary federal law in the United States governing water pollution. Commonly abbreviated as the CWA, the act established the goals of eliminating releases of high amounts of toxic substances into water, eliminating additional water pollution by 1985, and ensuring that...
, the first one in Wisconsin to be so removed. Prior to this the river had been impaired by contaminated fish tissue (mercury) and degraded habitat (sediment and suspended solids) exceeding its total maximum daily load
Total Maximum Daily Load
A Total Maximum Daily Load is a regulatory term in the U.S. Clean Water Act, describing a value of the maximum amount of a pollutant that a body of water can receive while still meeting water quality standards...
. In fact, almost all of Deer Creek, Fryes Feeder, Flynn Creek, and Milum Creek, as well as part of Mt. Vernon Creek, have been designated exceptional or outstanding streams. The majority of the river's course and tributaries are designated Class 1 and Class 2 trout
Trout
Trout is the name for a number of species of freshwater and saltwater fish belonging to the Salmoninae subfamily of the family Salmonidae. Salmon belong to the same family as trout. Most salmon species spend almost all their lives in salt water...
stream lines, and a small stretch of the river is designated wadable cool water for smallmouth bass
Smallmouth bass
The smallmouth bass is a species of freshwater fish in the sunfish family of the order Perciformes. It is the type species of its genus...
by the Wisconsin DNR.
Additionally, Dane County has been granted both Large and Small Scale Lake Protection Grants which include the West Branch Sugar River watershed. There are two DNR managed lands, both a part of the Mount Vernon Creek Fishery Area.