Duncan Creek Monitoring Report, 2004-2005

By: Becca Spaeth, Michelle Washebek, Meg Marshall, Jared Pierce, Mike Schwartz, Sara Schmidt

Introduction

Duncan Creek is part of the Lower Chippewa Basin watershed, which covers an area of 191 square miles. It originates east of New Auburn and flows into the Chippewa River in Chippewa Falls. Four dams on the stream form Lake Como in Bloomer, Tilden Millpond in Tilden, Glen Loch Flowage and Star Lake both in Chippewa Falls. Above Lake Como in Bloomer, Duncan Creek is a Class I trout stream. Numerous management techniques including stocking, land acquisition, fencing, stream bank brushing, instream habitat improvement, beaver control, and fishing regulations have been employed in the past on this upper section of Duncan Creek. The purpose of this report is to track temperatures just above and below the Lake Como dam on Duncan Creek.

Methods

Three sites were chosen on Duncan Creek for monitoring temperature in 2004 and 2005 and macroinvertebrates in 2005. The first site was just above Lake Como where Duncan Creek crosses Hwy 64 north of Bloomer. The second site was just below the Lake Como dam, in Willis Park (Oak St.) in downtown Bloomer. The third site was 3 miles south of Bloomer, on 130^th Ave. (Table 1 and Figure 1).

Temperature

Continuous temperature monitoring devices (Onset Corporation HOBOs) were placed in three sites on Duncan Creek in June and removed in the end of August in 2004. These devices were placed in the same three Duncan Creek sites in June and removed at the end of September in 2005.

Macroinvertebrates

Aquatic macroinvertebrates were collected in the spring and fall at sites 1, 2 and 3. They were collected in a D-frame net, preserved in alcohol, and taken back to the lab for sorting and identification to family. Data was analyzed using the Hilsenhoff Biotic Index (1988), family richness, percent EPT (Ephemeroptera-Plecoptera-Trichoptera), and Margalef’s Diversity Index (using family diversity instead of species diversity). Hilsenhoff scores were calculated using a modified version of the index, which typically raises the average score by half a point to a point. This index is more up to date and thought more accurate.

More information is available: http://lakes.chebucto.org/ZOOBENTH/BENTHOS/tolerance.html.

Table 1. Duncan Creek monitoring sites and parameters measured. Macroinvertebrates were only collected in 2005.

		Macroinvert. 2005		Temperature	Temperature
Site	Location	June	Sept	2004	2005
1	STH 64	X	X	X	X
2	Willis Park	X	X	X
3	130^th Ave.	X	X		X

Figure 1: Map of monitoring sites on Duncan Creek

Results and Discussion

Temperature

According to data collected in 2004-05 and the Thermal Criteria outlined by Lyons and Wang (1996), Duncan Creek is a cold-water stream. However, site 2 (Willis Park) readings were at the upper limit of coldwater classification. Optimal temperatures for brook trout survival are in the range of 11-16 ºC (23.8 ºC upper limit lethal maximum), and optimal brown trout survival temperatures are in the range of 12-19 ºC (27.2 ºC upper limit lethal maximum). Site 1 (Hwy 64) temperatures fall within these ranges, with mean temperatures of 13.9 ºC and 15.1 ºC, respectively (Table 2). However, site 2 with a mean temperature of 20.13 ºC and a maximum of 25.60 ºC does not fall within range for either specie of trout. Site 3 barely lies inside the range of brown trout with a mean temperature of 18.7 ºC, but well outside of the limit for brook trout survival.

Table 2. Max and mean temperature data from 2004 and 2005. HOBOs were lost from site 3 in 2004 and site 2 in 2005.

Temperatures in ºC	2004		2005
	Max	Mean	Max	Mean
Site 1 – Hwy 64	18.2º	13.9º	20.2º	15.1º
Site 2 – Willis Park	25.6º	20.1º	-	-
Site 3 – 130^th Ave.	-	-	24.8º	18.7º

Figure 2. Temperature data collected by Onset Corporation HOBOS in
Duncan Creek sites 1 (Hwy 64) and 2 (Willis Park) in 2004.

Figure 3. Temperature data collected by Onset Corporation HOBOS in
Duncan Creek sites 1 (Hwy 64) and 3 (130^th Ave.) in 2005.

The difference in water temperatures at site 1 versus sites 2 and 3 is most likely due to the dam at Lake Como and the activity on the lake. Perhaps surface release of waters over this dam is warming waters downstream. More analyses of water temperatures downstream of the dam are warranted. Unfortunately, HOBOs were lost at 130^th Ave. in 2004 and at Willis Park in 2005 and data is therefore not available.

Macroinvertebrates

Macroinvertebrate specimens found are listed by family in Appendix1 and index scores and water quality for each site are listed in Appendix 2. Macroinvertebrates were collected from all three Duncan Creek sites spring and fall 2005.

HFBI - The Hilsenhoff Family Biotic Index (HFBI) assigns tolerance values ranging from 0-10 to macroinvertebrate species based on sensitivity to organic pollution (Table 3). Note that a lower HFBI score is tied with a lesser degree of organic pollution and better water quality. The HFBI generally reflects the presence of organic pollution and occasional low dissolved oxygen levels, but may not adequeately assess other factors affecting the macroinvertebrate community such as toxins and sedimentation (Schreiber, 1993.

Site 1 had a HFBI score of 3.15 in spring 2005, which translates to a water quality ranking of excellent. During the fall, this HFBI score was 4.89 and therefore indicated poorer water quality in fall. Site 2 had a much lower water quality ranking with HFBI values of 6.06 in spring and 5.37 in fall. This is not unexpected based on temperature data collected, presence of the reservoir just upstream from site 2, and lack of riffles in the stream. Site 3 had a HFBI score of 5.29 in spring and 3.63 in fall with respective water quality rankings of fair and very good.

Table 3.  Interpretation of the Hilsenhoff Biotic Index (Hilsenhoff, 1988).

Biotic Index	Water Quality	Degree of Organic Pollution
0.00 – 3.50	Excellent	No apparent organic pollution
3.51 – 4.50	Very Good	Possible slight organic pollution
4.51 – 5.50	Good	Some organic pollution
5.51 – 6.50	Fair	Fairly significant organic pollution
6.51 – 7.50	Fairly Poor	Significant organic pollution
7.51 – 8.50	Poor	Very significant organic pollution
8.51 – 10.00	Very Poor	Severe organic pollution

Based on these findings, further monitoring of macroinvertebrates at these sites in Duncan Creek is warranted.

Percent EPT – The EPT index included the count of total individuals in the orders Ephemeroptera (mayflies), Plecoptera (stoneflies) and Trichoptera (caddisflies). The presence of these groups generally indicate clean water conditions, and absence indicates some level of pollution, provided physical conditions of the stream are acceptable (Schreiber, 1993).

The highest percent EPT at 79% occurred at site 3 in fall while the lowest at 0% occurred at site 2 in spring (Appendix 1 and 2).

Conclusion

Few conclusions can be drawn from the data collected. However, these data are critical for continual monitoring of Duncan Creek to assess the affects of Lake Como on the stream along with various other issues that affect stream health. Based on the data collected in 2004 and 2005, site 2 is the least healthy of those assessed. This is quite likely due to the dam, increased water temperatures in the reservoir and subsequent downstream degradation.

References

Hilsenhoff, W.L. 1988. Rapid field assessment of organic pollution with a family-level biotic index. J. N. Am. Benthol. Soc. 7(1):65-68.

Kurz, Joe. 2002. The Status of Brook Trout Populations in Duncan Creek, Chippewa Co. (WBIC 2150600).

Lyons, J. and L. Wang. 1996. Development and Validation of an Index of Biotic Integrity for Coldwater Streams in Wisconsin. North American Journal Fisheries Management. Vol. 16:241-256.

Acknowledgments

Thanks to Ken Schreiber (Water Resource Specialist), Dan Simonson, and John Sours (Fisheries Biologist) of the Western District of the Wisconsin DNR, as well as Darryll Farmer, director of the Eau Claire City-County Health Department, Dr. Charles Bomar, UW-Stout professor and Jean Schomisch, supervisor of the Eau Claire County Land Conservation Department for direction, instruction, and guidance in this project.

Appendix 1. Macroinvertebrates found in Duncan Creek, 2005.

Spring		Fall
Site 1 (Hwy 64) 2 Jun 05		Site 1 (Hwy 64) 16 Sep 05
Athericidae	2	Athericidae	1
Baetidae	7	Baetidae	14
Brachycentridae	14	Brachycentridae	13
Chironomidae	3	Chironomidae	12
Elmidae	19	Elmidae	8
Ephemerellidae	14	Gammaridae	2
Ephemeridae	17	Hydropsychidae	7
Epididae	1	Simuliidae	43
Hydropsychidae	20
Planorbidae	1
Simuliidae	1
Total	100	Total	100
Site 2 (Willis Park ) 2 Jun 05		Site 2 (Willis Park ) 16 Sep 05
Chironomidae	93	Caenidae	3
Empididae	2	Chironomidae	54
Isopoda	3	Coenagrionidae	4
Simuliidae	2	Dytiscidae	1
		Elmidae	4
		Hydropsychidae	32
		Isopoda	1
		Simuliidae	1
Total	100	Total	100
Site 3 (130^th Ave) 2 Jun 05		Site 3 (130^th Ave) 1 Oct 05
Baetidae	32	Athericidae	2
Brachycentridae	3	Baetidae	2
Chironomidae	25	Chironomidae	5
Ephemerellidae	2	Elmidae	1
Gammaridae	4	Gammaridae	8
Heptageniidae	2	Gomphidae	2
Hydropsychidae	8	Heptageniidae	67
Pteronarcyidae	2	Hydropsychidae	8
Simuliidae	7	Isopoda	3
Tipulidae	2	Pteronarcyidae	2
Total	100	Total	100

Appendix 2. Summary of macroinvertebrate analyses on sites 1, 2 and 3.

Spring 2005	Site 1	Site 2	Site 3
Hilsenhoff FBI	3.15	6.06	5.29
Water Quality	Excellent	Fairly Poor	Fair
Degree of Organic Pollution	Unlikely	Substantial	Fairly Substantial
% EPT	73.0 %	0.0 %	49%
Family Richness	12	4	11
Margalef's Diversity Index	2.39	.65	2.17
Fall 2005	Site 1	Site 2		Site 3
Hilsenhoff FBI	4.89	5.37		3.63
Water Quality	Good	Fair		Good
Degree of Organic Pollution	Some	Fairly Sub.		Any Unlikely
% EPT	34.0%	35.0%		79.0%
Family Richness	8	8		10
Margalef's Diversity Index	1.52	1.52		1.95