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Water Resources of the Sugar-Pecatonica Basin Surface water quality in the basin generally is considered good. Overall, the basin contains a diversity of healthy and productive cold and warm water sport fisheries. Major rivers in the basin include the Sugar River, the Pecatonica River, and the East Branch Pecatonica River. Nonpoint sources of pollution, particularly from agricultural operations and hydrologic modifications of the streams such as damming and straightening, cause the primary water quality problems in the basin. Other threats to water quality and aquatic life in the basin come from development, including stormwater runoff from urban areas and construction sites, point source discharges that exceed permit limits and toxins, or residual contaminants from historic mining sites. The basin has more than 1,720 miles of streams, including:
The trout streams typically harbor brown trout although several streams contain populations of brook trout. The warm water forage fishery streams are dominated by white suckers, creek chubs, johnny and fantail darters, and mud minnows. Warm water sport fish designated waters contain small mouth bass, northern pike, and channel catfish. Most of the unclassified stream miles are from small, unnamed tributaries or the headwater areas of named streams above the reaches for which the DNR has information. The existing biological use or stream classification information for many of the streams is old or sketchy and additional monitoring is needed to update the surface water database.
In the Sugar-Pecatonica Basin there are 23 streams classified as being Exceptional Resource Waters (ERW) and a four mile reach of one stream classified as an Outstanding Resource Water (ORW). The total length of streams classified ERW or ORW in the basin is 208.6 miles. These streams are on the ERW/ORW list because they represent the best streams in the basin or because they support fish on Wisconsin's threatened and endangered species list based on analysis done by Wisconsin DNR Fisheries and Water Resources Biologists. An official listing of these streams can be found in NR 1012, Wis. Adm. Code. Streams in the Sugar-Pecatonica river basin support several rare fish species that are declining within their range. Effective nonpoint source controls are essential to the protection of these species.
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The basin contains 197 streams, of which 136 are named. Stream gradients range from low in some headwater areas and near mouths of larger streams, to higher gradients in middle upper and middle stream reaches. Because of the gradients and local topographic relief, streams in the basin tend to be very "flashy"; that means water levels increase rapidly after major rainfall or snow melt events, then fall back to more normal flow levels rapidly. It also means that the streams in the basin are very susceptible to nonpoint source pollution problems associated with runoff.