Lower Fox Watershed

The Highway 47 bridge over the Fox River in metro Appleton. Image: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:WIS47BridgeOverFoxRiver.jpg

Key challenges to the Pike-Root watershed

Fertilizer and pesticide runoff
Sediment, matter that collects at the bottom of waterways & the lake
Reduced stormwater holding ability due to urbanization & farmland expansion
eColi and other pathogens from farm animal and pet waste
Stream bank and bluff erosion
Invasive & non-native plants
Chloride pollution from road salt in street runoff
Loss of natural areas and wildlife habitat
Reduced groundwater levels and resulting higher levels of contaminants like radium
Several tributaries with higher levels of eColi, metals, sediments, and total suspended solids (very small particles that cause the water to look milky or muddy).
Waukegan Harbor in Waukegan, IL is an Area of Concern, an area designated under the U.S.-Canada Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement in which beneficial uses are impaired due to human activities at the local level

Go to Full Fact Sheet (PDF)

The Lower Fox Watershed covers 638 square miles in Wisconsin. It encompasses Brown, Calumet, Outagamie, and Winnebago Counties. The Lower Fox River originates at the outlet of the Lake Winnebago and flows northeast for 39 miles where it empties into the bay of Green Bay.

Unique Features of the Watershed

The Lower Fox Basin contains the highest concentration of dairy cows in the state of Wisconsin. There is currently not enough cropland available for land application of animal and other land applied waste.
The watershed has the most paper mills in the world.
The main stem of the Fox River in the Lower Fox River Basin is fragmented by a series of 17 locks and 12 dams.

Significant Natural Features

Lake Michigan is the source of drinking water for the majority of the population in these counties. Community water utilities treat and distribute Lake Michigan water. These utilities report no contaminant levels exceeding US EPA quality standards.

Waukegan Harbor

Needed Actions

Better target nutrient and pesticide applications to reduce runoff
Improve habitat and water quality with practices such as stream buffers and wetlands restoration.
Prioritize areas where sediments are entering waters from erosion and streams targeted in the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resource status reports
Study the impacts of dams on the Pike and Root Rivers
Factor changing climate and intensive storms into storm water management planning, and construct stream buffers, restore wetlands, and aim to retain runoff naturally
Support research on the movement of sediment and beach sand
Maintain and leverage the Clean Water Act's framework of State Water Quality Standards and Section #319 Watershed Planning
Maintain and leverage recent watershed projects of the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI)

Wisconsin DNR Overview
USEPA
Watershed Central wiki

Watershed Plans
Pike and Root River Watersheds
Pike River Watershed Plan
Root River Watershed Plan
Wind Point Watershed Plan
Oak Creek Watershed Plan
Waukegan River Watershed Plan
Kellogg Creek Watershed Plan
Dead River Watershed Plan
Great Lakes Restoration Initiative

Data Source: NOAA