Spring Branch Creek Monitoring

Via Tri-Lakes Management:

The Tri-Lakes Management District will begin monitoring Spring Branch Creek in order to establish a baseline for phosphorous and nitrates, and the presence of organisms that indicate the health of the Upper Lake Camelot watershed which is fed by Spring Branch. As conditions allow, flow monitoring will be done as well.

Spring Branch Creek originates just across Highway 73 near Highway U, in the general area of the proposed Golden Sands dairy CAFO in Saratoga. Though an intermittent source of water flowing into Lake Camelot, it is critical for a couple reasons.

First, it is one of the two watersheds feeding into Lakes Camelot, Sherwood and Arrowhead, eventually exiting into Lake Petenwell. Lakes Sherwood and Arrowhead were added to Wisconsin’s list of impaired waters last year and we want to take steps to protect them.

Secondly, the Rome Water Utility’s primary wells are located in proximity to Upper Lake Camelot. State hydrologists tell us that as our wells operate, 60% of the flow comes from existing groundwater and 40% is lake water drawn in through the cone of influence.

With reports around the state of drinking water wells made unusable because of high nitrates and residents and visitors sickened by manure related to E coli and other organisms, we need to protect water users by identifying any harmful contaminants introduced into our waterways upstream through Spring Branch Creek.

Citizens interested in assisting with monitoring should contact Rei-Lakes at 715-325-3250 or email at lakedist@wctc.net.