U.S. Department of the Interior

U.S. Geological Survey

Surface-Water Quality,

Oneida Reservation and Vicinity,

Wisconsin, 1997–98

Water-Resources Investigations Report 00–4179

Prepared in cooperation with the

Oneida Tribe of Indians of Wisconsin

image here?
Surface-Water Quality, Oneida Reservation 

and Vicinity, Wisconsin, 1997–98

By Morgan A. Schmidt, Kevin D. Richards, and 

Barbara C. Scudder

U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY

Water-Resources Investigations Report 00–4179

Prepared in cooperation with the

Oneida Tribe of Indians of Wisconsin

Middleton, Wisconsin

2000
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

BRUCE BABBITT, Secretary

U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY

Charles G. Groat, Director

For additional information write to: Copies of this report can be purchased from:

District Chief U.S. Geological Survey 

U.S. Geological Survey Branch of Information Services

8505 Research Way Box 25286

Middleton, WI 53562-3586 Denver, CO 80225-0286

Any use of trade, product, or firm names is for descriptive purposes only and does not imply endorsement

by the U.S. Government.
CONTENTS III

CONTENTS

Abstract ................................................................................................................................................................................. 1

Introduction........................................................................................................................................................................... 2

Description of Oneida Reservation study area............................................................................................................ 2

Factors affecting surface-water quality....................................................................................................................... 2

Sample and survey methods........................................................................................................................................ 5

Acknowledgments....................................................................................................................................................... 7

Surface-water quality ............................................................................................................................................................ 7

Chemical indicators of water quality .......................................................................................................................... 7

Nutrients and suspended sediment.................................................................................................................... 7

Major ions ......................................................................................................................................................... 10

Pesticides........................................................................................................................................................... 13

Ecological indicators of water quality ........................................................................................................................ 15

Habitat............................................................................................................................................................... 15

Benthic invertebrates......................................................................................................................................... 15

Benthic algae..................................................................................................................................................... 17

Effects of environmental factors on surface water................................................................................................................ 24

Major influences in and near the Oneida Reservation ................................................................................................ 24

Comparison by land-use categories ............................................................................................................................ 25

Agricultural sites............................................................................................................................................... 25

Agricultural/Forest/Wetland sites...................................................................................................................... 27

Forest/Wetland sites .......................................................................................................................................... 27

Urban sites......................................................................................................................................................... 28

Summary ............................................................................................................................................................................... 28

References cited .................................................................................................................................................................... 29

FIGURES

1–4. Maps showing:

1. Oneida Reservation and location of water-quality-sampling sites ....................................................................... 3

2. Highest nutrient concentrations in exceedance of U.S. Environmental Protection Agency 

drinking-water-quality criteria at water-quality-sampling sites........................................................................ 11

3. Highest major-ion concentrations in exceedance of U.S. Environmental Protection

Agency drinking-water-quality criteria at water-quality-sampling sites .......................................................... 12

4. Highest pesticide concentrations in exceedance of U.S. Environmental Protection Agency 

drinking-water-quality criteria at water-quality-sampling sites........................................................................ 14

TABLES

1. Drainage-basin characteristics of water-quality-sampling sites, Oneida Reservation, Wisconsin, 1997–98 ........... 4

2. Field measurements made and properties and constituents for which water samples from the Oneida 

Reservation, Wisconsin were analyzed, 1997–98 .................................................................................................. 6

3. Summary statistics for selected properties and constituents calculated for all samples and for each of the 

five samplings, Oneida Reservation, Wisconsin, 1997–98 .................................................................................... 8

4. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency drinking-water-quality criteria for selected constituents........................... 10

5. Ecological information for six water-quality-sampling sites based on habitat and benthic community indices, 

Oneida Reservation, Wisconsin, May 1998............................................................................................................ 16

6. Benthic invertebrates collected at selected water-quality-sampling sites, Oneida Reservation, 

Wisconsin, May 1998 ............................................................................................................................................. 18

7. Algae collected at selected water-quality-sampling sites, Oneida Reservation, May 1998 ..................................... 21

8. Percent relative abundance and biovolume of all algae in five streams according to taxonomic division, 

May 1998................................................................................................................................................................ 24

9. Water-quality summary of water-quality-sampling sites based on surface-water-quality sampling

and ecological assessments, Oneida Reservation, Wisconsin, 1997–98 ................................................................ 26
IV CONVERSION FACTORS AND ABBREVIATIONS

CONVERSION FACTORS AND ABBREVIATIONS

Multiply By To Obtain

foot (ft) 0.3048 meter

square mile (mi2) 2.59 square kilometer

liter (L) .2642 gallon

milligram (mg) .000002205 pound

cubic foot per second (ft3

/s) .02832 cubic meter per second

Temperature, in degrees Celsius (°C) can be converted to degrees Fahrenheit (°F) by use of the following equation:

°F = [1.8(°C)] + 32.

Abbreviated water-quality units: Chemical concentrations and water temperature are given in metric units. Chemical concentration is 

given in milligrams per liter (mg/L) or micrograms per liter (μg/L). Milligrams per liter is a unit expressing the concentration of chemical 

constituents in solution as weight (milligrams) of solute per unit volume (liter) of water. One thousand micrograms per liter is equivalent 

to one milligram per liter. For concentrations less than 7,000 mg/L, the numerical value is the same as for concentrations in parts per million. 

Other Abbreviations Used in this Report:

EPT Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera, Trichoptera

GLEAS Great Lakes Environmental Assessment Score

HA Health Advisory

HBI Hilsenhoff Biotic Index

MCL Maximum Contaminant Level

MDL Minimum Detection Limit

MRL Method Reporting Level

MTV Mean Tolerance Value

NAWQA National Water-Quality Assessment Program

SMCL Secondary Maximum Contaminant Level

USEPA U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

USGS U.S. Geological Survey
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS V

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Technical Support

Melissa Schmitz, Oneida Tribe of Indians of Wisconsin, Oneida, Wis.

John Koss, (formerly) Oneida Tribe of Indians of Wisconsin, Oneida, Wis.

Jana S. Stewart, Geographer, U.S. Geological Survey, Middleton, Wis.

Faith A. Fitzpatrick, Hydrologist, U.S. Geological Survey, Middleton, Wis.

Charles A. Peters, Chief Supervisory Hydrologist, U.S. Geological Survey, Middleton, Wis.

Dale M. Robertson, Research Hydrologist, U.S. Geological Survey, Middleton, Wis.

Dale W. Weaver, (formerly) Hydrologic Technician, U.S. Geological Survey, Middleton, Wis.

Heather E. Whitman, Student Trainee (Physical Science), U.S. Geological Survey, Middleton, Wis.

Technical Reviewers

Daniel Sullivan, Hydrologist, U.S. Geological Survey, Middleton, Wis.

Melissa Schmitz, Oneida Tribe of Indians of Wisconsin, Oneida, Wis.

Editorial and Graphics

Michael Eberle, Technical Publications Editor, U.S. Geological Survey, Columbus, Ohio

Michelle M. Greenwood, Cartographer, U.S. Geological Survey, Middleton, Wis.

Kathleen A. Hueschen, Student Trainee (Editor), U.S. Geological Survey, Middleton, Wis.

Susan Z. Jones, Editorial Assistant, U.S. Geological Survey, Middleton, Wis.

Approving Official

Chester Zenone, Reports Improvement Advisor, U.S. Geological Survey, Reston, Va.
Abstract 1

Abstract

Streamwater samples were collected at 

19 sites in the vicinity of the Oneida Tribe of 

Indians of Wisconsin Reservation. Samples were 

collected during 5 sampling periods in 1997–98. 

Field measurements were made and samples were 

analyzed for nutrients, suspended sediment, major 

ions, and pesticides.

Physical characteristics and human activity 

influence surface-water quality in the study area. 

Predominant land use in a drainage basin, specifically agricultural land use, appears to be a strong 

influence on surface-water quality. Other important 

influences on surface-water quality in the Oneida 

Reservation area include point-source contamination, size of the drainage basin, presence of clayey 

surficial deposits, and the timing and flow conditions during sampling.

Concentrations of total phosphorus and of 

dissolved nitrite plus nitrate nitrogen often 

exceeded U.S. Environmental Protection Agency 

(USEPA) Maximum Contaminant Levels (MCL’s). 

Concentrations of nutrients were highest at sites 

with greater than 80 percent agricultural land use in 

the drainage basin.

Sodium and manganese were the major ions 

that most often exceeded USEPA water-quality criteria. The highest concentrations of sodium and 

chloride were detected at three sites in basins containing greater than 10 percent urban land and at 

two of ten sites in basins containing greater than 

80 percent agricultural land.

Concentrations of the pesticides atrazine, 

cyanazine, and diazinon exceeded MCL’s at several sites. Elevated concentrations of agricultural 

pesticides were detected primarily at sites in basins 

containing greater than 80 percent agricultural 

land, in comparison to pesticide concentrations at 

sites in basins containing lesser amounts of agricultural land. Diazinon concentrations were higher at 

sites in basins containing more than 10 percent 

urban land compared to basins with little to no 

urban land.

Stream habitat at three sites was rated 

“good” on the basis of the semiquantitative Great 

Lakes Environment Assessment procedure. On the 

basis of the semiquantitative procedure, habitat at 

three other sites was impaired, likely because of 

agricultural influences and tendencies towards low 

flow in the summer.

Assessments of benthic community health 

based on benthic invertebrates showed that the 

communities were “very good” at one site, “good” 

at three sites, “fair” at one site, and “fairly poor” at 

one site. Mean tolerance values yielded similar 

assessments of the invertebrate communities. Taxa 

richness for pollution-sensitive insect orders indicates that water-quality is best at Thornberry 

Creek. Water-quality at Trout Creek and Lancaster 

Brook also rated fairly high. Shannon-Wiener 

diversity values indicate that the invertebrate communities at Dutchman Creek, and perhaps at Duck 

and Oneida Creeks, are under environmental stress.

Assessments of the benthic algal community 

provided relative results as did invertebrate community assessments. Shannon-Wiener diversity 

values for diatoms indicate that algal communities 

are under minor stress in four of five streams sampled and under moderate stress in Dutchman 

Creek. A pollution index based on the percentages 

of diatoms that are pollution sensitive and pollution 

tolerant revealed that pollution at Dutchman Creek 

likely is moderate; pollution at the other four sampled creeks is either minor or nonexistent in terms 

of effects on the diatom community.

Surface-Water Quality, Oneida Reservation and Vicinity, 

Wisconsin, 1997–98

By Morgan A. Schmidt, Kevin D. Richards, and Barbara C. Scudder
2 Surface-Water Quality, Oneida Reservation and Vicinity, Wisconsin, 1997–98

INTRODUCTION

A strong Oneida Nation, sustained through land 

protection and environmental preservation, is one of the 

goals of the Seventh Generation Mission of the Oneida 

Tribe of Indians of Wisconsin. In order for the Oneida 

Nation to restore the water quality and quantity of the 

streams that run through the Oneida Reservation to preEuropean-settlement conditions, information about the 

past and current state of the Reservation’s water 

resources is needed.

The Oneida Nation and the U.S. Geological Survey 

entered into a cooperative agreement to examine and 

report the baseline surface-water quality conditions of 

the Oneida Reservation. This report describes the current quality of the surface waters of the Reservation and 

illustrates spatial and seasonal variations in that quality. 

This description of current conditions fills gaps in previous data and provides insight for choosing fixed sites 

for future water-quality monitoring. Analyses of historical water quality and a listing of reports pertaining to 

the water resources of the Oneida Reservation are given 

in Saad and Schmidt (1998).

Description of the Oneida Reservation Study 

Area

The Oneida Reservation is in east-central Wisconsin and comprises 102 mi2

 (fig. 1). About 17,600 people 

reside within the Reservation boundaries, of which 

2,798 are Tribal members (Tina R. Pospychala, Oneida 

Nation Enrollment Office, written commun., 1998). 

Most of the population is concentrated in the northeastern part of the Reservation, which borders the Green 

Bay metropolitan area.

The Oneida Reservation is drained by four major 

streams. Duck Creek and its tributaries drain nearly 

70 percent of the Reservation. Dutchman Creek drains 

20 percent of the Reservation, and the headwaters of 

Ashwaubenon Creek and the South Branch of the Suamico River drain the rest of the land.

Agriculture is the dominant land use within the 

Reservation (table 1). More than half of the drainagebasins contain greater than 80 percent agricultural land. 

Urban, forest, and wetlands areas are minor land uses. 

Three basins contain at least 10 percent urban areas.

Precambrian crystalline rock lies deep below the 

surface of the Reservation. Sandstone and dolomite of 

the Cambrian and Ordovician age overlie the bedrock 

and provide water for residential and industrial needs by 

way of high-capacity wells (Mudrey and others, 1982; 

Krohelski, 1986). Quaternary unconsolidated surficial 

deposits range from sands and gravel to clays (Need, 

1985). 

Water quality on the Reservation is influenced by 

natural environmental features, land use (non-point 

sources of contamination), and point sources of contamination. Most point sources are within the Duck Creek 

Basin (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 1987; 

U.S. Geological Survey, 1988) (fig. 1). Point sources 

include discharges from wastewater-treatment plants 

and other municipal and industrial facilities. More 

detailed information regarding the natural and anthropogenic features of the Oneida Reservation and vicinity 

and their potential effect on water quality is provided in 

Saad and Schmidt (1998).

Factors Affecting Surface-Water Quality

Many factors, including natural drainage-basin 

characteristics and human activity, can affect surfacewater quality. Land use or land cover within a basin 

influence the amounts and types of potential contaminants that may be present in storm runoff, and permeability of soil and subsoil influences how much 

contaminated runoff might infiltrate the ground or flow 

overland to streams. Drainage-basin size and the 

amount of flow of a stream can affect the degree to 

which contaminants are concentrated or diluted. The 

timing of sample collection and extreme flows also can 

affect results of water-quality sampling. Wastewater 

discharge from various sources may add nutrients, 

major ions, total suspended solids, and many other constituents directly to rivers. Examples of municipal and 

industrial companies which are permitted to discharge 

effluent to surface waters include wastewater-treatment-plants, cheese factories, paper mills, and other 

types of industry.

Agricultural chemicals, as well as farming practices, have the potential to degrade water quality in 

streams in agricultural areas. Fertilizers, herbicides, 

insecticides, and livestock wastes may contribute nutrients and pesticides to streams through surface runoff 

and ground-water recharge. Erosion of topsoil adds sediment to streams. The effects of agriculture on streams 

may be buffered by areas of forest and (or) wetland 

along stream margins. Urban areas may contribute contaminants such as nutrients and pesticides (which may 
INTRODUCTION 3

BROWN COUNTY

OUTAGAMIE COUNTY

32

29

32

29

54

55

47

41

160

47

55

54

43

29

54

32

41 55

32

57

141

Dutchman Cr

Fox R

Fox R

Duck Cr

Suamico R

Silver Cr

Trout Cr

S. Br. Suamico R

Duck Cr

Beaver

Dam

Cr

Oneida Cr

Duck Cr

N. Br. Ashwaubenon Cr

Fish Cr

Hemlock

Cr

Lancaster Br

44°37'30"

44°30'

44°22'30"

88°15' 88°07'30" 88°

0

0

3 6 MILES

3 6 KILOMETERS

*Agricultural sites are in basins with greater than 80 percent 

agricultural land, and less than 10 percent forest or 8 percent 

wetlands. Agricultural/forest/wetland sites are in basins with 

greater than 80 percent agricultural land and either greater than 

10 percent forest or 8 percent wetlands. Forest/wetland sites are 

in basins with less than 80 percent agricultural land and either 

greater than 10 percent forest or 8 percent wetlands. Urban sites

are in basins with greater than 10 percent urban land.

WISCONSIN

Oneida

Reservation

Area

displayed

G r e e n Bay

Base from U.S. Geological Survey 7.5 minute topographic quadrangles;

modified from USEPA 1987; USGS, 1988

Howard

Oneida

EXPLANATION

Reservation boundary

Water-quality-sampling site*

and map number

17

3

9

12

Agricultural site

Agricultural/forest/wetland site

Wastewater-treatment plant

Other municipal and industrial

outfalls

Forest/wetland site

Urban site

Red outline indicates the site is also 

a National Water-Quality Assessment 

Program site

Point-source discharge site

Study area

1

2

3

4 5

6

7

9 10 11

13

15

18

19

8

14

17

12

16

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

040719491

04072031

04072040

040720447

04072050

04072100

04072140

04072150

04072153

04072185

04072217

04072219

04072228

04072231

04072233

04085064

04085074

040850745

04085076

South Br Suamico R at School Dr near Pittsfield, WI

Duck Creek near Freedom, WI

Fish Creek near Oneida, WI

Oneida Creek at Van Boxtel Road near Oneida, WI

Duck Creek at Seminary Road near Oneida, WI

Silver Creek at Highway 54 near Ashwaubenon, WI

Unnamed Duck Cr Trb at Haven Pl near Ashwaubenon, WI

Duck Creek near Howard, WI

Trout Creek at CT Highway U near Ashwaubenon, WI

Trout Creek near Howard, WI

Duck Creek Site No. 1 near Pamperin Park, WI

Beaver Dam Creek at Ashwaubenon, WI

Thornberry Creek near Howard, WI

Lancaster Brook at Shawano Avenue near Howard, WI

Lancaster Brook at Shawano Avenue at Howard, WI

North Branch Ashwaubenon Creek near Freedom, WI

Dutchman Creek at Cyrus Lane near Ashwaubenon, WI

Dutchman Creek at Pioneer Road at Ashwaubenon, WI

Dutchman Creek Tributary near De Pere, WI

Map no. USGS site no. Location

Figure 1. Oneida Reservation and location of water-quality-sampling sites.
4

Surface-WaterQuality,OneidaReservationandVicinity,Wisconsin,1997–98

Table 1. Drainage-basin characteristics of water-quality-sampling sites, Oneida Reservation, Wisconsin, 1997–98[USGS, U.S. Geological Survey; mi2, square miles]

Map 

number

USGS 

station

identifier

USGS site name

Drainage 

area

(mi2)

Bedrock

(percent)

Surficial deposits 

(percent) Land use (percent) 

Carbonate

Sandstone

Loam

Clay

Urban

Agriculture

Grassland

Forest

Water

Non-forested

1 040719491 South Branch Suamico River at School 

Drive near Pittsfield, Wis.

11.9 100 0 100 0 0 82.50 2.28 6.50 0.00 1

2 04072031 Duck Creek near Freedom, Wis. 50.4 90.92 9.08 17.21 82.79 0 82.37 3.08 2.74 .01 33 04072040 Fish Creek near Oneida, Wis. 17.1 99.42 .58 29.19 70.81 0 80.49 2.13 11.11 .04 24 040720447 Oneida Creek at Van Boxtel Road near 

Oneida, Wis.

23.8 94.63 5.37 38.45 61.55 0 81.84 2.39 8.55 .02 2

5 04072050 Duck Creek at Seminary Road near 

Oneida, Wis.

95.4 93.76 6.24 23.93 76.07 0 81.74 2.68 6.11 .02 2

6 04072100 Silver Creek at Highway 54 near 

Ashwaubenon, Wis.

7.55 100 0 0 100 0 85.09 2.14 8.28 .05 

7 04072140 Unnamed Duck Creek Tributary at 

Haven Pl near Ashwaubenon, Wis.

.248 100 0 0 100 11.50 70.38 9.76 8.01 0 0 

8 04072150 Duck Creek near Howard, Wis. 108 94.50 5.50 21.07 78.93 .11 81.16 2.64 7.05 .03 29 04072153 Trout Creek at CT Highway U near 

Ashwaubenon, Wis.

4.03 100 0 100 0 0 62.30 .40 6.16 .01 5

10 04072185 Trout Creek near Howard, Wis. 15.3 100 0 64.31 35.69 .98 69.68 .89 16.00 .04 1

11 04072217 Duck Creek Site No. 1 near Pamperin 

Park, Wis.

127 95.30 4.70 25.80 74.20 .72 78.79 2.53 8.61 .07 2

12 04072219 Beaver Dam Creek at Ashwaubenon, 

Wis.

.649 100 0 0 100 51.58 .15 40.07 6.65 0 0 

13 04072228 Thornberry Creek near Howard, Wis. .344 100 0 0 100 0 67.67 4.06 25.95 .10 0 14 04072231 Lancaster Brook at Shawano Ave. near 

Howard, Wis.

7.19 100 0 13.84 86.16 0 75.49 .92 19.15 0 

15 04072233 Lancaster Brook at Shawano Ave. at 

Howard, Wis.

9.86 100 0 10.10 89.90 0 70.45 1.02 23.70 .00 

16 04085064 North Branch Ashwaubenon Creek 

near Freedom, Wis.

3.13 100 0 0 100 0 90.34 1.31 5.52 .01 

17 04085074 Dutchman Creek at Cyrus Lane near 

Ashwaubenon, Wis.

11.9 100 0 0 100 0 91.65 1.73 4.81 0 

18 040850745 Dutchman Creek at Pioneer Road at 

Ashwaubenon, Wis.

15.7 100 0 0 100 .40 90.61 2.36 4.80 0 

19 04085076 Dutchman Creek Tributary near 

De Pere, Wis.

2.38 100 0 0 100 13.50 61.24 10.84 10.60 .07 
INTRODUCTION 5

be different than the pesticides from agricultural areas), 

as well as petroleum products, road salt, sediment, metals, and other contaminants from roads and industrial 

sites. Impervious surfaces such as roads, roofs, and 

driveways in urban areas reduce infiltration and lead to 

increased stormwater runoff and erosion.

Streams with small drainage basins and occasional 

very low flows are locations where contaminants can 

become concentrated. Larger rivers often have steadier 

flow rates, carry much more water, and generally have 

lower concentrations of contaminants than the tributaries that drain into them. The permeability of surficial 

deposits influences how much precipitation will infiltrate the ground and how much will run off overland. 

Clayey surficial deposits, for example, impede infiltration of water into soil, which means less recharge to 

ground water and an increase in overland runoff to surface waters. Water that runs overland can transport contaminants and sediment to streams. Streams in drainage 

basins with clayey surficial deposits will have lower 

base flows than streams in basins with more permeable 

surficial deposits due to smaller contributions of 

ground-water to total stream flow. More frequent and 

pronounced extreme flows can occur in streams in 

drainage basins with clayey surficial deposits due to the 

greater percentage of overland runoff in total stream 

flow.

Data results from water-quality samples are influenced by the time of year and flow conditions. Concentrations of contaminants in surface waters are often 

higher during periods of runoff than during times of 

base flow. However, concentrations of contaminants 

will differ between high flow samplings (or between 

low flow samplings) depending on the season. For 

example, even though they are both high flow events, 

pesticide concentrations will be higher in water samples 

collected during post-planting runoff sampling than 

during snowmelt runoff sampling because of the timing 

of pesticide applications. Base flow may have comparatively low concentrations of contaminants such as pesticides or sediment; however, comparatively high 

concentrations of contaminants such as certain major 

ions may be detected in samples collected at baseflow 

conditions as these substances can leach out of streambed sediments into the water column during times of 

low flow.

Sample and Survey Methods

Water samples were collected at 19 sites in and 

around the Oneida Reservation during 1997–98 (fig. 1). 

Two of the sites, referred to as “NAWQA sites,” sampled for this study have also been sampled as part of the 

Western Lake Michigan Drainages study area of the 

National Water-Quality Assessment (NAWQA) program, which began data collection in 1991 (Peters and 

others, 1998).

Sample collection began in fall 1997 and ended in 

fall 1998. Four different flow conditions were sampled: 

late summer base flow (September 1997 and August 

1998), late fall post-harvest base flow (November 

1997), snowmelt runoff (February 1998), and postplanting runoff (June 1998). Field measurements of 

water properties and laboratory determinations of 

selected water-quality properties and constituents were 

made for each sample collected (table 2). Samples were 

collected, processed, and analyzed according to the 

methods of the NAWQA program (Shelton, 1994).

Ecological surveys were made in May 1998 at 5 of 

the 19 water sampling sites. An ecological survey was 

made at an additional site on the Oneida Reservation 

(Duck Creek) as part of the USGS NAWQA program, 

also in May 1998. Sampling methods for habitat (Fitzpatrick and others, 1998), benthic invertebrates 

(Cuffney and others, 1993), and algae (Porter and others, 1993) followed NAWQA specifications. 

Benthic-invertebrate collections consisted of (1) a 

semiquantitative collection from the richest-targeted 

habitat (riffles), by means of a modified Surber sampler 

with 425-μm mesh; and (2) a qualitative sample of all 

available habitats in the reach (multihabitat), by means 

of a 210-μm mesh D-frame dipnet. For the quantitative 

sample, cobbles in a 0.5-m by 0.5-m area of the stream 

bottom were scrubbed with a stiff brush, and the streambottom was disturbed to a depth of approximately 

10 cm with a rod and vigorous foot motion. Six subsamples were collected from riffles in each reach, field elutriated with a bucket, picked free of debris, and 

combined into one sample for a site. Samples were preserved with 70 percent non-denatured ethanol and 

shipped to Dr. Stanley W. Szczytko at University of 

Wisconsin–Stevens Point for identification and enumeration.

Benthic-algae collections were made in the same 

general locations as the invertebrate collections and 

consisted of (1) a quantitative collection from the richest-targeted habitat (riffles) and (2) a qualitative multi-
6 Surface-Water Quality, Oneida Reservation and Vicinity, Wisconsin, 1997–98

Table 2. Field measurements made and properties and constituents for which water samples from the Oneida Reservation, 

Wisconsin were analyzed, 1997–98

[--, not applicable; C, degrees Celsius; mm Hg, millimeters mercury; ft3/s, cubic foot per second; μS/cm, microsiemens per centimeter; mg/L, 

milligrams per liter; std units, standard units; μg/L, micrograms per liter; ]

Type Property or constituent

Method 

Reporting 

Level

Units Type Property or constituent

Method 

Reporting 

Level

Units

Field Water temperature -- C Pesticides 2,6-diethylaniline .003 μg/L

Air temperature -- C Acetochlor .002 μg/L

Barometric pressure -- mm Hg Alachlor .002 μg/L

Discharge -- ft3/s Atrazine .001 μg/L

Specific conductance -- μS/cm Azinphos-methyl .001 μg/L

Dissolved oxygen -- mg/L Benfluralin .002 μg/L

pH, field -- std units Butylate .002 μg/L

pH, lab -- std units Carbaryl .003 μg/L

Alkalinity -- mg/L Carbofuran .003 μg/L

pH, laboratory 0.100 pH Chlorpyrifos .004 μg/L

Specific conductance, laboratory 1.000 μS/cm Cyanazine .004 μg/L

Sediment Suspended sediment -- mg/L Dacthal .002 μg/L

Nutrients Phosphorus .004 mg/L Deethylatrazine .002 μg/L

Phosphorus, phosphate, ortho .010 mg/L Diazinon .002 μg/L

Phosphorus .004 mg/L Diazinon-d10 (surrogate) .1 percent

Nitrogen, ammonia + organic nitro- .10 mg/L Dieldrin .001 μg/L

Nitrogen, ammonia + organic nitro- .10 mg/L Disulfoton .017 μg/L

Nitrogen, nitrite .010 mg/L EPTC .002 μg/L

Nitrogen, ammonia .02 mg/L Ethalfluralin .004 μg/L

Nitrogen, nitrite + nitrate .050 mg/L Ethoprophos .003 μg/L

Major 

Ions

Silica .05 mg/L Fonofos .003 μg/L

Potassium .100 mg/L Lindane .004 μg/L

Fluoride .100 mg/L Linuron .002 μg/L

Sodium .06 mg/L Malathion .005 μg/L

Calcium .020 mg/L Metolachlor .002 μg/L

Magnesium .004 mg/L Metribuzin .004 μg/L

Sulfate .100 mg/L Molinate .004 μg/L

Chloride .100 mg/L Napropamide .003 μg/L

Manganese 3.0 μg/L Parathion .004 μg/L

Iron 10.000 μg/L Parathion-methyl .006 μg/L

Residue, 180 degrees Celsius 10.000 mg/L Pebulate .004 μg/L

Pendimethalin .004 μg/L

Phorate .002 μg/L

Prometon .018 μg/L

Propachlor .007 μg/L

Propanil .004 μg/L

Propargite .013 μg/L

Propyzamide .003 μg/L

Simazine .005 μg/L

Tebuthiuron .010 μg/L

Terbacil .007 μg/L

Terbufos .013 μg/L

Terbuthylazine (surrogate) .1 percent

Thiobencarb .002 μg/L

Tri-allate .001 μg/L

Trifluralin .002 μg/L

alpha-HCH .002 μg/L

alpha-HCH-d6 (surrogate) .1 percent

cis-Permethrin .005 μg/L

p,p’-DDE .006 μg/L
SURFACE-WATER QUALITY 7

habitat sample. For the quantitative sample, algae were 

removed from a circular sampling area (about 2 cm in 

diameter) on each of five rocks in five locations from 

each reach. An SG-92 sampling device (Porter and others, 1993), constructed of a syringe barrel and sealing 

O-ring, was used with a small brush to remove the 

algae. The 25 algal-surface-area subsamples were composited into a single algal sample representing approximately 75 cm2

 for each site. Qualitative multihabitat 

algal samples were equal-weighted composites of all 

available habitat types. Algal samples were preserved 

with 100 percent buffered formalin and shipped to Dr. 

Frank Acker, Academy of Natural Sciences - Philadelphia, for identification and enumeration.

Acknowledgments

We would like to acknowledge Melissa Schmitz, 

Oneida Environmental, Health, and Safety Department; 

John Koss, (formerly) Oneida Environmental, Health, 

and Safety Department; and other Oneida Tribal and 

USGS workers who assisted with water quality and ecological sampling, which often took place on short 

notice, in the evening, and on weekends.

SURFACE-WATER QUALITY

Chemical Indicators of Water Quality

A summary of the results of field measurements 

and laboratory analysis of water samples collected in 

1997–98 is shown in table 3. Concentrations of selected 

nutrients, sediment, major ions, and pesticides are discussed below. These constituents were chosen because 

of their importance to stream-water quality and the 

availability of water-quality standards by which to measure their impact on streams. Concentrations are compared to selected U.S. Environmental Protection 

Agency (USEPA) drinking-water-quality criteria, 

including Maximum Contaminant Levels (MCL’s), 

Secondary Maximum Contaminant Levels (SMCL’s), 

and Health Advisories (HA’s). USEPA drinking-waterquality criteria for selected constituents are listed in 

table 4. Although the surface waters of the Oneida Reservation are not used for drinking water supplies, drinking-water criteria were used for comparison because 

other established assessment criteria are not available. 

Concentrations of several constituents exceeded one or 

more of these criteria. Constituents that most often 

exceeded water-quality criteria were total phosphorus, 

sodium, manganese, and atrazine.

Nutrients and Suspended Sediment

Sources of nutrients in the vicinity of the Oneida 

Reservation include agricultural fertilizers, wastewatertreatment-plant effluent, and animal wastes. Erosion 

from agricultural fields or urban areas can contribute to 

suspended-sediment concentrations in streamwater.

Concentrations of total phosphorus and dissolved 

nitrite plus nitrate nitrogen frequently exceeded waterquality limits for many sites during most sampling conditions (fig. 2). Suspended-sediment concentrations 

were highest for the post-planting and post-harvest samplings.

Concentrations of total phosphorus ranged from 

below 0.010 to 3.92 mg/L, and exceeded 0.1 mg/L, the 

USEPA suggested limit for flowing waters, in 50 of 82 

samples collected during this study. The USEPA recommends that total-phosphorus concentrations not exceed 

this limit to discourage excessive aquatic growth in 

flowing waters. The highest phosphorus concentrations 

Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL)—The 

maximum permissible level of a contaminant 

in water delivered to users of a public water 

supply system.

Secondary Maximum Contaminant Level 

(SMCL)—Unenforceable federal guidelines 

regarding taste, odor, color and certain other 

non-aesthetic effects of drinking water. USEPA 

recommends these guidelines to the States as 

reasonable goals, but federal law does not 

require water systems to comply with them. 

States may, however, adopt their own enforceable regulations governing these concerns.

Health Advisory (HA)—Guidance values 

based on non-cancer health effects for different 

durations of exposure. HA’s provide information on contaminants, either known or anticipated to occur in drinking water, that can cause 

human health effects.

(United States Environmental Protection 

Agency, Drinking-Water Standards can be 

viewed at URL: 

http://www.epa.gov/OGWDW/creg.html, 

accessed October 18, 1999)
8 Surface-Water Quality, Oneida Reservation and Vicinity, Wisconsin, 1997–98 Table 3. Summary statistics for selected properties and constituents calculated for all samples and for each of the five samplings, One

1997–98 [C, degrees Celsius; --, not applicable; ft3/s, cubic foot per second; μS/cm, microsiemens per centimeter; mg/L, milligrams per liter; std units, standard units; μg/L, mi

Property or constituent Units Method Reporting Level1

1The method reporting level is defined as the minimum concentration of a substance that can be identified, measured, and reported with 99 percent confidence th

greater than zero. Values reported below the method reporting level are estimated because while the lab has identified the substance as being present in the sample, quathan 99 percent confidence. On occasion, values may be reported above the method reporting level are estimated based on the results of equipment calibration.

2For the purpose of mean calculations, values reported as less than the minimum limit were set at one half of the minimum limit.

All samplings Fall base flow (9/97) Post-harv

Minimum Maximum Median Mean2 Minimum Maximum Median Mean2 Minimum Maxim

Water temperature C -- 0.2 26.9 14.4 10.9 11.8 20.2 14.6 14.7 0.2 3.0 Discharge ft3/s -- .00 182 1.4 16 .02 35 .88 3.9 .00 7.3 

Specific conductance μS/cm -- 106 1,550 766 809 560 1,160 753 776 660 1,550 Dissolved oxygen mg/L -- 2.0 20.0 9.0 9.3 3.2 12.5 8.6 8.4 2.1 14.8 pH (field) std units -- 7.1 9.0 7.8 7.9 7.6 8.4 7.9 8.0 7.2 8.2 Alkalinity mg/L -- 37 517 230 232 160 348 234 234 258 517 Suspended sediment mg/L -- 6 1,390 42 82 7 103 22 34 7 154 Nitrogen, ammonia, 

dissolved mg/L .02 <.015 2.43 .054 .210 <.015 .361 .018 .039 <.020 1.12 

Nitrogen, ammonia + 

organic, dissolved mg/L .10 .12 6.1 .81 1.1 .20 2.1 .94 .97 .12 2.4 

Nitrogen, nitrite + 

nitrate, dissolved mg/L .050 <.050 74.1 1.40 3.43 .397 3.58 1.09 1.48 <.050 4.93 

Phosphorus, total mg/L .004 <.010 3.92 .195 .373 <.010 1.26 .195 .340 <.010 3.92 Phosphorus, ortho, 

dissolved mg/L .010 <.010 2.87 .090 .253 .018 .997 .121 .262 .012 2.87 

Calcium mg/L .020 50 219 83 88 56 110 81 83 75 173 Magnesium mg/L .004 19 73 35 36 19 44 31 31 35 67 Sodium mg/L .06 9.2 187 25 34 9.2 63 21 26 14 119 Potassium mg/L .100 1.4 58 6.5 9.2 1.5 25 8.0 10 1.4 22 Chloride mg/L .100 28 290 64 77 61 120 56 59 32 210 Sulfate mg/L .100 25 630 54 77 25 150 49 56 35 320 Fluoride mg/L .100 <.10 .82 .12 .17 <.10 .42 .16 .16 <.10 .7Silica mg/L .05 .76 23 9.0 9.9 4.2 17 12 12 2.5 23 Iron μg/L 10.000 <10 330 36 55 11 140 36 53 13 330 Manganese μg/L 3.00 5.6 1,440 28 83 6.4 192 30 42 5.9 1,440 Simazine μg/L .005 <.005 .527 .013 .044 <.005 .017 .007 .008 <.005 .0Deethylatrazine μg/L .002 .006 .936 .032 .148 .025 .170 .089 .083 .006 .03Cyanazine μg/L .004 <.004 15.6 .010 1.06 <.004 .119 <.004 .024 <.004 <.00Metolachlor μg/L .002 <.002 53.2 .064 3.30 <.002 .421 .175 .180 <.002 .03Diazinon μg/L .002 <.002 1.18 <.002 .042 <.002 .004 <.002 -- <.002 <.00Atrazine μg/L .001 .027 76.2 .133 5.61 .042 .392 .245 .227 .027 .08Alachlor μg/L .002 <.002 .385 <.002 .025 <.002 .005 <.002 -- <.002 <.02Acetochlor μg/L .002 <.002 19.2 .007 1.35 <.002 .016 .004 .005 <.002 <.00Metribuzin μg/L .004 <.004 1.76 <.004 .083 <.004 <.100 <.004 -- <.004 <.00EPTC μg/L .002 <.002 1.64 <.002 .050 <.002 <.002 <.002 -- <.002 <.00
SURFACE-WATER QUALITY 9

Table 3. Summary statistics for selected properties and constituents calculated for all samples and for each of the five samplings, Oneida 1997–98—Continued

Property or constituent Units

Method 

Reporting 

level1

1The method reporting level is defined as the minimum concentration of a substance that can be identified, measured, and reported with 99 percent confidence that 

than zero. Values reported below the method reporting level are estimated because while the lab has identified the substance as being present in the sample, quantification confidence. On occasion, values may be reported above the method reporting level are estimated based on the results of equipment calibration.

2For the purpose of mean calculations, values reported as less than the minimum limit were set at one half of the minimum limit

Snowmelt runoff (2/98) Post-planting runoff (6/98) 

Minimum Maximum Median Mean2 Minimum Maximum Median Mean2 Minimum 

Water temperature C -- 0.2 4.5 0.2 0.9 14.3 20.2 16.7 16.8 17.0 Discharge ft3/s -- .40 182 12 33 .56 175 27 40 .00 

Specific conductance μS/cm -- 542 1,050 710 745 106 1,220 565 550 618 

Dissolved oxygen mg/L -- 9.1 13.9 11.8 11.6 6.5 8.8 7.6 7.6 2.0 pH (field) std units -- 7.1 8.2 7.8 7.7 7.3 8.2 7.7 7.7 7.4 Alkalinity mg/L -- 94 340 205 206 37 231 100 111 159 Suspended sediment mg/L -- 6 61 19 27 9 1,390 110 199 8 Nitrogen, ammonia, 

dissolved mg/L .02 <.020 2.00 .212 .388 .065 1.14 .186 .272 .037 

Nitrogen, ammonia + 

organic, dissolved mg/L .10 .23 3.6 1.0 1.3 .35 4.0 1.1 1.2 .17 

Nitrogen, nitrite + 

nitrate, dissolved mg/L .050 .585 14.0 1.92 3.02 .080 74.1 3.71 10.5 <.050 

Phosphorus, total mg/L .004 .021 .583 .247 .241 .076 1.26 .342 .419 .011 Phosphorus, ortho, 

dissolved mg/L .010 .022 .435 .144 .176 .010 .480 .120 .166 .017 

Calcium mg/L .020 50 87 70 70 78 78 78 78 60 Magnesium mg/L .004 21 36 29 28 38 38 38 38 24 Sodium mg/L .06 12 75 26 33 43 43 43 43 10 Potassium mg/L .100 1.5 22 8.5 8.6 5.8 5.8 5.8 5.8 1.6 Chloride mg/L .100 37 170 71 78 93 93 93 93 28 Sulfate mg/L .100 35 90 58 58 50 50 50 50 29 Fluoride mg/L .100 <.10 .14 <.10 .08 .18 .18 .18 .18 <.10 Silica mg/L .05 5.7 13 8.1 8.5 3.6 3.6 3.6 3.6 .76 Iron μg/L 10.000 15 110 50 53 23 23 23 23 <10 

Manganese μg/L 3.00 14 91 29 35 34 34 34 34 5.6 

Simazine μg/L .005 <.005 .174 .016 .041 .005 .527 .034 .066 .013 

Deethylatrazine μg/L .002 .010 .044 .021 .024 .008 .936 .088 .276 .018 

Cyanazine μg/L .004 <.004 <.004 <.004 -- <.004 15.6 .203 2.31 <.020 

Metolachlor μg/L .002 <.002 .064 .036 .033 .010 53.2 1.40 7.13 .038 

Diazinon μg/L .002 <.002 <.002 <.002 -- <.002 1.18 <.002 .090 <.002 

Atrazine μg/L .001 .030 .036 .033 .033 .043 76.2 3.07 12.1 .133 

Alachlor μg/L .002 <.002 <.002 <.002 -- <.002 .385 .009 .053 <.002 

Acetochlor μg/L .002 <.002 <.002 <.002 -- <.007 19.2 .044 2.94 <.002 

Metrabuzin μg/L .004 <.004 <.004 <.004 -- <.004 1.76 <.004 .173 <.004 

EPTC μg/L .002 <.002 <.002 <.002 -- <.002 1.64 .006 .109 <.002 
10 Surface-Water Quality, Oneida Reservation and Vicinity, Wisconsin, 1997–98

were measured during the post-planting runoff sampling, when every site but Thornberry Creek (site 13) 

had concentrations of total phosphorus greater than the 

suggested limit. Nearly every sample (35 of 36) collected at sites representing basins containing greater 

than 80 percent agricultural land use had total phosphorus concentrations that exceeded the suggested limit. 

Total phosphorus concentrations at sites with basins 

containing more than 8 percent of forest, wetland, or 

urban areas, and less than 80 percent agricultural land 

use exceeded the suggested limit only during the postplanting runoff sampling.

Concentrations of dissolved nitrite plus nitrate 

nitrogen ranged from the analytical method reporting 

level (MRL) of 0.050 mg/L to 74.1 mg/L. The concentrations exceeded the MCL of 10 mg/L in samples collected at four sites during the post-planting sampling. 

Three of the four sites contained more than 80 percent 

agricultural land and only small areas of forest or wetland. During the post-planting sampling, the dissolved 

nitrite plus nitrate nitrogen concentration detected in a 

sample from the North Branch Ashwaubenon Creek 

(site 16), downstream from a cattle yard, was 

74.1 mg/L. Results from the same site on the same day 

indicated a dissolved-nitrite concentration of 

0.701 mg/L, the highest concentration recorded among 

all sites sampled in the Western Lake Michigan Drainages study unit of the NAWQA program during the 

period 1991–99 (Kevin Richards, U.S. Geological Survey, written commun., 1999).

Concentrations of suspended-sediment ranged 

from 6 to 1,390 mg/L. Trout Creek at CT Highway U 

(site 9) had the highest suspended-sediment concentration. The highest suspended-sediment concentrations 

were usually measured during the post-planting runoff 

sampling (81 percent) and occasionally during the postharvest sampling (13 percent). Suspended-sediment 

concentrations were often lowest in samples collected 

during the fall base flow and snowmelt samplings.

Major Ions

Concentrations of sodium and chloride above those 

of background concentrations may be linked to road salt 

applications (Hem, 1985), and point source discharge 

from, for example, wastewater-treatment plants. 

Sources of sulfate, manganese, and iron, other than natural background concentrations related to ground water 

contributions and streambed sediment leaching, can 

include point source discharge.

Excedeeences of drinking-water quality criteria 

occurred most frequently for the major ions sodium and 

manganese (fig. 3). Concentrations of other major ions 

were moderate to low relative to drinking-water-quality 

standards.

Table 4. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency drinking-water-quality criteria for selected constituents

[mg/L, milligrams per liter; μg/L, micrograms per liter]

USEPA 

DrinkingWater-Quality 

Criteria1

1

Source: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Drinking-Water Standards at URL: http://www.epa.gov/OGWDW/creg.html, accessed October 18, 

1999.

Nutrients (mg/L) Major ions (mg/L) Major ions 

(μg/L) Pesticides (μg/L)

Total phosphorus

Nitrite plus nitrate

nitrogen

Dissolved nitrite

Sodium

Sulfate

Chloride

Iron

Manganese

Atrazine

Cyanazine

Diazinon

Metolachlor

Simazine

EPTC

MCL 10 1 500 3 4

SMCL 250 50 300

HA 20 1 0.6 70 25

Suggested limit 

for flowing 

waters

0.12

2

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has recommended a limit of 0.1 mg/L for total phosphorus concentrations in flowing waters to 

discourage excessive aquatic growth.
SURFACE-WATER QUALITY 11

44°37'30"

44°30'

44°22'30"

88°15' 88°07'30" 88°

0

0

3 6 MILES

3 6 KILOMETERS 1

2

3

4

5

6

7

9

10 11

13

15

18

19

8

14

17

12

16

Nitrite plus nitrate nitrogen (mg/L)

(MCL = 10 mg/L)

Total phosphorus (mg/L)

(Suggested MCL = 0.1 mg/L)

EXPLANATION

Reservation boundary

Water-quality-sampling site*

and map number

Nutrient concentration on given date

17

3

9

12

Agricultural site

Agricultural/forest/wetland site

Forest/wetland site

Urban site

Red outline indicates the site is also 

a National Water-Quality Assessment 

Program site

Study area

Nutrient concentrations shown represent the highest 

concentrations in exceedence of the USEPA drinking-waterquality criteria for all samples collected during the study. Date 

indicates when the sample was collected. [mg/L, milligrams per 

liter; MCL, maximum contaminant level] 

Green

Bay

*Agricultural sites are in basins with greater than 80 percent agricultural land, and less than 10 percent forest or 8 percent wetlands. 

Agricultural/forest/wetland sites are in basins with greater than 80 percent agricultural land and either greater than 10 percent forest 

or 8 percent wetlands. Forest/wetland sites are in basins with less than 80 percent agricultural land and either greater than 10 

percent forest or 8 percent wetlands. Urban sites are in basins with greater than 10 percent urban land.

11/97P=1.16

8/98P=1.06

8/98P=0.571

6/98P=0.424

9/97P=0.325

2/98P=0.479

6/98 N=23

6/98P=0.274

2/98P=0.319

6/98P=1.26

6/98P=0.539

6/98 N=11.6

11/97P=3.92

6/98 N=74.1

11/97P=3.92

6/98 N=74.1

9/97P=1.26

6/98 N=20

2/98P=0.305

6/98P=0.206

6/98P=0.263

9/97P=1.17

6/98P=0.113

Figure 2. Highest nutrient concentrations in exceedance of U.S. Environmental Protection Agency drinking-water-quality criteria 

at water-quality-sampling sites.
12 Surface-Water Quality, Oneida Reservation and Vicinity, Wisconsin, 1997–98

44°37'30"

44°30'

44°22'30"

88°15' 88°07'30" 88°

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

9

10 11

13

15

18

19

8

14

17

12

16

Manganese (μg/L) 

(SMCL = 50 μg/L)

Sodium (mg/L) (HA = 20 mg/L)

Sulfate (mg/L) (MCL = 500 mg/L,

SMCL = 250 mg/L)

Iron (μg/L) (SMCL = 300 μg/L)

Chloride (mg/L)

(SMCL = 250 mg/L)

=330

8/98Mn=81

8/98SO =630 4

6/98Na =43

8/98Cl =290

2/98Fe

0

0

3 6 MILES

3 6 KILOMETERS

EXPLANATION

Reservation boundary

Water-quality-sampling site*

and map number

Major ion concentration on given date

17

3

9

12

Agricultural site

Agricultural/forest/wetland site

Forest/wetland site

Urban site

Red outline indicates the site is also 

a National Water-Quality Assessment 

Program site

Study area

Green

Bay

Major ion concentrations shown represent the highest concentrations in 

exceedence of the USEPA drinking-water-quality criteria for all samples 

collected during the study. Date indicates when the sample was 

collected. [mg/L, milligrams per liter; μg/L, micrograms per liter; HA, 

health advisory; MCL, maximum contaminant level; SMCL, secondary 

maximum contaminant level] 

*Agricultural sites are in basins with greater than 80 percent agricultural land, and less than 10 percent forest or 8 percent wetlands. 

Agricultural/forest/wetland sites are in basins with greater than 80 percent agricultural land and either greater than 10 percent forest 

or 8 percent wetlands. Forest/wetland sites are in basins with less than 80 percent agricultural land and either greater than 10 

percent forest or 8 percent wetlands. Urban sites are in basins with greater than 10 percent urban land.

11/97 &

 8/98 Na =24

11/97 Mn =284

11/97SO =320 4

2/98 Na =75

11/97 Mn =1130

11/97Fe =330

8/98 Na =187

9/97 Mn =63

8/98Cl =290

8/98 Mn =81

8/98SO =630 4

Na =22 11/97 &

2/98

Na =26

6/98 Na =43

2/98 Na =27

11/97 Na =36

2/98 Na =72

2/98 Na =33

9/97

Na =24

8/98 Mn =104

11/97 &

8/98

8/98 Na =44

8/98 Mn =58

8/98 Na =102

8/98 Mn =169

2/98 Na =37

8/98 Mn =119

11/97 Na =46

11/97 Mn =1440

Figure 3. Highest major-ion concentrations in exceedance of U.S. Environmental Protection Agency drinking-water-quality 

criteria at water-quality-sampling sites.
SURFACE-WATER QUALITY 13

Sodium concentrations ranged from 9.2 to 

187 mg/L, and concentration in 72 percent of the samples exceeded the 20-mg/L HA level. For all samples 

collected at sites representing basins with greater than 

10 percent urban land, sodium concentrations exceeded 

the HA level. Sodium concentrations were lowest for 

sites with more than 10 percent forest or 8 percent wetlands in their basins. Samples collected from Duck 

Creek near Freedom (site 2), downstream from five 

point-sources including four wastewater-treatment 

plants and one industrial outfall (U.S. Environmental 

Protection Agency, 1987), had the two highest sodium 

concentrations observed in this study.

The concentration range of chloride samples was 

28 to 290 mg/L. The chloride concentration in one sample taken from Duck Creek near Freedom (site 2), 

where the two highest sodium concentrations were 

recorded, exceeded the SMCL of 250 mg/L. As with the 

sodium concentrations, chloride concentrations were 

the lowest for sites with either 10 percent forest or 

8 percent wetland areas within their basins.

Sulfate concentrations ranged from 25 to 

630 mg/L. The 500-mg/L MCL was exceeded at Trout 

Creek at CT Highway U (site 9), and the 250-mg/L 

SMCL was exceeded at Dutchman Creek at Cyrus Lane 

(site 17). The highest sulfate concentrations were measured during low flow, at 80 percent of the sites.

The range of manganese concentrations was 5.6 to 

1,440 μg/L. The 50-μg/L SMCL was exceeded in 

25 percent of the samples, at nine different sites. Concentrations of manganese in excess of the SMCL were 

measured most often at sites with either greater than 

80 percent agricultural land use and less than 10 percent 

forest or 8 percent wetland areas or sites with greater 

than 10 percent urban land use.

Concentrations of iron ranged from the MRL of 

10 μg/L to 330 μg/L. The iron concentration in one 

sample at the South Branch Suamico River (site 1) 

exceeded the 300-μg/L SMCL. Samples collected from 

sites in basins with less than 80 percent agricultural land 

and either 10 percent forested or 8 percent wetland 

areas had the lowest concentrations of iron.

Pesticides

Agricultural practices may be a substantial source 

of pesticides in the Oneida Reservation study area. 

However, pesticides are also used in residential and 

commercial land use settings for control of insects in 

buildings and on grasses in residential lawns and road 

rights-of-way. Atrazine, cyanazine, metolachlor, 

simazine, EPTC, and acetochlor are used primarily in 

agricultural practices. Diazinon is used most often in 

residential and commercial settings (University of California—Davis and others, accessed October 20, 1999).

Water-quality samples were collected at 16 sites 

during the post-planting sampling and at 6 of the 

16 sites during the three other types of samplings and 

were analyzed for pesticides. Drinking-water-quality 

criteria for pesticides (fig. 4) were exceeded only during 

the post-planting sampling; pesticide concentrations 

were lower, at, or near the MRL, in samples collected 

during all other samplings. Pesticides and pesticide 

metabolites most commonly detected included atrazine, 

deethylatrazine, metolachlor, and simazine. Atrazine, 

deethylatrazine, and metolachlor were detected in at 

least one sample at every site. Pesticides detected at 

concentrations exceeding drinking-water-quality criteria were atrazine, diazinon, and cyanazine.

Concentrations of atrazine, which was detected in 

every sample collected, ranged from 0.027 to 

76.2 μg/L. Atrazine was detected above the 3-μg/L 

MCL at eight sites. The highest concentration 

(76.2 μg/L) was in a sample collected at the South 

Branch Suamico River (site 1).

Concentrations of cyanazine ranged from less than 

the MRL to 15.6 μg/L. Five samples exceeded the HA 

of 1 μg/L. The samples with the two highest cyanazine 

concentrations were from the two Trout Creek sites 

(sites 9 and 10).

Metolachlor concentrations ranged from below the 

MRL to 53.2 μg/L. No exceedances of the 70-μg/L HA 

were found. The samples with the highest concentrations were at sites with greater than 80 percent agricultural land in their basins.

Concentrations of simazine ranged from below the 

MRL to 0.527 μg/L. No exceedances of the 4-μg/L 

MCL were found. Samples from two sites, each with 

more than 10 percent urban land within their basins, had 

the highest concentrations of simazine.

EPTC concentrations ranged from less than the 

MRL to 1.64 μg/L. The HA of 25 μg/L was not 

exceeded, and at only one site, the South Branch Suamico River (site 1), was a concentration reported that was 

substantially above the MRL.

Acetochlor concentrations ranged from below the 

MRL to 19.2 μg/L. Samples from five sites had concentrations substantially above the MRL. Trout Creek at 

CT Highway U (site 9) had the highest acetochlor concentration, 19.2 μg/L.
14 Surface-Water Quality, Oneida Reservation and Vicinity, Wisconsin, 1997–98

Green

Bay

1

2

3

4

6

7

9

10 11

13

15

19

8

17

12

16

Cyanazine (μg/L) (HA = 1 μg/L)

Atrazine (μg/L) (MCL/HA = 3 μg/L)

Diazinon (μg/L) (HA = 0.09 μg/L)

0

0

3 6 MILES

3 6 KILOMETERS

44°37'30"

44°30'

44°22'30"

88°15' 88°07'30" 88°

EXPLANATION

Reservation boundary

Water-quality-sampling site*

and map number

Pesticide concentration, June 1998 

17

3

9

12

Agricultural site

Agricultural/forest/wetland site

Forest/wetland site

Urban site

Red outline indicates the site is also 

a National Water-Quality Assessment 

Program site

Study area

Pesticide concentrations shown represent the highest concentrations 

in exceedence of the USEPA drinking-water-quality criteria for all 

samples collected during the study. The highest concentrations all 

occurred during the 6/98 sampling event. [μg, micrograms per liter; 

MCL, maximum contaminant level; HA, health advisory]

*Agricultural sites are in basins with greater than 80 percent agricultural land, and less than 10 percent forest or 8 percent wetlands. 

Agricultural/forest/wetland sites are in basins with greater than 80 percent agricultural land and either greater than 10 percent forest 

or 8 percent wetlands. Forest/wetland sites are in basins with less than 80 percent agricultural land and either greater than 10 

percent forest or 8 percent wetlands. Urban sites are in basins with greater than 10 percent urban land.

A =76.2

A =3.45

C =2.1

A =15.2

D =0.186

A =3.57

D =1.18

A =35.8

A =11.5

C =15

A =22.5

C =15.6

A =21

C =1.01

D =0.186

A =21

C =1.01

Figure 4. Highest pesticide concentrations in exceedance of U.S. Environmental Protection Agency drinking-water-quality 

criteria at water-quality-sampling sites.
SURFACE-WATER QUALITY 15

Concentrations of diazinon ranged from below the 

MRL to 1.18 μg/L. The 0.6-μg/L HA was exceeded at 

Beaver Dam Creek (site 12), a site representing a basin 

with more than 50 percent urban land. The Unnamed 

Duck Creek Tributary (site 7), with more than 10 percent urban land in its basin, had a diazinon concentration of 0.186 μg/L. Concentrations of diazinon were at 

or slightly above the MRL at all other sites.

Ecological Indicators of Water Quality

Ecological information, including aquatic habitat 

and benthic invertebrate and algal community data, was 

collected at 5 of the 19 sites (sites 4, 10, 13, 14, and 17) 

during May 5–7, 1998. Site 5 (Duck Creek) also was 

sampled on May 4, 1998, as part of the NAWQA study. 

These sites are on major tributaries of interest on the 

reservation. The most notable limiting constraint on 

stream biota at Duck, Oneida, and Dutchman Creeks 

was intermittent flow. During extended periods of little 

or no rainfall, the only water remaining in the streambed 

is in discontinuous pools. During the course of the work 

done on the Oneida Reservation, these three streams 

had extended periods of very low flow (less than 

0.1 ft3/s). Dutchman Creek also had a higher degree of 

embeddedness, the degree to which gravel-sized and 

large particles in the streambed are covered by fine 

grained particles, and siltation than the other sites.

Habitat

Habitat characteristics were measured at five sites 

in addition to Duck Creek. A summary of habitat data 

for Duck Creek also may be found in Fitzpatrick and 

Giddings (1997). These measurements were used in a 

semiquantitative habitat rating system developed as part 

of Great Lakes Environmental Assessment (GLEAS) 

Procedure 51 (Michigan Department of Natural 

Resources, 1991). GLEAS habitat scores were determined on the basis of physical measures of nine channel 

and streamside features: bottom substrate and available 

cover, embeddedness/siltation, velocity/depth, flow stability, bottom deposition, pools-riffles-runs-bends, bank 

stability, bank vegetation stability, and streamside 

cover. The scores are assigned summary ratings within 

four categories: excellent (111–135), good (75–102), 

fair (39–66), and poor (0–30). The GLEAS scores for 

the sites included in the ecological assessment ranged 

from a low of 59 (“fair”) at Dutchman Creek at Cyrus 

Lane (site 17) to a high of 83 (“good”) at Trout Creek 

near Howard (site 10). Each of the three sampling sites 

with more than 10 percent forest or 8 percent wetlands 

in their basins scored “good” in the GLEAS habitat 

assessment (table 5). The habitat score at Duck Creek 

(site 5), which has over 80 percent agricultural land plus 

more than 8 percent wetlands, scored “fair.” Habitat at 

the other two sites, for which the land use of the drainage basins was greater than 80 percent agriculture and 

less then 10 percent forest or 8 percent wetlands, scored 

“fair to good” and “fair.”

Benthic Invertebrates

The abundance and distribution of aquatic organisms in streams have been used as a measure of waterquality for many years in water-quality assessments. 

Some organisms are more tolerant than others to various 

types of environmental stress. Organisms attached to 

the stream bottom, also known as benthic organisms, 

provide an indication of the water-quality of a particular 

site that is integrated over days, weeks, and sometimes 

even years depending on the lifespans of the organisms. 

Benthic organisms are in close contact with chemicals 

in streambed sediment and may reflect stresses from 

this medium.

Benthic macroinvertebrates, large enough to be 

visible to the naked eye, collected at the five water-quality sites and at Duck Creek are listed in table 6. 

Several biotic indexes were calculated (table 5), including the Hilsenhoff Biotic Index (HBI) (Hilsenhoff, 

1987), the Mean Tolerance Value or TBI (Lenat, 1993; 

Lillie and Schlesser, 1994), and taxa richness for EPT 

(Ephemeroptera [mayflies], Plecoptera [stoneflies], and 

Trichoptera [caddisflies]) (Lenat, 1988) and ShannonWiener diversity (Brewer, 1979). The HBI is a measure 

of water-quality based on macroinvertebrate tolerance 

to organic chemicals and reduced dissolved oxygen 

concentrations in the water. High HBI values indicate 

poor water-quality. The TBI is the mean tolerance value 

for all taxa present in the HBI sample, and is independent of the number of individuals represented by each 

taxon. Rare and intolerant taxa therefore have greater 

emphasis in the TBI than in the HBI. The TBI is calculated as the sum of the assigned pollution-tolerance 

value for each taxon divided by the total number of taxa 

in the sample. Higher mean tolerance values indicate 

the presence of more pollution-tolerant species at a site. 

The TBI value is used as a companion metric with the 

standard HBI. EPT taxa richness differs from total taxa 
16 Surface-Water Quality, Oneida Reservation and Vicinity, Wisconsin, 1997–98 Table 5. Ecological information for six water-quality-sampling sites based on habitat and benthic community indices, Oneida Reserva

[GLEAS, Great Lakes Environmental Assessment score; HBI, Hilsenhoff Biotic Index; EPT, Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera, and Trichoptera; taxa richness for invertebspecies; %, percent; ND, no data] Map number Site name Habitat index Benthic invertebrate indices Benth

Overall GLEAS score1

1GLEAS score categories: excellent (111–135), good (75–102), fair (39–66), and poor (0–30).

HBI

score2

2HBI score categories.

Excellent (0–3.50)Very good (3.51–4.50)Good (4.51–5.50)Fair (5.51–6.50)Fairly-poor (6.51–7.50)Poor (7.51–8.50)Very poor (8.51–10.00)

Mean

tolerance 

value

Total

taxa

richness

EPT

taxa 

richness

% EPT of 

total taxa

richness

ShannonWiener

diversity

Total

taxa

 richness

Diatom

taxa

richness

% 

t

r

3Calculated for diatoms only according to Bahls (1993) to assess water quality stress.

13 Thornberry Creek near 

Howard, Wis.

79

Good

3.80

Very good

3.19

Excellent

18 10 56 2.28 43 37 

10 Trout Creek near Howard, 

Wis.

83

Good

5.25

Good

5.03

Good

32 10 31 4.22 44 36 

14 Lancaster Brook at Shawano 

Avenue near Howard, Wis.

78

Good

5.12

Good

4.93

Good

34 11 32 4.13 47 41 

5 Duck Creek at Seminary Road 

near Oneida, Wis.4

4Algal data for Duck Creek were not available at the time this report was published.

66

Fair

6.35

Fair

5.48

Good

27 6 22 3.54 ND ND 

4 Oneida Creek at Van Boxtel 

Road near Oneida, Wis.

68

Fair to good

5.32

Good

5.33

Good

20 8 40 2.74 46 37 

17 Dutchman Creek at Cyrus 

Lane near Ashwaubenon, Wis.

59

Fair

6.75

Fairly poor

7.06

Fairly poor

22 1 5 2.76 38 28 
SURFACE-WATER QUALITY 17

richness, which is the total number of taxa in a sample 

for all orders of aquatic invertebrates. Taxa richness is 

considered to be inversely related to the amount of 

stress on the benthic community, and EPT taxa richness 

is a measure of those invertebrates that are most intolerant of stress indicated by water of impaired quality. 

Therefore, decreasing EPT taxa richness generally indicates decreasing water-quality (Plafkin and others, 

1989; Lenat, 1993). The Shannon-Wiener diversity 

index incorporates species richness as well as dominance. Low diversity values generally indicate poor 

water quality; however, low EPT and diversity values 

also may be found for small, pristine (low-productivity 

or low-pH) headwater streams (Plafkin and others, 

1989). 

Results of the HBI calculations indicated “good” to 

“very good” water quality at most sites sampled. The 

HBI for the Thornberry Creek site indicates that the 

benthic macroinvertebrate community is characteristic 

of a stream with “very good” water quality. The Thornberry Creek drainage basin consists primarily of forests 

and wetlands, and receives ground-water discharge that 

helps maintain its base flow. Trout Creek, Lancaster 

Brook, and Oneida Creek (sites 10, 15, and 4) had 

benthic communities that would indicate “good” water 

quality according to the results of the HBI. The HBI for 

Duck Creek in 1998 was “fair” and therefore unchanged 

from that reported for this site by Lenz and Rheaume 

(2000) for sampling in 1993 through 1995. The HBI 

evaluation of Dutchman Creek (site 17) indicates 

“fairly poor” water quality with respect to the macroinvertebrate community. The macroinvertebrates at 

Dutchman Creek may be limited by a drainage basin 

that is heavily farmed, with little or no riparian corridor; 

moreover, many fields are tile drained, resulting in 

intermittent flow during dry periods.

HBI scores generally correlated with the TBI values. According to both indices, Thornberry Creek has 

the fewest pollutant-tolerant species. Dutchman Creek, 

with a basin consisting of 92 percent agricultural land, 

has the most pollutant-tolerant species. The mean tolerance value for Duck Creek was higher in 1998 than in 

1993–95, when TBI values ranged from 4.67 to 5.00 

(Lenz and Rheaume, 2000). With the exception of 

Thornberry Creek, HBI and TBI values for sites sampled in 1997–98 were, on average, higher than those 

reported by Rheaume and others (1996) for minimally 

affected or “benchmark” streams in the same RHU (relatively homogeneous units, areas of similar land use, 

surficial deposits and bedrock type).

Total taxa richness ranged from a low of 18 and 

20 genera for Thornberry and Oneida Creeks, respectively, to a high of 32 and 34 genera for Trout and Lancaster Creeks. Abundant mayfly larvae were found 

during qualitative sampling in a small ponded sidechannel near the top of the reach at Oneida Creek. EPT taxa 

richness was lowest at Dutchman Creek and was represented by one genus (5 percent of total taxa richness). 

The highest EPT values were found at Thornberry 

Creek, Trout Creek, and Lancaster Brook. However, 

EPT taxa represented the greatest percentage of all taxa 

at Thornberry Creek, where 10 of 18, or 56 percent of 

the total number of genera, were EPT genera. This result 

agrees with the HBI and TBI and indicates that this site 

has the best water quality of all sampled sites. Rheaume 

and others (1996) found maximum percent EPT values 

of 46 to 57 in benchmark streams in this RHU. Percent 

EPT taxa during the 1997–98 sampling also may be 

compared to a range of 9 to 31 at the Duck Creek site for 

1993–95 reported by Lenz and Rheaume (2000). 

The low Shannon-Wiener diversity value at Thornberry Creek is likely due to the low productivity in this 

small headwater stream and not the result of impaired 

water-quality; this conclusion is supported by the other 

invertebrate indices for this site. High diversity indices 

are evidence that the invertebrate communities have 

minor stress or no stress at Trout Creek and Lancaster 

Brook. Progressively lower diversity values at Duck, 

Oneida, and Dutchman Creeks, when considered 

together with the other indices, are evidence that invertebrate communities at these sites may be stressed.

Benthic Algae

Benthic algae found at the five ecological sampling 

sites are listed in table 7. Algal data was not available 

for Duck Creek at the time this report was published. 

Indices calculated for algae included total taxa (species) 

richness, diatom taxa (species) richness, percent diatom 

taxa, Shannon-Wiener diversity (Brewer, 1979) for diatoms only, percentage of diatoms that are pollution sensitive or tolerant (Lange-Bertalot, 1979; Bahls, 1993), 

and a diatom pollution index (Bahls, 1993). Bahls’ diatom pollution index is calculated from the fraction of 

diatoms that are considered most tolerant, less tolerant, 

and sensitive based on the tolerance groups of LangeBertalot (1979). The evaluation of diatom pollution 

index scores in this report is based on four categories 

presented in Bahls (1993) for Montana streams: severe 

pollution (< 1.50), moderate pollution (1.50 to 2.00), 
18 Surface-Water Quality, Oneida Reservation and Vicinity, Wisconsin, 1997–98

Table 6. Benthic invertebrates collected at selected water-quality-sampling sites, Oneida Reservation, Wisconsin, 

May 1998

Scientific name Organism 

ID

Occurrence at site 

by map number Scientific name Organism 

ID

Occurrence at site 

by map number

4 5 10 13 14 17 4 5 10 13 14 17

Phylum: Arthropoda Genus: Ceratopsyche 04040700 X

Class: Insecta/Hexapoda Species: slossonae 04040706 X X

Order: Plecoptera 01000000 X (pupae) 04040900 X X

Family: Capniidae 01010000 X X X X Family: Hydroptilidae 04050000 XXX

Family: Nemouridae Genus: Stactobiella 04050900 XX X

Genus: Amphinemura Family: Lepidostomatidae

Species: delosa 01040101 X Genus: Lepidostoma 04060100 X

Genus: Nemoura Family: Limnephilidae 04080000 X

Species: trispinosa 01040201 X Genus: Ironoquia 04080600 X

Family: Perlidae Genus: Limnephilus 04080700 X

Genus: Perlesta 01050500 X X X X Genus: Pycnopsyche 04081300 XXX

Family: Perlodidae Family: Philopotamidae

Genus: Isoperla Genus: Wormaldia

Species: nana 01060408 X Species: moesta 04110301 X

Genus: Clioperla Family: Psychomyiidae

Species: clio 01060501 X Genus: Psychomyia

Order: Ephemeroptera Species: flavida 04140201 X

Family: Baetidae 02010000 X X X X Family: Uenoidae

Genus: Baetis 02010100 X X X X Genus: Neophylax 04190100 XXX

Species: brunneicolor 02010101 X X Order: Lepidoptera 06000000 X X

Species: flavistriga 02010104 XXX XX Order: Coleoptera

Genus: Acerpenna Family: Dryopidae

Species: pygmaea 02011102 X Genus: Helichus

Family: Heptageniidae 02060000 X X Species: striatus 07010103 X X

Genus: Stenacron Family: Elmidae 07020000 X

Species: interpunctatum 02060501 X Genus: Dubiraphia 07020200 X

Genus: Stenonema 02060600 X X Genus: Optioservus 07020500 XXXXX

Species: femoratum 02060602 X X Species: fastiditus 07020501 XXXX

Species: vicarium 02060608 X Genus: Stenelmis 07020600 XX X

Family: Leptophlebiidae Species: crenata 07020601 XX X

Genus: Leptophlebia 02070100 X X Family: Dytiscidae 07050000 X

Order: Odonata Family: Hydrophilidae

Family: Cordulegastridae Genus: Anacaena

Genus: Cordulegaster 03040100 X Species: lutescens 07090102 X

Order: Trichoptera Family: Staphylinidae

(pupae) 04000200 X Genus: Stenus 07130200 X

Family: Glossosomatidae Family: Curculionidae 07140000 X

Genus: Agapetus 04020100 X Genus: Bagous 07140300 X

(pupae) 04020400 X Order: Diptera 08000200 X

Family: Hydropsychidae 04040000 X X Family: Ceratopogonidae 08030000 X

Genus: Cheumatopsyche 04040100 X X X X X Genus: Probezzia 08030600 X

Genus: Hydropsyche 04040200 X Family: Empididae 08070000 X

Species: betteni 04040201 X X Genus: Hemerodromia 08070200 XX X

Genus: Diplectrona Genus: Chelifera 08070300 X X

Species: modesta 04040301 X (pupae) 08071600 X
SURFACE-WATER QUALITY 19

Family: Simuliidae 08110000 X X X Claripennis Group 08301402 X

Genus: Cnephia Genus: Hydrobaenus 08301700 X

Species: ornithophila 08110102 X Genus: Limnophyes 08301800 X X

(pupae) 08110104 X Genus: N. (Nanocladius) 08302300 X X

Genus: Simulium 08110200 X X X X X Species: rectinervis 08302306 X X

Species: venustum 08110215 X Genus: O. (Orthocladius) 08302600 XXX XX

Species: verecundum 08110216 X X X X X X Genus: Thienemanniella 08304700 X XX

Species: vittatum 08110217 X Genus: Tvetenia

(pupae) 08110245 X X X X Species: Sp. A 08304801 X X

Genus: Prosimulium 08110300 X Genus: Xylotopus

Family: Tabanidae Species: par 08304901 X

Genus: Chrysops 08130100 X Subfamily: Tanytarsini 08310000 XXX

Family: Tipulidae (pupae) 08310001 XXX

Genus: Antocha 08140100 X X Genus: Cladotanytarsus

Genus: Limnophila 08140800 X Vanderwulpi Group 08310114 X X

Genus: Tipula 08141200 X Genus: Micropsectra 08310300 X X

(pupae) 08141300 X Genus: Paratanytarsus

Family: Dixidae Species: Sp. A 08310401 X X

Genus: Dixa 08150200 X Genus: Rheotanytarsus 08310500 X

Family: Chironomidae 08250000 X X X X X Genus: Stempellinella 08310700 X

(pupae) 08250002 X X X Genus: Tanytarsus 08310800 XX XX

Subfamily: Tanypodinae 08270000 X X X Subfamily: Chironomini 08320000 X X

(pupae) 08270001 X X X X X (pupae) 08320001 X X

Genus: Ablabesmyia Genus: Chironomus 08320600 X X

Species: mallochi 08270105 X Genus: Cryptochironomus 08320800 X

Genus: Conchapelopia 08270700 X X X X Genus: Cryptotendipes 08320900 X

Genus: Nilotanypus 08271900 X X Genus: Microtendipes 08322500 X

Subfamily: Orthocladiinae 08300000 X X X X X Genus: Paratendipes 08323200 X X XX

(pupae) 08300001 X X X X X Genus: Polypedilum 08323400 X

Genus: Brillia Species: Nr. convictum 08323425 XXX X

Flavifrons Group 08300407 X Species: Nr. fallax 08323426 XXX X

Genus: Chaetocladius 08300600 X X X Species: Nr. illinoense 08323428 XXX

Acutricornis Group 08300601 X Species: Nr. scalaenum 08323429 X

Piger Group 08300603 X X X Genus: Stictochironomus 08324000 X X XX

Genus: Corynoneura 08300800 X Order: Heteroptera/ Hemiptera

Species: taris 08300804 X X X Family: Veliidae

Genus: C. (Cricotopus) Genus: Microvelia 19050100 X

Bicinctus Group 08300901 X X X X Family: Corixidae

Festivellus Group 08300903 X X Genus: Sigara 19070900 X

Tremulus Group 08300906 XX XX Class: Crustacea

Genus: C. (Isocladius) Order: Amphipoda

Sylvestris Group 08301007 X Family: Gammaridae

Genus: Diplocladius 08301200 X Genus: Gammarus

Genus: Eukiefferiella 08301400 X X X X X Species: pseudolimnaeus 09010201 XXXX

Brehmi Group 08301401 XXX XX

Table 6. Benthic invertebrates collected at selected water-quality-sampling sites, Oneida Reservation, Wisconsin, 

May 1998—Continued

Scientific name Organism 

ID

Occurrence at site 

by map number Scientific name Organism 

ID

Occurrence at site 

by map number

4 5 10 13 14 17 4 5 10 13 14 17
20 Surface-Water Quality, Oneida Reservation and Vicinity, Wisconsin, 1997–98

Order: Eucopepoda Order: Limnophila

Family: Cyclopidae 21020000 X X X X Family: Physidae

Order: Isopoda Genus: Physa 14040200 X

Family: Asellidae 10010000 X Family: Planorbidae

Genus: Asellus 10010100 X X Genus: Gyraulus 14050100 X X

Order: Ostracoda Class: Pelecypoda

Family: Unknown 27000000 X Order: Veneroida

Class: Arachnoidea Family: Sphaeriidae

Order: Acari Genus: Sphaerium 15010200 X XX

Family: Unknown 11000000 X X X X Genus: Pisidium 15010300 X

Phylum: Platyhelminthes Phylum: Annelida

Class: Turbellaria Class: Oligochaeta

Unknown 13000000 X Unknown 16000000 X XX

Phylum: Mollusca Order: Haplotaxida

Class: Gastropoda Family: Naididae 16020000 X XX

Unknown 14000000 X Family: Haplotaxoida 16060000 X

Family: Tubificidae 16030000 XX XX

Table 6. Benthic invertebrates collected at selected water-quality-sampling sites, Oneida Reservation, Wisconsin, 

May 1998—Continued

Scientific name Organism 

ID

Occurrence at site 

by map number Scientific name Organism 

ID

Occurrence at site 

by map number

4 5 10 13 14 17 4 5 10 13 14 17

minor pollution (2.01 to 2.50), and no pollution 

(> 2.50). These ratings have not been calibrated for 

Wisconsin and should be applied with caution. The 

algal complement to EPT in invertebrates, diatoms are 

generally sensitive to changes in water quality, and a 

decrease in number of diatom taxa is usually associated 

with decreasing water quality. Various metrics related to 

the abundance and distribution of diatoms have been 

successfully used in water-quality assessment worldwide for decades.

Overall algal relative abundance was greatest at 

Oneida Creek (> 2 x 107

 cells/cm2) and smallest at 

Thornberry and Dutchman Creeks (< 9 x 105

 cells/cm2) 

(table 8). Algal biovolume per unit area also followed 

this pattern. Taxa richness was lowest at Dutchman 

Creek, and the percentage of diatom taxa was 74 percent, compared to 80 to 87 percent at the other sampled 

sites. The lower percentage of diatom taxa at Dutchman 

Creek indicates some water-quality impairment; however, a substantial diatom community still exists here. 

Visible algal mats and abundant growth of the filamentous green alga Cladophora were found at Dutchman 

Creek, which suggest high nutrient concentrations in 

the water.

The Shannon-Wiener diversity values for just diatoms ranged from 3.05 to 3.85 and were ranked as follows from lowest to highest: Dutchman Creek<Trout 

Creek<Oneida Creek<Lancaster Brook<Thornberry 

Creek. These values indicate increasing water quality in 

this order. If ratings are calibrated with a method similar 

to that of Lenat (1993) using the 25th and 75th percentiles of data for 37 sites in the Western Lake Michigan 

drainages USGS NAWQA program (Barbara Scudder, 

U.S. Geological Survey, unpublished data), then diversity values may indicate community stress as follows: 

< 2.30 (high stress), 2.30 to 3.29 (moderate stress), 3.30 

to 4.29 (minor stress), and > 4.30 (no stress). Although 

this ranking should be interpreted with caution because 

of the small sample size, it indicates that four of five 

streams sampled in this study are subject to only minor 

stress as shown by diversity values. Only the diversity 

scores for Dutchman Creek indicate moderate stress.

The diatom pollution index (Bahls, 1993) indicates 

increasing pollution stress on the diatom community 

with decreasing scores. As was seen with other invertebrate and algal metrics discussed previously, the score 

for Dutchman Creek (1.70) indicates moderate pollution in this stream. Pollution indices for Thornberry and 

Trout Creeks indicate possible minor pollution in these 

streams, and indices for Lancaster Brook and Oneida 

Creek appear to show no stress due to pollution. Percentages of diatoms that were pollution sensitive were 

greatest at Oneida Creek (66 percent) and at Lancaster 

Brook (56 percent), and lowest by far at Dutchman 

Creek (10 percent). In contrast, pollution-tolerant 
SURFACE-WATER QUALITY 21

Table 7. Algae collected at selected water-quality-sampling sites, Oneida Reservation, Wisconsin, May 1998

Scientific name

Occurrence at site

by map number Scientific name

Occurrence at site

by map number

4 10 13 14 17 4 10 13 14 17

Phylum: Chlorophycophyta Genus: Cocconeis

Family: Chaetophoraceae Species: placentula

Genus: Stigeoclonium Variety: euglypta XXXX

Species: lubricum X X Species: placentula

Family: Chlamydomonadaceae Variety: lineata XXXXX

Genus:Chlamydomonas sp. X X X Species: placentula X XX

Family: Cladophoraceae Family: Diatomaceae

Genus:Cladophora Genus: Diatoma

Species: Glomerata X X X Species: vulgare XX X

Family: Desmidiaceae Genus: Fragilaria

Genus:Closterium Species: capucina

Species: acerosum X X Variety: mesolepta X X

Family: Oedogoniaceae Species: capucina

Genus:Oedogonium sp. X X X Variety: rumpens X

Family: Oocystaceae Species: construens

Genus:Ankistrodesmus Variety: pumila X

Species: falcatus X X X Species: fasciculata X XX

Genus:Kirchneriella Species: leptostauron X

Species: lunaris X X Species: pinnata X

Genus:Oocystis sp. X Species: tenera X

Family: Scenedesmaceae Species: vaucheriae XX X

Genus:Actinastrum Genus: Meridion

Species: hantzschii X Species: circulare XXX

Genus:Scenedesmus Species: circulare

Species: quadricauda X Variety: constrictum XXX

Genus:Tetrastrum Genus: Opephora

Species: staurogeniaeforme X Species: martyi X

Family: Ulvaceae Genus: Synedra

Genus: Schizomeris Species: parasitica X X

Species: leibleinii X Species: ulna XXXXX

Phylum: Chrysophycophyta Genus: Tabellaria

Family: Achnanthaceae Species: fenestrata X

Genus: Achnanthes Family: Dinobryaceae

Species: affinis X Genus: Dinobryon sp. X

Species: deflexa X Family: Melosiraceae

Species: detha X Genus: Melosira

Species: exigua Species: italica X

Variety: elliptica X Species: varians XX X

Species: exigua X Family: Naviculaceae

Species: lanceolata Genus: Amphora

Variety: dubia X X Species: ovalis

Species: lanceolata X X X X X Variety: affinis X

Genus: Achnanthes Species: perpusilla XXXXX

Species: minutissima XXXX

Species: pinnata XX XX
22 Surface-Water Quality, Oneida Reservation and Vicinity, Wisconsin, 1997–98

Genus: Caloneis Genus: Navicula

Species: amphisbaena X X X X Species: halophila

Species: bacillum X X X X Variety: tenuirostris X

Species: limosa X Species: gregaria XXXXX

Genus: Cymbella Species: ignota

Species: minuta Variety: palustris X

Variety: silesiaca X Species: incerta X

Genus: Entomoneis Species: lanceolata XXX X

Species: paludosa X Species: libonensis X

Genus: Frustulia Species: luzonensis XX X

Species: vulgaris X Species: menisculus X X

Genus: Gomphonema Species: menisculus

Species: acuminatum X Variety: upsaliensis X XX

Species: affine X X X Species: minima XXXXX

Species: angustatum X X X X X Species: molestiformis X X

Species: intricatum Species: mutica X X

Variety: pumila X X Species: omissa X

Species: minutum X Species: pelliculosa X X

Species:olivaceum X X X Species: protracta XXX

Species: parvulum X X X X X Species: pseudoscutiformis X

Species: truncatum Species: radiosa

Variety: capitatum X X X Variety: tenella XXXXX

Genus: Gyrosigma Species: reinhardtii X

Species: acuminatum X Species: rhynchocephala

Species: attenuatum X X X Variety: germainii X

Species: scalproides X Species: salinarum

Genus: Navicula Variety: intermedia XXXXX

Species: accomoda X X Species: sanctae-crucis X X

Species: aikenensis X Species: seminuloides X X

Species: atomus X X X Species: seminulum X X

Species: bryophila X Species: subhamulata X

Species: canalis X Species: tenelloides X X

Species: capitata X X X X X Species: tenera X X

Species: capitata Species: tripunctata

Variety: hungarica X Variety: schizonemoides X

Species: capitata Species: tripunctata XXXXX

Variety: lunebergensis X Species: viridula

Species: cincta X X Variety: avenacea XXX

Species: circumtexta X Genus: Neidium

Species: costulata X Species: affine X

Species: cryptocephala X X X Genus: Pinnularia

Genus: Navicula Species: subcapitata X

Species: cryptocephala Genus: Reimeria

Variety: veneta X X X Species: sinuata X

Species: decussis X X X Genus: Rhoicosphenia

Species: curvata XX XX

Table 7. Algae collected at selected water-quality-sampling sites, Oneida Reservation, Wisconsin, May 1998—Continued

Scientific name

Occurrence at site

by map number Scientific name

Occurrence at site

by map number

4 10 13 14 17 4 10 13 14 17
SURFACE-WATER QUALITY 23

Genus: Stauroneis Genus: Cyclotella

Species: ignorata Species: pseudostelligera X

Variety: rupestris X Genus: Stephanodiscus

Species: kriegeri X Species: hantzschii X X

Family: Nitzschiaceae Species: minutus X X

Genus: Hantzschia Genus: Thalassiosira

Species: amphioxys X Species: pseudonana X

Genus: Nitzschia Species: weissflogii X

Species: accommodata X X X X Family: Vaucheriaceae

Species: acicularis X X X X X Genus: Vaucheria sp. X

Species: amphibia XX X Phylum: Cyanophycophyta

Species: capitellata X X X X Undetermined Blue-green sp.

Species: constricta XX X (coccoid 5–10 μ) X X X X X

Species: dissipata Family: Chroococcaceae

Variety: media X X X Genus: Merismopedia

Species: dissipata X X X X X Species: elegans X

Species: fonticola X Species: glauca X

Species: frustulum Family: Nostocaceae

Variety: perminuta X Genus: Amphithrix

Species: frustulum X X X X Species: janthina XX XX

Species: gracilis X X Family: Oscillatoriaceae

Species: hungarica X X Genus: Hydrocoleum

Species: inconspicua X X X X X Species: brebissonii XXX X

Species: intermedia X X Genus: Lyngbya

Species: liebethruthii X Species: aestuarii XXXX

Species: linearis X X X X X sp. 1 ANS FWA X X X

Species: littoralis X Genus:oscillatoria

Species: palea X X X X X sp. 1 ANS FWA X X X X X

Species: recta X X X X X Genus: Oscillatoria

Species: sigma X X Species: limosa X

Species: sigmoidea X X X X Species: splendida X

Species: tryblionella Phylum: Euglenophycophyta

Variety: levidensis X Family: Euglenaceae

Genus:simonsenia Genus: Euglena sp. X X

Species: delogni X Genus: Phacus sp. X X

Family: Surirellaceae Genus: Tachelomonas

Genus: Cymatopleura Species: hispida X X

Species: solea X X Species: volvocina XXXXX

Genus: Surirella Phylum: Rhodophycophyta

Species: angusta X X X Family: Chantransiacea

Species: minuta X X X Genus: Audouinella

Species: ovata X X X X X Species: violacea XX XX

Family: Thalassiosiraceae Phylum: Undetermined

Genus: Cyclotella (flagellate <10 μg/L) XXX

Species: meneghiniana XX XX

Species: ocellata X

Table 7. Algae collected at selected water-quality-sampling sites, Oneida Reservation, Wisconsin, May 1998—Continued

Scientific name

Occurrence at site

by map number Scientific name

Occurrence at site

by map number

4 10 13 14 17 4 10 13 14 17
24 Surface-Water Quality, Oneida Reservation and Vicinity, Wisconsin, 1997–98

diatoms made up 40 percent of the abundance of all diatoms at Dutchman Creek and only 1.2 percent (Lancaster Brook) to 5.3 percent (Thornberry Creek) at the 

other four sites where benthic algal communities were 

sampled.

Nitrogen-fixing algae were represented by one species of blue-green algae, Amphithrix janthina, and its 

relative abundance was highest (24.3 percent) at Oneida 

Creek. This alga was not found in Thornberry Creek. 

Nitrogen-fixing algae are typically found in streams that 

are nitrogen limited (Lowe, 1974), but their presence 

also may indicate low nitrogen to phosphorus ratios in 

the water column (Burkholder (1996). A. janthena is a 

suspected nitrogen fixer (Stephen Porter, U.S. Geological Survey, oral commun., May 12, 2000).

With regard to relative abundance (cells/cm2), diatoms were the dominant algal division at Dutchman 

Creek, Thornberry Creek, and Lancaster Brook, and 

blue-green algae were subdominant at these sites. Bluegreen algae were the dominant algal division at Oneida 

and Trout Creeks in relative abundance. The largest biovolume was due to diatoms (>74 percent) at all sites 

except at Dutchman Creek, where a large amount of 

green algae biovolume (66 percent) indicated decreased 

water quality. Green algae composed <1 percent of the 

relative abundance and biovolume at all other sampled 

sites. An abundance of green algae is commonly related 

to elevated nitrogen concentrations in streams. Euglenoids were found only at Trout Creek, and in minor 

amounts. Relative abundance of red algae was less than 

2 percent except at Lancaster Brook and was due 

entirely to Audouinella violacea. A value of 8.7 percent 

for this filamentous red alga indicates good water-quality at this site because occurrence of this alga generally 

is associated with relatively cool, clean-flowing water 

(Sheath and Hambrook, 1990); however, it also was 

found in very low abundance in Dutchman Creek. 

EFFECTS OF ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS 

ON SURFACE WATER

Major Influences In and Near the Oneida 

Reservation

Results of surface-water-quality sampling indicated that the dominance of agricultural land (more than 

80 percent of the land use in the basin) was the strongest 

determining factor on water quality in streams of the 

Oneida Reservation. Secondary influences included 

15 point sources of contaminants within the vicinity of 

the Oneida Reservation, size of the drainage basin, and 

clayey surficial deposits. Timing and flow conditions of 

samplings were reflected in the results of water-quality 

analyses. The effects of secondary factors were commonly masked by the influences of land use on surfacewater-quality.

Table 8. Percent relative abundance and biovolume of all algae in five streams according to taxonomic division, May 1998

[No algal data available for Duck Creek at Seminary Road near Oneida, Wis. (site 5)]

Map

number Site Measure

Algal division (percent)

Diatoms Green Bluegreen Euglenoid Red Unidentified

Flagellate

4 Oneida Creek at Van Boxtel 

Road near Oneida, Wis.

Relative abundance 7.14 0.224 92.0 0 0.628 0

Biovolume 74.5 .147 22.3 0 3.04 0

10 Trout Creek near 

Howard, Wis.

Relative abundance 30.2 0 68.3 .117 1.41 0

Biovolume 93.8 0 5.09 .017 1.13 0

13 Thornberry Creek near 

Howard, Wis.

Relative abundance 58.5 .243 28.6 0 0 12.6

Biovolume 97.0 .017 2.24 0 0 .784

14 Lancaster Brook at 

Shawano Avenue near 

Howard, Wis.

Relative abundance 67.6 0 22.0 0 8.70 1.69

Biovolume 93.3 0 1.26 0 5.29 .142

17 Dutchman Creek at Cyrus 

Lane near Ashwaubenon, 

Wis.

Relative abundance 63.1 2.17 25.5 0 1.69 7.47

Biovolume 31.2 66.1 1.69 0 .623 .380
EFFECTS OF ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS ON SURFACE WATER 25

The amount of agricultural land within drainages 

basins of more than half the sampling sites was greater 

than 80 percent. Nearly half the basins contained either 

10 percent forest or 8 percent wetlands. Three basins 

contained more than 10 percent urban land. Average 

concentrations of dissolved nitrite plus nitrate nitrogen 

and total phosphorus were highest for sites dominated 

by agricultural land (agricultural land use of greater 

than 80 percent). Sites in basin dominated by agricultural land also had the highest average concentrations of 

iron and manganese. Sites with greater than 80 percent 

agricultural or 10 percent urban land had the highest 

average concentrations of sodium, chloride, and sulfate. 

Highest average concentrations of pesticides also corresponded to land use; the highest concentrations of atrazine, an agricultural pesticide, occurred at sites 

dominated by agricultural land while the highest concentrations of diazinon, a pesticide used in residential 

and commercial settings, occurred at sites with at least 

10 percent urban land within their drainage basin.

On average, higher concentrations of most constituents were reported for sampling sites with small drainage basins (drainage areas less than 25 mi2) than for 

sites with drainage basins greater than 25 mi2

. Samples 

collected at sites with drainage basins areas greater than 

50 mi2, all of which were on the main stem of Duck 

Creek, had lower concentrations of most analyzed constituents than did samples collected at tributary sampling sites. Average concentrations of nutrients, 

suspended sediment, major ions such as iron and manganese, and pesticides all were higher for tributary sampling sites than main-stem sampling sites. Only majorion concentrations for chloride, sodium, potassium, and 

fluorine were higher at main-stem sampling sites.

Concentrations of major ions above those of background levels at sites located on the Duck Creek main 

stem may be due to input from 13 point sources of contaminants discharging to the stream. Point sources on 

the Oneida Reservation include wastewater-treatment 

plants and municipal and industrial outflows. Samples 

collected from streams in basins that contain at least one 

point source had average concentrations of major ions 

that were higher than basins without any point sources.

Timing and flow conditions of samplings were 

reflected in surface-water-quality results. Average concentrations of dissolved nitrite plus nitrate nitrogen and 

pesticides were highest in samples collected during the 

post-planting runoff sampling. Iron and manganese 

average concentrations were highest in the samples collected during the post-harvest base flow sampling. 

Average concentrations of suspended-sediment in samples collected during runoff samplings were more than 

twice suspended-sediment concentrations from samples 

collected during base flow samplings. At most sites, 

average concentrations of major ions were highest during base flow samplings.

Clayey surficial deposits were the dominant type in 

the vicinity of the Oneida Reservation. Eight sampling 

sites were in basins that have 100 percent clayey surficial deposits. Three other sites are in basins with greater 

than 80 percent clayey surficial deposits. Samples collected at sites representing basins with 100 percent 

clayey surficial deposits had higher average concentrations of some major ions and pesticides than sites with 

basins with less than 80 percent clayey surficial deposits.

Comparison by Land-Use Categories

Because land use appeared to be the dominating 

factor in surface-water quality at sampling sites in the 

Oneida Reservation, water-quality between sites was 

compared according to the dominant land use in the 

drainage basin to each site. Four categories of sites 

emerge when grouped by land use: (1) sites with greater 

than 80 percent agricultural land and less than 

10 percent forest or 8 percent wetland land in their 

draining basins (these will be referred to as “Ag” sites) 

(2) sites with greater than 80 percent agricultural land 

and either greater than 10 percent forest or greater than 

8 percent wetlands in their basins (these will be referred 

to as “Ag/For/Wtld” sites) (3) sites with either greater 

than 10 percent forest or greater than 8 percent wetlands 

and less than 80 percent agricultural land in their basins 

(these will be referred to as “For/Wtld” sites) and 

(4) and sites with greater than 10 percent urban land in 

their basins (these will be referred to as “Urban” sites) 

(table 9). Within each land-use site type, an attempt was 

made to differentiate between water quality at individual sites based on secondary influences such as drainage 

basin area, presence of point sources, flow conditions, 

timing of sampling, and surficial deposits.

Agricultural Sites

Water quality was affected by the dominance of 

agricultural land at the Ag sites. Nutrient concentrations—especially total phosphorus, which exceeded the 

USEPA suggested limit in every sample but one—were 
26 Surface-Water Quality, Oneida Reservation and Vicinity, Wisconsin, 1997–98 Table 9. Water-quality summary of water-quality-sampling sites based on surface-water-quality sampling and ecological assessments, One

1997–98 [X in cell indicates value exceeded USEPA drinking-water-quality criteria (see table 4). Color of cell indicates what quartile the sample result fell into. Red indicates upper quyellow indicates middle quartiles (25–75 percent), green indicates lower quartile (less than 25th percentile). Gray cells indicate no sample was collected.]

Site category

Map number

Results for selected constituents, by sampling period

Total

phosphorus

Dissolved 

nitrite plus 

nitrate nitrogen

Sodium Chloride Sulfate1

1Large ‘X’ indicates exceedance of MCL and SMCL, small ‘o’ indicates exceedance of only SMCL.

Iron Manganese Atrazine Cyanazine 

Late summer base flow 9/97

Late summer base flow 8/98

Post-harvest base flow 11/97

Snowmelt runoff 2/98

Post-planting runoff 6/98

Late summer base flow 9/97

Late summer base flow 8/98

Post-harvest base flow 11/97

Snowmelt runoff 2/98

Post-planting runoff 6/98

Late summer base flow 9/97

Late summer base flow 8/98

Post-harvest base flow 11/97

Snowmelt runoff 2/98

Post-planting runoff 6/98

Late summer base flow 9/97

Late summer base flow 8/98

Post-harvest base flow 11/97

Snowmelt runoff 2/98

Post-planting runoff 6/98

Late summer base flow 9/97

Late summer base flow 8/98

Post-harvest base flow 11/97

Snowmelt runoff 2/98

Post-planting runoff 6/98

Late summer base flow 9/97

Late summer base flow 8/98

Post-harvest base flow 11/97

Snowmelt runoff 2/98

Post-planting runoff 6/98

Late summer base flow 9/97

Late summer base flow 8/98

Post-harvest base flow 11/97

Snowmelt runoff 2/98

Post-planting runoff 6/98

Late summer base flow 9/97

Late summer base flow 8/98

Post-harvest base flow 11/97

Snowmelt runoff 2/98

Post-planting runoff 6/98

Late summer base flow 9/97

Late summer base flow 8/98

Post-harvest base flow 11/97

Snowmelt runoff 2/98

Post-planting runoff 6/98

Ag

17

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X o X

X

X 

18

X

16

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

6 X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

2 X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

1 X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

4 X

X

X

X

X

X

X 

Ag/For/Wtl

5 X

X 

8 X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

3 X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

For/Wtld

11

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

9 X

X

X

X

X

10

X

X

X

X

X 

14 15

X

X

X

X

X

13 

Urban

12

X

X

X

X

X

19

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

7 X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X
EFFECTS OF ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS ON SURFACE WATER 27

high at every Ag site relative to other site types, especially those with less than 80 percent agricultural land 

in their basins. The MCL for dissolved nitrite plus 

nitrate nitrogen was exceeded at three of the seven sites. 

Water from North Branch Ashwaubenon Creek (site 16) 

had the highest nutrient concentrations, including a concentration of dissolved nitrite plus nitrate nitrogen that 

was seven times the MCL. Water from Duck Creek near 

Freedom, Wis. (site 2), which has five point sources in 

its basin consisting of four wastewater-treatment plants 

and one industrial outfall, had the highest sodium and 

chloride concentrations of all the water-quality sites. 

Sodium concentrations in samples collected at five of 

the seven sites had exceedances of the sodium HA for at 

least 75 percent of the samples. Concentrations of manganese were elevated for samples collected at five of the 

seven Ag sites, as compared to drinking-water-quality 

criteria and concentrations of water samples collected at 

site types other than Ag and Urban sites. Exceedances 

of the USEPA drinking-water-quality criteria were 

found for atrazine in samples from four sites and for 

cyanazine in samples from two sites.

Habitat was reported to be “fair” for the Dutchman 

Creek site and “fair to good” at Oneida Creek. On the 

basis of the HBI calculation, the water quality at Dutchman Creek at Cyrus Lane (site 17) rated “fairly poor.” 

The HBI calculated for Oneida Creek (site 4) indicates 

that the benthic-macroinvertebrate community is characteristic of a stream with “good” water quality. For 

benthic algae, the Shannon-Wiener diversity index and 

the pollution index for Dutchman Creek indicate that 

diatoms in this stream are under moderate environmental stress. A large number of tolerant diatoms and green 

algae were present at this site. Results for algal metrics 

were somewhat conflicting for Oneida Creek and indicated possible minor environmental stress with regard 

to diatom diversity. This is despite the fact that the 

greatest percentages of pollution-sensitive diatoms and 

suspected nitrogen-fixing blue-green algae of all ecological sampling sites were found here.

Agricultural/Forest/Wetland Sites

Eighty percent of land use in Ag/For/Wtld basins is 

agricultural, which greatly influences water quality at 

the sampling sites in those basins. The concentration of 

total phosphorus in nearly every sample exceeded the 

USEPA suggested limit. In contrast, the concentrations 

of dissolved nitrite plus nitrate nitrogen were moderate 

to low as compared to drinking-water-quality criteria, 

with no exceedances of the MCL. Eight point sources 

(five wastewater-treatment plants and three industrial 

outfalls) were in the basin of the upstream Duck Creek 

site (site 5). Four more point sources (three wastewatertreatment plants and one municipal outfall) were 

located along Duck Creek between the upstream site 

(site 5) and the downstream site (site 8). Sodium 

concentrations in samples collected at the three 

Ag/For/Wtld sites were high, like the Ag and Urban 

sites, with 9 of 10 samples exceeding the HA. Iron and 

manganese concentrations were moderate to low compared to concentrations at other sites, with the exception 

of one exceedance of the manganese SMCL at Fish 

Creek (site 3). The MCL for atrazine was exceeded at 

only one site, Fish Creek (site 3).

The GLEAS habitat rating for Duck Creek was 

“fair” (Fitzpatrick and Giddings, 1997), and the HBI 

and mean tolerance values indicated that the benthic 

invertebrate community also was in “fair” condition at 

this site. Analyses for Duck Creek algae data are not yet 

available.

Forest/Wetland Sites

At For/Wtld sites, which are those in basins containing less than 80 percent agricultural land and either 

more than 10 percent forest or 8 percent wetlands, concentrations of nutrients and pesticides was lower than at 

sites with more than 80 percent agricultural land. Less 

than 30 percent of the samples collected had total phosphorus concentrations that exceeded the USEPA suggested limit for flowing waters. Only one sample, 

collected at Trout Creek near Howard, Wis. (site 10), 

had a concentration of dissolved nitrite plus nitrate 

nitrogen greater than the MCL. The most downstream 

sampling site on Duck Creek (site 11) had thirteen point 

sources (eight wastewater-treatment plants and five 

industrial and municipal outfalls) within its basin. Trout 

Creek at CT Highway U (site 9) had one point source, 

an industrial outfall, within its basin. Concentrations of 

sodium in samples collected at For/Wtld sites were 

comparable to sodium concentrations at Ag/For/Wtld 

sites, and both were lower than concentrations of 

sodium from the Ag and Urban sites. Concentrations of 

sodium were consistently moderate for Lancaster Brook 

at Howard, Wis. (site 15) as compared to other For/Wtld 

sites. The sulfate concentration in one sample collected 

at Trout Creek at CT Highway U (site 9) exceeded the 

MCL. The manganese SMCL was exceeded at only one 

site, Trout Creek at CT Highway U (site 9). Pesticide 
28 Surface-Water Quality, Oneida Reservation and Vicinity, Wisconsin, 1997–98

concentrations were elevated in samples collected from 

three of the five For/Wtld sites sampled as compared to 

concentrations of pesticides in samples collected at 

other Ag/For/Wtld and Urban sites.

Habitat evaluations for the three For/Wtld sites 

were rated “good” at all sites. On the basis of the 

benthic-macroinvertebrate community at each site, the 

HBI’s calculated for each of the For/Wtld sites indicate 

that water quality is “very good” to “good.” ShannonWiener diversity indices for diatoms indicate only 

minor stress on the algal community, and the pollution 

index for diatoms indicates minor stress or no stress. 

Diatoms or nitrogen-fixing blue-green algae were dominant at these sites, an indication of relatively good 

water quality.

Urban Sites

Concentrations of total phosphorus in samples collected at Urban sites were low to moderate compared to 

concentrations at sites in basins with more than 

80 percent agricultural land, with concentrations of 4 of 

15 samples exceeding the suggested MCL. No exceedances were found for dissolved nitrite plus nitrate nitrogen. Dutchman Creek (site 18) and the Dutchman Creek 

tributary (site 19) each had one point source within 

their drainage basins (an industrial outfall in the basin of 

site 18 and a wastewater-treatment plant in the basin of 

site 19). Sodium concentrations for every sample collected at Urban sites exceeded the HA. Chloride concentrations for samples collected at two of the three 

sites were high as compared to chloride concentrations 

of samples from the Ag/For/Wtld and For/Wtld sites. 

Like the Ag sites, manganese concentrations in samples 

collected at two sites were high, especially at the 

Unnamed Duck Creek tributary (site 7), where concentrations for each of the four samples exceeded the 

SMCL. The concentration of diazinon, an urban insecticide, exceeded the HA in a sample collected at Beaver 

Dam Creek (site 12) and was present at moderate concentrations, as compared to drinking-water-quality criteria, in a sample collected at the Unnamed Duck Creek 

tributary at Haven Place (site 7). No habitat, benthic 

invertebrate, or benthic algal collections were done at 

Urban sites.

SUMMARY

Streamwater samples were collected at 19 sites on 

the Oneida Reservation during four different sampling 

periods in 1997–98. Ecological samples and information were collected at six of those sites.

Physical characteristics of drainage-basins such as 

land use and surficial deposits, point-source discharges 

of contaminants, drainage-basin area, and the flow conditions and time of year of the sampling (fall base flow, 

post-harvest base flow, snowmelt runoff, post-planting 

runoff) influenced surface-water quality measured by 

the USGS of the Oneida Reservation and vicinity. Land 

use—agricultural in particular—affected water quality 

at many sites.

Total phosphorus and dissolved nitrite plus nitrate 

nitrogen concentrations, often exceeding USEPA suggested limits and drinking-water-quality criteria, were 

relatively high compared to those criteria during all 

sampling periods for many sites. Nutrient concentrations were influenced by agricultural fertilizers as well 

as by point sources. 

Concentrations of major ions, like sodium and 

chloride, in the samples collected were likely influenced by discharge from point sources. Concentrations 

of major ions, such as iron and manganese, can be influenced by naturally occurring background concentrations resulting from ground water discharge or 

streambed sediment leaching, and by discharge from 

point sources. Sodium and manganese were the most 

common major ions that exceeded drinking-water-quality criteria.

Concentrations of pesticides such as atrazine, 

cyanazine, and diazinon exceeded USEPA drinkingwater-quality criteria at various sites during the different sampling periods. Atrazine, cyanazine, metolachlor, 

and acetochlor were found at elevated concentrations in 

samples collected at several sites other than those in 

basins with greater than 10 percent urban land. Diazinon was the pesticide found at concentrations exceeding 

USEPA drinking-water-quality criteria at the sites in 

basins with more than 10 percent urban land.

Habitat evaluations show Thornberry Creek, Trout 

Creek, and Lancaster Brook to have “good” stream habitat. The habitat assessment of Oneida, Duck, and 

Dutchman Creeks indicated that agricultural land use 

and intermittent flows reduce stream-habitat quality. 

Dutchman Creek is further impaired by siltation and 

embeddedness.

Hilsenhoff Biotic Index results indicate that the 

benthic-invertebrate community is characteristic of 

“good” water quality at three sites, “fair” at one site, and 

“fair-good” and “poor-fair” water quality at the remaining two sites. Mean tolerance values gave a similar 
REFERENCES CITED 29

assessment of the invertebrate communities at sites. 

Together with Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera, and Trichoptera taxa richness results, these invertebrate measures indicate that water quality is best at Thornberry 

Creek. Trout Creek and Lancaster Brook also rated 

well. Shannon-Wiener diversity values indicate that the 

invertebrate communities at Dutchman Creek, Duck 

Creek, and possibly Oneida Creek, are under environmental stress.

Assessments of the benthic algal community provided similar information to invertebrate-community 

assessments. Shannon-Wiener diversity indices for diatoms indicate that diatom communities are under minor 

stress in four of five streams sampled and under moderate stress in Dutchman Creek. A pollution index based 

on the percentages of diatoms that are pollution sensitive and pollution tolerant gave slightly different 

results. According to this index, pollution likely is moderate at Dutchman Creek and may be minor at Thornberry and Trout Creeks; however, this index showed no 

pollution effects for Oneida Creek and Lancaster Brook 

with regard to the diatom community.

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