U.S. Department of the Interior

U.S. Geological Survey

Open-File Report 2006–1121

In cooperation with the Southeastern Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission

Surface-Water Quantity and Quality of the 

Upper Milwaukee River, Cedar Creek, and 

Root River Basins, Wisconsin, 2004

0 10 KILOMETERS

0 5 10 MILES

Root River

West Branch

East Branch

North Branch Milwaukee

River

Cedar Creek

Root River Canal

Milwaukee River

A U K E E

D O D G E

J E F F E R S O N

W A U K E S H A

W A L W O R T H

R A C I N E

K E N O S H A

F O N D D U L A C

S H E B O Y G A N

W A S H I N G T O N

O Z A U K E E

M I L W A U K E E

L a k e

M i c

h i g a n

SEWRPC

Study Area

EXPLANATION

Upper Milwaukee River Basin

Cedar Creek Basin

Root River Basin

MMSD Planning Area

Watershed boundary

River

Sampling site

National Weather Service

Milwaukee/Sullivan office
Surface-Water Quantity and Quality of 

the Upper Milwaukee River, Cedar Creek, 

and Root River Basins, Wisconsin, 2004

By David W. Hall

In cooperation with the Southeastern Wisconsin Regional 

Planning Commission

Open File Report 2006–1121

U.S. Department of the Interior

U.S. Geological Survey
U.S. Department of the Interior

Dirk Kempthorne, Secretary

U.S. Geological Survey

P. Patrick Leahy, Acting Director

U.S. Geological Survey, Reston, Virginia: 2006

For product and ordering information:

World Wide Web: http://www.usgs.gov/pubprod

Telephone: 1-888-ASK-USGS

For more information on the USGS—the Federal source for science about the Earth, its natural and living 

resources, natural hazards, and the environment:

World Wide Web: http://www.usgs.gov

Telephone: 1-888-ASK-USGS

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

U.S. Government.

Although this report is in the public domain, permission must be secured from the individual copyright owners to 

reproduce any copyrighted materials contained within this report.
iii

Contents

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

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

Purpose and Scope ..................................................................................................................... 2

Previous Studies .......................................................................................................................... 2

Description of the Study Areas ................................................................................................. 4

Factors Affecting Surface-Water Quality ................................................................................ 5

Geologic Setting.................................................................................................................. 5

Land Use............................................................................................................................... 5

Population Density.............................................................................................................. 8

Methods and Quality Assurance........................................................................................................ 8

Site Selection................................................................................................................................ 8

Data-Collection Equipment ........................................................................................................ 8

Data-Collection Schedule .......................................................................................................... 8

Collection of Manual Samples................................................................................................. 11

Collection of Mercury Samples............................................................................................... 11

Analytical Methods.................................................................................................................... 11

Quality Assurance...................................................................................................................... 11

Surface-Water Quantity and Quality ............................................................................................... 13

Surface-Water Quantity............................................................................................................ 13

Surface-Water Quality .............................................................................................................. 18

Water Quality During Baseflow Conditions.................................................................. 20

Water Quality During Storm Conditions ........................................................................ 20

Specific Conductance, Temperature, and Dissolved Oxygen................................... 31

Biological Oxygen Demand, Fecal Coliform Bacteria, and Escherichia coli .......... 31

Chloride............................................................................................................................... 38

Suspended Solids ............................................................................................................. 38

Nutrients............................................................................................................................. 38

Metals ................................................................................................................................ 44

Chlorophyll a...................................................................................................................... 44

Summary and Conclusions................................................................................................................ 50

References Cited................................................................................................................................. 51
iv

Figures

1–4. Maps showing:

 1. Location of monitored watersheds, the Milwaukee Metropolitan 1.­ Location of monitored watersheds, the Milwaukee Metropolitan 

Sewerage District (MMSD) Planning Area, and sampling sites, 

southeastern Wis. ........................................................................................................ 3

 2. Quaternary surficial deposits in the Southeastern Wisconsin Regional

Planning Commission (SEWRPC) study area and the Milwaukee 

Metropolitan Sewerage District (MMSD) Planning Area...................................... 6

 3. Land use in the Southeastern Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission

(SEWRPC) study area and the Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage 

District Planning Area.................................................................................................. 7

 4. Population density of southeastern Wisconsin including the Southeastern

Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission study area, and the Milwaukee

Metropolitan Sewerage District Planning Area...................................................... 9

5. Photo showing a temporary shelter with sampling instrumentation and 

equipment at New Fane, Wis........................................................................................... 10

6–10. Graphs showing:

 6. Daily precipitation recorded at the National Weather Service 6. Daily precipitation recorded at the National Weather Service 

Milwaukee/Sullivan site, Wis., May 1 through Nov. 15, 2004 .............................. 10

 7. Hydrographs of discharge with sample-collection dates at six sites in 

the upper Milwaukee River and Cedar Creek Basins, Wis., from May 1 

through November 15, 2004 ...................................................................................... 14

 8. Hydrographs of discharge with sample-collection dates at three sites 

in the Root River Basin, Wis., from May 1 through November 15, 2004 ............ 15

 9. Hydrographs of discharge with sample-collection dates at six sites in the

upper Milwaukee River and Cedar Creek Basins, Wis., in the post-flood 

period starting on July 15, 2004................................................................................ 16

 10. Hydrographs of discharge with sample-collection dates at three sites 

in the Root River Basin, Wis., in the post-flood period starting on 

July 15, 2004................................................................................................................. 17

11. Photos showing extensive flooding occurred in the study area during 

June of 2004........................................................................................................................ 18

12–20. Graphs showing:

 12. Changes in chloride, suspended solids, and total phosphorus 12. Changes in chloride, suspended solids, and total phosphorus 

concentrations during storm events, July 29 through August 15, 2004, 

at the Newburg, Wis. site.......................................................................................... 23

 13. Discharge data and sample dates at the five upper Milwaukee River Basin

sites, southeastern Wis., from October 22 through October 29, 2004................ 28

 14. Discharge data and sample dates at the Cedar Creek site, southeastern 

Wis., from October 22 through October 29, 2004................................................... 29

 15. Discharge data and sample dates at the Root River Canal, Root River 

Racine, and Root River Mouth sites, southeastern Wis. from October 22 

through October 29, 2004........................................................................................... 30

 16. Daily specific conductance recorded at the six upper Milwaukee River 

and Cedar Creek Basin sites, southeastern Wis................................................... 32

 17. Daily specific conductance recorded at the three Root River Basin sites, 

southeastern Wis. ...................................................................................................... 33
Figures (cont.)

18–20. Graphs showing:

 18. Daily temperature recorded at the nine sampling sites in southeastern 

Wis. .............................................................................................................................. 34

 19. Daily dissolved oxygen concentration recorded at the upper Milwaukee 

River Basin and Cedar Creek Basin sites, southeastern Wis. ........................... 35

 20. Daily dissolved oxygen concentration recorded at the three Root River 

Basin sites, southeastern Wis. ................................................................................ 36

21–28. Graphs showing statistical distributions of:

 21. Chloride concentrations in samples collected at the nine sampling sites 21. Chloride concentrations in samples collected at the nine sampling sites 

in southeastern Wis. ................................................................................................. 39

 22. Suspended solids concentrations in samples collected at the nine 

sampling sites in southeastern Wis. ....................................................................... 40

 23. Nitrate plus nitrite-nitrogen concentrations in samples collected at the 

nine sampling sites in southeastern Wis. .............................................................. 41

 24. Distributions of ammonia-nitrogen concentrations in samples collected 

at the nine sampling sites in southeastern Wis. .................................................. 42

 25. Distributions of organic plus ammonia Kjeldahl nitrogen concentrations 

in samples collected at the nine sampling sites in southeastern Wis. ............ 43

 26. Distributions of total phosphorus concentrations in samples collected 

at the nine sampling sites in southeastern Wis. .................................................. 45

 27. Distributions of orthophosphorus concentrations in samples collected 

at the nine sampling sites in southeastern Wis. .................................................. 46

 28. Chlorophyll a concentrations in samples collected at the nine sampling 

sites in southeastern Wis. ........................................................................................ 47
vi

Tables

1. Latitude, longitude, and period of historic record for the nine sampling sites 

in the study area .................................................................................................................. 4

2. Land-use inventory for the upper Milwaukee, Cedar Creek, lower Milwaukee, 

and Root River Basins, southeastern Wisconsin........................................................... 5

3. Number and type of quality-assurance analyses performed at each site in 

southeastern Wisconsin................................................................................................... 12

4. Largest historic mean daily discharges, in cubic feet per second, recorded 

at Cedar Creek, Wis........................................................................................................... 13

5. Largest historic mean daily discharges, in cubic feet per second, recorded 

at Root River Canal, near Franklin, Wis.......................................................................... 13

6. Numbers and types of water-quality samples from the nine sites in 

southeastern Wisconsin................................................................................................... 19

7. Sampling dates and types of water-quality analysis for sites in the upper 

Milwaukee River, Cedar Creek and Root River Basins, Wis....................................... 19

8. Results of water-quality analysis of samples collected during base flow 

June 30–July 1, 2004, in Wisconsin ................................................................................ 21

9. Water quality in samples collected during base-flow sampling 

Sept. 8–9, 2004.................................................................................................................... 22

10. Selected water-quality parameters in the upper Milwaukee River Basin, 

Wis., during base flow on September 9, 2004, and during the storm that 

began on October 23, 2004 ............................................................................................... 24

11. Selected water-quality parameters at Cedar Creek Basin, Wis. during 

base flow on September 9, 2004, and during a storm event that began on 

October 23, 2004................................................................................................................. 26

12. Selected water-quality parameters in the Root River Basin, Wis. at base 

flow on September 9, 2004, and during a storm event that began on 

October 23, 2004................................................................................................................. 27

13. Biological oxygen demand, fecal coliforms, and Escherichia coli in samples 

collected at nine sampling sites in Wisconsin. ............................................................ 37

14. Maximum and minimum concentrations of total copper, particulate mercury, 

dissolved mercury, particulate methylmercury, dissolved methylmercury, 

and total zinc for nine sites in Wisconsin...................................................................... 48
vii

Conversion Factors, Vertical Datum, and Abbreviated 

Units of Measurement

Multiply By To obtain

Length

inch (in.) 2.54 centimeter (cm)

inch (in.) 25.4 millimeter (mm)

foot (ft) 0.3048 meter (m)

mile (mi) 1.609 kilometer (km)

Area

acre 0.004047 square kilometer (km2)

square mile (mi2) 2.590 square kilometer (km2) 

Volume

gallon (gal) 3.785 liter (L) 

gallon (gal) 0.003785 cubic meter (m3) 

cubic foot (ft3) 0.02832 cubic meter (m3) 

Flow rate

cubic foot per second (ft3/s) 0.02832 cubic meter per second (m3/s)

Temperature in degrees Celsius (°C) may be converted to degrees Fahrenheit (°F) as 

follows:

°F=(1.8×°C)+32

Vertical coordinate information for geospatial coverages are referenced to the North 

American Datum of 1983 (NAD 83) and the North American Vertical Datum of 1988 

(NAVD 88).

Altitude, as used in this report, refers to distance above the vertical datum.

Abbreviated water- and suspended solids-quality units: Chemical concentrations and 

water temperature are given in metric units. Chemical concentrations are given in 

milligrams per liter (mg/L), micrograms per liter (μg/L), and nanograms per liter (ng/L). 

Milligrams per liter, micrograms per liter, and nanograms per liter are units expressing the 

concentration of chemical constituents in solution as weight of solute per volume of water. 

For concentrations less than 7,000 mg/L, the numerical value of the mg/L concentration is 

the same as for concentrations in parts per million. The numerical value of concentrations 

expressed as one microgram per liter is equivalent to one milligram per liter cubed. 

Concentrations expressed as micrograms per liter are equivalent to parts per billion. 

Concentrations expressed as nanograms per liter are equivalent to parts per trillion. 

Specific conductance is given in microSiemens per centimeter at 25 degrees Celsius 

(μS/cm at 25°C).
viii

Acknowledgments

Technical Support

Jude Thomas, Hydrologist, U.S. Geological Survey, Middleton, Wis.

Peter E. Hughes, Supervisory Hydrologist, U.S. Geological Survey, Middleton, Wis.

David W. Owens, Hydrologist, U.S. Geological Survey, Middleton, Wis.

Kevin D. Richards, Physical Scientist, U.S. Geological Survey, Middleton, Wis.

Dan Olson, Hydrologic Technician, U.S. Geological Survey, Middleton, Wis.

Ryan Jirik, Hydrologic Technician, U.S. Geological Survey, Middleton, Wis.

Thomas Sabin, Hydrologic Technician, U.S. Geological Survey, Middleton, Wis.

Tim Hanson, Hydrologic Technician, U.S. Geological Survey, Middleton, Wis.

Gary Gill, Computer Assistant, U.S. Geological Survey, Middleton, Wis.

Michelle Lutz, Physical Scientist, U.S. Geological Survey, Middleton, Wis.

Technical Reviewers

Ronald Printz, Engineer, Southeastern Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission

Jude Thomas, Hydrologist, U.S. Geological Survey, Middleton, Wis.

Editorial and Graphics

Michelle Greenwood, Chief, Publications and Science Support Unit, U.S. Geological Survey, 

Middleton, Wis.

Rebecca Woll, Geographer, U.S. Geological Survey, Middleton, Wis.

Jennifer Bruce, Geographer, U.S. Geological Survey, Middleton, Wis.

Approving Official

Dorothy Tepper, Reports Improvement Advisor, U.S. Geological Survey, Reston, Va.
Surface-Water Quantity and Quality of the Upper 

Milwaukee River, Cedar Creek, and Root River Basins, 

Wisconsin, 2004

By David W. Hall

Abstract

The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the 

Southeastern Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission 

(SEWRPC), collected discharge and water-quality data 

at nine sites in previously monitored areas of the upper 

Milwaukee River, Cedar Creek, and Root River Basins, in 

Wisconsin from May 1 through November 15, 2004. The 

data were collected for calibration of hydrological models 

that will be used to simulate how various management 

strategies will affect the water quality of streams. The data 

also will support SEWRPC and Milwaukee Metropolitan 

Sewerage District (MMSD) managers in development of 

the SEWRPC Regional Water Quality Management Plan 

and the MMSD 2020 Facilities Plan. These management 

plans will provide a scientific basis for future management decisions regarding development and maintenance of 

public and private waste-disposal systems.

In May 2004, parts of the study area received over 

13 inches of precipitation (3.06 inches is normal). In June 

2004, most of the study area received between 7 and 11 

inches of rainfall (3.56 inches is normal). This excessive rainfall caused flooding throughout the study area 

and resultant high discharges were measured at all nine 

monitoring sites. For example, the mean daily discharge 

recorded at the Cedar Creek site on May 27, 2004, was 

2,120 cubic feet per second. This discharge ranked ninth of 

the largest 10 mean daily discharges in the 75-year record, 

and was the highest discharge recorded since March 30, 

1960. Discharge records from continuous monitoring on 

the Root River Canal near Franklin since October 1, 1963, 

indicated that the discharge recorded on May 23, 2004, 

ranked second highest on record, and was the highest discharge recorded since March 4, 1974.

Water-quality samples were taken during two baseflow events and six storm events at each of the nine sites. 

Analysis of water-quality data indicated that most concentrations of dissolved oxygen, biological oxygen demand, 

fecal coliform bacteria, chloride, suspended solids, nitrate 

plus nitrite nitrogen, ammonia nitrogen, Kjeldahl nitrogen, total phosphorus, dissolved orthophosphorus, total 

copper, particulate mercury, dissolved mercury, particulate methylmercury, dissolved methylmercury, and total 

zinc were below U.S. Environmental Protection Agency 

(USEPA) and State of Wisconsin water-quality standards 

at all sites, with the exception of dissolved oxygen at the 

Kewaskum, Farmington, Root River Canal, Root River 

Racine, and Root River Mouth sites. Each of these sites 

had from several days to several weeks of daily average 

dissolved oxygen concentrations below the 5 milligrams 

per liter State of Wisconsin standard for aquatic life. The 

lowest dissolved oxygen concentrations were measured 

at the heavily urbanized Root River Mouth site in downtown Racine, Wisconsin, where elevated concentrations 

of ammonia may have contributed to oxygen consumption 

during oxidation of ammonia to nitrate. Additionally, the 

maximum concentrations of copper in several Root River 

samples exceeded draft USEPA Ambient Water-Quality 

Criteria (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 2003) for 

acute toxicity to several species of aquatic organisms.

Substantial water-quality changes were not correlated 

with hydrologic changes at any of the nine sites. Baseflow water-quality was generally indistinguishable from 

that sampled during storm events. The sparsely developed 

upper Milwaukee River and Cedar Creek Basins had 

relatively low ranges of contamination for all laboratoryreported parameters. For all nine sites, the highest reported 

concentrations of chloride (216 mg/L), total phosphorus 

(0.627 mg/L), ortho-phosphorus (0.136 mg/L), nitrate plus 

nitrite (9.32 mg/L), and copper (38 μg/L) were reported 

for samples collected at the Root River Canal site. The 

highest concentrations of fecal coliforms (3,600 colonies 
per 100 mL) and Escherichia coli (2,300 colonies per 100 

mL) were reported in samples collected at Kewaskum. The 

highest concentrations of suspended solids (162 mg/L) and 

chlorophyll a (137 μg/L) were in samples collected at the 

Root River Racine site.

Introduction

The Southeastern Wisconsin Regional Planning 

Commission (SEWRPC) and the Milwaukee Metropolitan 

Sewerage District (MMSD) are responsible for managing the water quality of streams and rivers within the 

MMSD Planning Area (fig. 1). The SEWRPC Regional 

Water Quality Management Plan and the MMSD 2020 

Facilities Plan are currently (2005) being developed by 

water-resources managers to present strategies for control 

of point- and nonpoint-pollution sources, and to provide 

a scientific basis for managers to make future decisions 

regarding development and maintenance of public and 

private waste-disposal systems. Hydrologic Simulation 

Program Fortran (HSPF) models are being used to assist 

the planning efforts by providing simulations of future 

water quality in response to various management and landuse scenarios.

A comprehensive database containing historic and 

recent water-quality data collected within the MMSD 

Planning Area was previously constructed (Schneider and 

others, 2004) to provide calibration and validation data 

for the HSPF model through a cooperative effort of the 

MMSD, U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), and the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (WDNR). The database contains water-quality data for the MMSD Planning 

area but is lacking water-quality data in areas to the north 

and south of the Planning Area. Data from these areas are 

needed to provide accurate source terms for the boundaries 

of the HSPF models.

An important part of the mission of the USGS is to 

collect, evaluate, and disseminate water resources information for the protection of human and aquatic health, and 

to ensure the enhancement of environmental quality for 

future generations. The USGS Water Resources Discipline 

(WRD) conducts assessments of water quality and quantity 

at a variety of scales. Hydrologic information is disseminated to the public in reports, presentations, and the World 

Wide Web. Results of USGS investigations are frequently 

used by other government agencies (federal, state, local, 

tribal) to understand and manage their water resources.

SEWRPC will use the data generated by this project to determine how various management strategies will 

affect water quality in the Milwaukee and Root River 

drainage basins in southeastern Wisconsin. Data collected 

as part of this project may be also used by other local, 

regional and state agencies to evaluate existing hydrologic 

and water-quality conditions in southeastern Wisconsin.

Additionally, the USGS is uniquely positioned to 

provide a leadership role in aquatic mercury investigations 

such as those being conducted as part of this SEWRPC 

project. The USGS was a prominent participant in the 

series of studies conducted in northern Wisconsin that 

largely form the basis of current knowledge about mercury 

in aquatic ecosystems. The ongoing National Water-Quality Assessment (NAWQA) program in the Lake Michigan 

drainages of Wisconsin provides additional infrastructure 

and expertise to gain a local perspective on mercury contamination. A recently established mercury research laboratory in Madison, Wisconsin gives USGS scientists the 

necessary analytical capabilities to conduct state-of-the-art 

contamination studies. Thus, the USGS is well situated to 

advance the understanding of mercury cycling in aquatic 

ecosystems and to assist resource-management agencies in 

developing strategies for reducing the effects of mercury 

contamination.

Purpose and Scope

This report presents discharge and water-quality data 

that were collected in southeastern Wisconsin from May 

1 through November 15, 2004, by the USGS in cooperation with SEWRPC to facilitate development of the HSPF 

model. The data provide calibration datasets for areas 

outside of the MMSD Planning Area boundaries (fig. 1), 

including the upper Milwaukee River, Cedar Creek, and 

Root River Basins.

Previous Studies

The upper Milwaukee River and Root River Basins 

have been researched in recent decades by the MMSD, 

SEWRPC, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, 

the University of Wisconsin Cooperative Extension 

Service, the USGS, and many others. Specific reports of 

interest for the upper Milwaukee River and Root River 

Basins include Burzynski, Beaumier, Benninghoff, and 

others (2001), and Burzynski, Helker, Cooper and others (2002). A comprehensive list of relevant publications 

describing the soils, geography, environmental quality, and 

land use and planning was recently published in Schneider 

and others (2004).

2 Surface-Water Quantity and Quality of the Upper Milwaukee River, Cedar Creek, and Root River Basins, Wisconsin, 2004
88°50' 88°30' 88°10'

42°40'

43°

43°20'

0 10 KILOMETERS

0 MILES 5 10

Base composited from U.S. Geological Survey topographic maps, 

1:24,000; Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources version 2

hydrography, 1:24,000, 2002; Wisconsin Transverse Projection,

referenced to North American Datum of 1983, 1991 adjustment.

Root River

West Branch

East Branch

North

Branch

Milwaukee

River

Cedar Creek

Root River Canal

Milwaukee

River

DODGE

JEFFERSON

WAUKESHA

WALWORTH

RACINE

KENOSHA

FOND DU LAC

SHEBOYGAN

WASHINGTON

OZAUKEE

MILWAUKEE

L a k e

M i

c

h

i

g

a

n

SEWRPC

Study Area

EXPLANATION

Upper Milwaukee River Basin

Cedar Creek Basin

Root River Basin

MMSD Planning Area

Watershed boundary

River

Sampling site and identifier

New Fane 

04086149

National Weather Service

Milwaukee/Sullivan office

Cedar Creek 04086500

Newburg 04086265

Root River Mouth

04087242

Root River Racine 04087240 Root River Canal

04087233

New Fane 

Kewaskum 04086149 04086149

Farmington 04086340 Waubeka 04086360

Figure 1. Location of monitored watersheds, the Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District (MMSD) Planning Area, and 

sampling sites, southeastern Wis.

Introduction 3
Many environmental resources, including fisheries in 

the upper Milwaukee River, Cedar Creek, and Root River 

Basins, have been well researched. However, a recent and 

representative data set describing ambient hydrologic and 

water-quality conditions in the upper Milwaukee River 

and lower Root River basins outside the boundary of the 

MMSD Planning Area did not exist prior to the current 

study.

Description of the Study Areas

The study areas included the North Branch, East 

Branch, and West Branch Basins of the upper Milwaukee River to the north of the MMSD Planning Area, and 

Cedar Creek and Root River Basins to the south (fig. 1). 

Nine water-quality monitoring sites (fig. 1; table 1) were 

established to provide representative discharge and waterquality data for calibration of the SEWRPC and MMSD 

Planning Area HSPF models.

Six of the nine sites were in the upper Milwaukee 

River and Cedar Creek Basins to the north of the MMSD 

Planning Area. The upper Milwaukee River Basin 

SEWRPC project sites were on or near the North, East, 

and West Branches in the upper Milwaukee River Basin 

as well as on the main stem of the Milwaukee River (fig. 

1). The Kewaskum site (fig. 1; table 1) was in the headwaters of the Milwaukee River downstream of the West 

Branch confluence with the Milwaukee River. The New 

Fane site was also in the headwaters of the Milwaukee 

River Basin but was on the East Branch. The East Branch 

forms a confluence with the Milwaukee River in the Kettle 

Moraine State Forest south of the city of Kewaskum and 

south of the Kewaskum sampling site. The Milwaukee 

River then flows southward through the city of West Bend 

before turning east towards the Village of Newburg and the 

former Newburg site. Downstream of Newburg, the Milwaukee River forms a confluence with the North Branch 

(downstream of the Farmington North Branch site). The 

river then flows to the unincorporated community of 

Waubeka and the former Waubeka site.

No sampling sites were upstream of the Kewaskum 

(on Milwaukee near the West Branch), New Fane (East 

Branch), and Farmington (North Branch) sampling sites; 

however, Kewaskum and New Fane were upstream of 

the Newburg site. The Newburg and Farmington sites 

were upstream of the Waubeka site. Cedar Creek forms a 

confluence with the Milwaukee River downstream of the 

former Waubeka site. The Cedar Creek site was upstream 

of the confluence and, therefore, only provided data representative of water-quality in the Cedar Creek Basin.

The remaining three SEWRPC sampling sites were 

within the Root River Basin, to the south of the MMSD 

Planning Area (fig. 1). The Root River main stem headwaters area is in the heavily urbanized southernmost parts 

of the MMSD Planning Area near the city of West Allis; 

however, the Root River flows to the southeast out of the 

Table 1. Latitude, longitude, and period of historic record for the nine sampling sites in the study area.

[USGS, U.S. Geological Survey; ddmmss, degrees, minutes, seconds; ° , degrees; ', minutes; ", seconds; --, no data available; location of sites shown in 

figure 1] 

Site

(USGS site number)

River name 

and location

Latitude

 (ddmmss)

Longitude

(ddmmss) Historic record

04086200 East Branch Milwaukee River at New Fane, 

Wisconsin

43°33'01" 88°11'18" 1968–1981

04086149 Milwaukee River Upstream of Kewaskum Dam, 

Wisconsin

43°31'37" 88°13'45" --

04086340 North Branch Milwaukee River at Farmington, 

Wisconsin

43°28'58" 88°03'39" 1968–1981

04086265 Milwaukee River at Highway M near Newburg, 

Wisconsin

43°25'30" 88°04'51" --

04086360 Milwaukee River at Waubeka, Wisconsin 43°28'22" 87°59'23" 1968–1981, 1994

04086500 Cedar Creek at Cedarburg, Wisconsin 43°19'23" 87°58'43" 1930–1970, 1973–1981, 

1983–1987,1990–present

04087233 Root River Canal near Franklin, Wisconsin 42°48'55" 87°59'40" 1963–present

04087240 Root River at Racine, Wisconsin 42°45'05" 87°49'25" 1963–present

04087242 Root River near the Mouth, Racine, Wisconsin 42°44'03" 87°47'06" --

4 Surface-Water Quantity and Quality of the Upper Milwaukee River, Cedar Creek, and Root River Basins, Wisconsin, 2004
MMSD Planning Area toward the city of Racine and ultimately to Lake Michigan. Most of the Root River Basin is 

south of the MMSD Planning Area.

The water quality of the Root River Canal tributary 

is more affected by agricultural sources of contamination than the intensively urbanized Root River main-stem 

headwaters areas within the densely populated MMSD 

Planning Area. The confluence of the urban Root River 

headwaters with the more rural Root River Canal tributary 

is upstream of the former Root River Racine and Root 

River Mouth sites (fig. 1).

There are no large tributaries entering the Root River 

downstream of the Root River Racine site that would 

affect water quality of the downstream Root River Mouth 

site. Water quality at the Root River Mouth site, however, 

could have been affected by urban and marina discharges 

in the downtown area of the city of Racine and by intermittent mixing with Lake Michigan. Streamflow reversals 

caused by wind- or seiche-induced variations in lake stage 

frequently cause Lake Michigan to flow upstream into the 

Root River channel near the Root River Mouth site.

Factors Affecting Surface-Water Quality

Water quality in the upper Milwaukee River, Cedar 

Creek, and Root River Basins is affected by the geologic 

setting, land uses, and population density of each basin. 

The following sections provide a brief description of each 

factor.

Geologic Setting

The surficial deposits of southeastern Wisconsin 

are primarily sands, silts, clays, and regolith, with some 

irregularly distributed carbonaceous materials, that have 

been highly altered by glaciation (fig. 2). Common glacial 

features include lateral and end moraines, outwash plains, 

and drumlins that are interspersed with riverine, lake, regolith, and aeolian deposits (Martin, 1965).

The surface altitude of the Milwaukee River Basin 

ranges from 580 ft to 1,360 ft above sea level (Burzynski, 

Beaumier, Benninghoff, and others, 2001). The land area 

of the entire Milwaukee River Basin is approximately 700 

mi2. The surface altitude of the Root River Basin ranges 

from 580 ft to 840 ft above sea level. The land area of the 

Root River Basin is approximately 197 mi2 and includes 

117 miles of streams.

Land Use

The rural and sparsely developed character of the 

upper Milwaukee River and Cedar Creek Basins is shown 

in table 2 and in figure 3. Approximately half of the land 

area in both basins is agricultural, relative to only 14.6 percent of the area in the lower Milwaukee River Basin in the 

more intensely urban MMSD Planning Area downstream 

(fig. 3). The upper Milwaukee and Cedar Creek Basins 

contain extensive and undeveloped wetlands.

Land use in the Root River Basin (fig. 3) is also 

approximately half agricultural (49.2 percent)(table 2), 

Table 2. Land-use inventory for the upper Milwaukee, Cedar Creek, lower Milwaukee, and Root River 

Basins, southeastern Wisconsin.

[Land-use types are illustrated on figure 3; all numbers represent percentages of land use]

Upper Milwaukee 

River Basin

(percent)

Cedar Creek 

Basin

(percent)

Lower Milwaukee 

River Basin*

(percent)

Root River 

Basin

(percent)

High urban 1.3 2.0 32.5 7.6

Low urban 1.0 1.6 13.8 6.4

Agriculture 50.5 50.1 14.6 49.2

Grassland 15.1 15.3 20.1 16.3

Forest 11.9 10.0 10.9 10.7

Open water 1.6 1.3 2.1 0.9

Wetland 16.5 16.9 3.2 4.8

Barren 1.2 1.6 0.8 2.5

Shrubland 0.8 1.3 1.9 1.6

*

 No study sites were in the lower Milwaukee River Basin; however, six of the nine study sites were upstream of the 

lower Milwaukee River Basin.

Introduction 5
88°50' 88°30' 88°10'

42°40'

43°

43°20'

0 10 KILOMETERS

0 MILES 5 10

L a k e

M i

c

h

i

g

a

n

EXPLANATION

MMSD Planning Area

Watershed boundary

River

Lake sand, clay, and silt

Outwash sand and gravel

Mixed materials, alluvium, 

colluvium, or loess

Sand, clay, or loam gound moraine

Sand, clay, or loam end moraine

Quaternary surficial deposits

Base composited from U.S. Geological Survey topographic maps, 1:24,000; 

U.S. Geological Survey digital line graph hydrograhy, 1:100,000, 2001;

Surficial deposits from Lineback and others, 1:100,000, 1983.

Wisconsin Transverse Mercator Projection, referenced to North American 

Datum of 1983, 1991 adjustment.

Figure 2. Quaternary surficial deposits in the Southeastern Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission (SEWRPC) study area and 

the Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District (MMSD) Planning Area.

6 Surface-Water Quantity and Quality of the Upper Milwaukee River, Cedar Creek, and Root River Basins, Wisconsin, 2004
Base composited from U.S. Geological Survey topographic maps, 1:24,000; 

U.S. Geological Survey digital line graph hydrography, 1:100,000, 2001; 

Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources WISCLAND land cover, 1998; 

Wisconsin Transverse Mercator Projection, referenced to the North

American Datum of 1983, 1991 adjustment.

88°50' 88°30' 88°10'

42°40'

43°

43°20'

0 10 KILOMETERS

0 MILES 5 10

L a k e

M i

c

h

i

g

a

n

EXPLANATION

Land-use category

Urban: high intensity

Urban: low intensity

Agriculture

Grassland

Forest

Open water

Wetland

Barren

Shrubland

Sampling site

MMSD Planning Area

Cedar Creek 04086500 Watershed boundary

Newburg 04086265

Root Mouth

04087242

Root Racine 04087240

Root Canal 04087233

New Fane 04086149

Kewaskum 04086149

Farmington 04086340

Waubeka 04086360

0 10 KILOMETERS

0 MILES 5 10

Figure 3. Land use in the Southeastern Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission (SEWRPC) study area and the Milwaukee 

Metropolitan Sewerage District Planning Area.

Introduction 7
with some high (7.6 percent) and low (6.4 percent) urban 

development, and fewer wetland areas relative to the upper 

Milwaukee (16.5 percent) and Cedar Creek (16.9 percent) 

Basins. Most of the agricultural land in the Root River 

Basin is in the upstream areas around the Root River Canal 

tributary.

Population Density

The population density of the rural, upper Milwaukee River and Cedar Creek Basins is low relative to the 

more urbanized areas in the MMSD Planning Area (fig. 

4). According to the 2003 revision of the 2000 Census 

(U.S. Census Bureau, 2000), Kewaskum had a population 

of 3,724 and Cedarburg had a population of 5,744—these 

areas are sparsely inhabited relative to the population 

of approximately 596,974 people residing in the city of 

Milwaukee and 940,164 people residing in the greater Milwaukee area that comprises much of the MMSD Planning 

Area. According to the 2000 Census, Racine, Wis. had a 

population of 81,855—a greater population density than 

cities in the upper Milwaukee and Cedar Creek Basins, but 

less than those in the intensely urban areas in and around 

downtown Milwaukee.

Methods and Quality Assurance

Data-collection equipment, data-collection schedule, collection of manual samples, collection of mercury 

samples, analytical methods, and quality assurance are 

discussed in this section of the report.

Site Selection

The nine project sites (table 1) were near the mouths 

of major tributaries to, or on the main stem of, the upper 

Milwaukee River, Cedar Creek, and the Root River to provide samples that were representative of water quality in 

each basin. Existing USGS gages for discharge monitoring 

were equipped for water-quality sampling at Cedar Creek 

at Cedarburg, Wis.; Root River Canal near Franklin, Wis.; 

and the Root River Racine near Racine, Wis. USGS sites 

that had been discontinued were re-installed at the East 

Branch Milwaukee River at New Fane, Wis.; the North 

Branch Milwaukee River at Farmington, Wis.; and the Milwaukee River at Waubeka, Wis. New sites were installed 

at Milwaukee River upstream of Kewauskum Dam, Wis.; 

Milwaukee River at Highway M near Newburg, Wis.; and 

Root River near the Mouth, Racine, Wis.

Data-Collection Equipment

Each site (table 1) was equipped with a Campbell 

CR-10 data logger; a pressure-sensor system to record 

stage (transducer or bubbler); a continuous water-quality 

monitor (Hydrolab) that was routinely calibrated to record 

continuous dissolved oxygen, temperature, and specific 

conductance data; and an automated 24-bottle sampler. 

The equipment at each site was housed in either a temporary plastic shed or in a full-sized permanent aluminum 

shelter (fig. 5). Each site was further equipped with either 

a cell phone or internet-enabled modem that was wired to 

the site data logger so that hydrologic and water-quality 

data could be remotely retrieved and sample collection 

could be remotely scheduled or triggered to supplement 

programmed time or stage-based sampling.

The 24-bottle automatic sampler was triggered by 

changes in stage and (or) time, or was remotely triggered 

by telephone. Hydrolab water-quality monitoring probes 

were used in combination with the Campbell CR-10 data 

logger to record continuous temperature, specific conductance, and dissolved oxygen data using methods described 

in Wagner and others (2000).

Data-Collection Schedule

Six high-flow storm events were sampled. Samples 

from two of these events were intensively analyzed; 

these are referred to herein as “intensive analysis events.” 

Samples from the remaining four runoff events were only 

analyzed for total suspended solids and total phosphorus; 

these are referred to herein as “partial analysis events.” 

Two base-flow samples were also collected at each site and 

analyzed.

“High-flow storm events” were originally defined 

as those events when discharges double in magnitude, 

and flows do not return to preexisting discharge during a 

48-hour period. Because of a lack of rainfall during the 

summer and early fall that followed the May–June 2004 

floods, samples were collected during any recognizable 

discharge hydrograph rise from any basinwide storm in 

either basin. Additionally, the data-collection period had 

to be extended to November 15 from the original end date 

of August 31, 2004, to collect enough samples to complete 

HSPF model calibration datasets. Typical summer storms 

that ranged from 0.50 to 0.75 inches of precipitation during the study (fig. 6) did not cause doubling of discharge 

at most sites in either basin, although increases in stage in 

response to substantial precipitation did last 48 hours or 

longer.

8 Surface-Water Quantity and Quality of the Upper Milwaukee River, Cedar Creek, and Root River Basins, Wisconsin, 2004
Base composited from U.S. Geological Survey topographic maps, 1:24,000; 

U.S. Geological Survey digital line graph hydrography, 1:100,000, 2001; 

Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources WISCLAND land cover, 1998; 

U.S. Bureau of the Census census of population and housing, 2000; 

Wisconsin Transverse Mercator Projection, referenced to the North

American Datum of 1983, 1991 adjustment.

88°50' 88°30' 88°10'

42°40'

43°

43°20'

0 10 KILOMETERS

0 MILES 5 10

L a k e

M i

c

h

i

g

a

n

EXPLANATION

MMSD Planning Area

Population density

0−0.4

0.5−1.9

2.0−4.9

5−19.9

20−123

Watershed boundary

SEWRPC city

Number of people per 

30 square meters

Menomonee Falls

Wales

Burlington

Racine

Campellsport

West Bend

Random Lake

Milwaukee West Allis

Union Grove

0 10 KILOMETERS

0 MILES 5 10

Figure 4. Population density of southeastern Wisconsin including the Southeastern Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission 

study area, and the Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District Planning Area.

Methods and Quality Assurance 9
0.0

0.5

1.0

1.5

2.0

PRECIPITATION AT MILWAUKEE/SULLIVAN, IN INCHES

4/30 5/19 6/7 6/26 7/15 8/3 8/23 9/11 9/30 10/19 11/7

2004

Figure 6. Daily precipitation recorded at the National Weather Service Milwaukee/Sullivan site, Wis., May 1 through Nov. 15, 

2004. Location of the site shown in figure 1.

Figure 5. Temporary shelter with sampling instrumentation and equipment at New Fane, Wis. The white box houses a Campbell 

CR-10 data logger installed near the top, and a modem and telephone resting in the bottom of the box. A 12-volt battery under the 

box powered the station, and was recharged by a 30-watt solar panel (on pole above the shelter, not shown). 

10 Surface-Water Quantity and Quality of the Upper Milwaukee River, Cedar Creek, and Root River Basins, Wisconsin, 2004
Eight samples were collected from the rising limb of 

the discharge hydrographs, near the peak, and on the recession for each of the six high-flow storms. Samples were 

collected during different storms in the Milwaukee River 

Basin sites and the Root River Basin because individual 

storms did not distribute precipitation equally between 

basins.

Collection of Manual Samples

For all sampled parameters that were manually collected, USGS clean sampling and processing protocols 

established by U.S. Geological Survey (U.S. Geological 

Survey, variously dated) were followed. Manually collected samples were collected using either the EqualWidth-Interval (EWI) method or the multiple vertical 

method where the stream velocity was less than 1.5 ft/s. 

After collection, samples were transported in iced coolers to the USGS Southwest Wisconsin field office in 

Middleton, Wisconsin, where they were split, filtered, and 

preserved. Sample holding times for biological oxygen 

demand (BOD), total coliforms, orthophosphorus, and 

Escherichia coli required samples to be analyzed within 

a maximum of 24 to 48 hours after collection. Therefore, 

these samples were promptly retrieved, prepared, and 

transported to the Wisconsin State Laboratory of Hygiene 

(WSLH) as soon as possible after collection.

Escherichia coli and fecal coliform samples deteriorate rapidly after collection and before analysis; therefore, 

the project protocols called for sample collection, preparation, and delivery to the analytical laboratory within 24 

hours after collection. Although laboratory personnel were 

generally notified prior to sample delivery, additional time 

was required to login the samples and prepare the analytical tests. Therefore, most of the Escherichia coli and fecal 

coliform results for this project were flagged to indicate 

that the samples were analyzed from 24 to 48 hours after 

sample collection. It is estimated that bacteria die off at 

a rate of one order of magnitude for each 24-hour period 

that analysis is delayed after a sample is collected (Sharon 

Kluender, Wisconsin State Laboratory of Hygiene, oral 

commun., August 2004). The USEPA Escherichia coli

water-quality standard for recreational waters is 235 fecal 

coliforms per 100 mL of sampled water (Wigal, 2002).

Collection of Mercury Samples

Mercury sampling was developed with guidance 

from Mark Olson (USGS Wisconsin Mercury Research 

Laboratory (WMRL), oral commun., 2004). At each of the 

nine sites, one base-flow and one stormflow event were 

sampled for mercury, in addition to three quality-assurance samples, for a total of 21 mercury samples. Samples 

were analyzed for particulate mercury, dissolved mercury, 

particulate methylmercury, and dissolved methylmercury.

Water-quality samples were collected as a grab sample from the center of the stream using lab-supplied, ultraclean, disposable, polyethylene terephlalate copolymer 

(PETE) bottles transported to the field in doubled, sealed, 

clear plastic bags. Powderless laboratory gloves were worn 

during sample collection and handling. Mercury samples 

were processed separately from other chemical constituent 

samples, and were filtered and processed at the WMRL. 

Strict filtering and acidification protocols in the WMRL 

ultra-clean environment using equipment cleaned to parts 

per trillion (PPT) levels were followed to minimize contamination of samples.

Analytical Methods

All water-quality samples for this study, with exception of the mercury samples, were analyzed at the Wisconsin State Laboratory of Hygiene (WSLH) in Madison, 

Wis.. Calcium, magnesium, sodium, potassium, sulfate, 

chloride, fluoride, silica, biological oxygen demand, fecal 

coliform bacteria, Escherichia coli, Kjeldahl nitrogen, 

ammonia nitrogen, nitrate plus nitrite nitrogen, total phosphorus, dissolved orthophosphorus, total copper, total zinc, 

and chlorophyll-a analyses were analyzed in accordance 

with internal lab protocols (George Bowman, Wisconsin 

State Laboratory of Hygiene, written commun., February 

2006) and using internal laboratory quality-assurance procedures and protocols for each analysis. Zinc and copper 

were analyzed by Inductively Coupled Plasma. Mercury 

concentrations were analyzed at the USGS Wisconsin Science Center Mercury Lab (WMRL) according to procedures published in Olson and DeWild (1999) and DeWild 

and others (2002).

Quality Assurance

Quality Assurance (QA) procedures relevant to collected data are described in Garn (2002), including computation of discharge from stage, records, checking, gage 

height, rating, and errors, datum corrections, gage-height 

corrections and shifts, station analysis procedures, and 

records management. General procedures for the collection of water-quality samples in the USGS are documented 

Methods and Quality Assurance 11
(K.D. Richards and others, U. S. Geological Survey, written commun., 2006).

Seventy-two, or approximately 14 percent of the 507 

samples collected were assessed using quality-assurance 

protocols (table 3). Some samples used in the QA/QC 

assessments, such as replicate samples, or the first sample 

of a pair of duplicates, also served as regular field samples. 

Blanks included trip blanks, automatic-sampler head and 

bottle blanks, automatic-sampler head and sample-line 

blanks, and a cone-splitter blank.

Results of quality-assurance sample analyses were 

acceptable, with three exceptions. Traces of contamination were present in a head-and-tubing blank collected at 

Waubeka on October 12, 2004. Laboratory-grade blank 

water, certified by the USGS National Water Quality Laboratory as inorganics free, was used in a single rinse of the 

approximately 20 ft of automatic sampler line and then a 

sample of the laboratory water was collected through the 

line and sampler head into a standard plastic sample bottle. 

This rinse and sample collection protocol is essentially the 

same procedure used for the high-flow storm sample and 

base-flow sample collection, with the exception that the 

laboratory grade water was used. The sample analysis indicated traces of concentrations in the sample blank: chloride 

(2.1 mg/L), Kjeldahl-N (0.14 mg/L), specific conductance 

(24 μS/cm), and nitrate plus nitrite nitrogen (0.033 mg/L). 

Analytical results from this rinse sample were received 

from the lab after the end of the study; therefore, a further 

investigation into the cause of the contamination was not 

possible.

To assess the accuracy of the method of using automatically collected suspended solids samples to sample 

water-quality at the intake of the sample tube, automatically-collected samples were paired with a concurrent, 

manually collected, suspended solids sample that was 

integrated across the entire width of the stream using 

either the equal-width-interval (EWI) or multiple-vertical sampling methods twice at each site. Two of the 18 

manual/automatic pairs (table 3) demonstrated substantial 

disagreement indicating that the single-point, automatically collected sample may not have been representative 

of suspended-solids concentrations across the width and 

depth of the entire stream.

One of the two manual/automatic sampling pairs was 

collected on October 10, 2004, at Waubeka. The automatically collected point sample had a suspended solids 

concentration of 25 mg/L and the concurrent multiplevertical sample had a concentration greater than 2 mg/L. 

The other manual/automatic pair was collected at the Root 

River Canal site on October 25, 2004, where the automatic 

point sample had a suspended solids concentration of 29 

mg/L and the multiple-vertical sample had a concentration 

of 8 mg/L. These results indicate that potentially 2 out of 

18, or 11 percent for this study of automatically collected 

point samples might not provide a consistently representative sample of suspended-solid concentrations in a stream. 

This limitation of point samples is well known because the 

diverse types and sizes of particles transported in a stream 

are almost never uniformly distributed in a stream water 

matrix with respect to width and depth (Guy and Norman, 

1970).

Measured and computed discharge at the Root River 

at the Mouth station was rated poor because of the difficulty of measuring and calibrating the rapidly reversing 

Table 3. Number and type of quality-assurance analyses performed at each site in southeastern Wisconsin.

[Replicates are sequentially collected samples; duplicates are single samples split into two identical subsamples; blanks are clean water samples that were 

exposed to tubing and (or) sample-bottle surfaces; Manual refers to samples composited from manually collected subsamples across a stream; automated 

refers to samples collected using an automated sampler; location of sites shown in figure 1]

Site name

(fig. 1) Replicates Duplicates Blanks Manual/automated pairs

New Fane 1 2 2

Kewaskum 1 2

Farmington 1 2

Newburg 1 1 1 2

Waubeka 1 2

Cedar Creek 1 2

Root River Canal 2 1 2

Root River Racine 1 3 2

Root River Mouth 2 2 2 2

12 Surface-Water Quantity and Quality of the Upper Milwaukee River, Cedar Creek, and Root River Basins, Wisconsin, 2004
flow (at times flow reversed every few minutes for several 

hours) in addition to a complex channel geometry at the 

site that sometimes caused stratified flow, or variable 

velocities from side to side as in cyclonic flow. Because 

some base-flow periods were initially computed as having 

higher discharges than would seem reasonable given the 

basin area, flow from the station upstream at the Root 

River at Racine was multiplied by 1.04 to provide estimates of flow where needed due to suspect data. Therefore, daily discharge data for the Root River at the Mouth 

are a composite of monitored data for storm periods, and 

a mix of monitored and estimated data for the base-flow 

periods.

Surface-Water Quantity and Quality

Surface-water quantity and quality data were collected at the nine sites in the study area from May 1, 2004, 

through November 15, 2004. All discharge data were 

published in Waschbusch and others (2005).

Surface-Water Quantity

Large-scale flooding occurred at all sampling sites 

during May and June of 2004 (figs. 7 and 8; tables 4 and 5) 

immediately after all stations were established. The flooding was caused by irregularly distributed and excessive 

rainfall in southeastern Wisconsin during May and June 

(fig. 6). In May 2004, 8.18 in. of rain (3.06 in. is normal) 

was recorded at the Milwaukee-Sullivan station but parts 

of the basin received over 13 in. of precipitation (National 

Weather Service, 2004). In June 2004, 4.07 in. of precipitation (3.56 in. is normal) was recorded at the MilwaukeeSullivan station; however, most of the monitored basins 

received between 7 and 11 in. of rainfall (National Weather 

Service, 2004). Rainfall data from the Milwaukee-Sullivan 

station were selected because this station was in the path 

of many of the storms that moved through the basins from 

west to east, or from the southwest toward the northeast.

The large-scale flooding disrupted the installation, 

calibration, and operation of the monitoring equipment 

during the first 2 months of the study. Equipment repeatedly had to be removed from, or elevated above, rising 

flood waters at most sites before eventual reinstallation 

after the flood waters subsided in late June and early July. 

Some equipment, such as stage transducers and Hydrolab 

sondes that were installed before the flooding became 

completely inaccessible until flood water eventually 

receded in late June and early July.

Mean daily discharge has been computed at Cedar 

Creek (fig. 7, table 4) intermittently since August 14, 

1930, (gaps in the record exist from Sept. 30, 1971 to July 

1, 1973; Oct. 7, 1981 through July 31, 1983; and October 

21, 1987 through Sept. 13, 1990). Based on this intermittent record, the daily discharge of 2,120 ft3

/s recorded at 

Cedar Creek on May 27, 2004 ranked ninth (table 4) of the 

highest 10 mean daily discharges on record, and was the 

largest discharge recorded since March 30, 1960.

Discharge has been continuously monitored by USGS 

personnel at the Root River Canal near Franklin, Wis. 

Table 4. Largest historic mean daily discharges, in cubic feet 

per second, recorded at Cedar Creek, Wis.

[mm/dd/yyyy, month, day, year; location of the site shown in figure 1. 

Source of data: U.S. Geological Survey National Water Information 

System (NWIS) database]

Date 

(mm/dd/yyyy)

Cedar Creek mean daily discharge

(cubic feet per second)

03/20/1952 3,320

06/24/1940 2,690

03/27/1950 2,690

06/23/1940 2,660

03/30/1960 2,600

04/01/1959 2,500

03/26/1950 2,390

05/24/2004 2,120

03/22/1975 2,100

Table 5. Largest historic mean daily discharges, in cubic feet 

per second, recorded at Root River Canal, near Franklin, Wis.

[mm/dd/yyyy, month, day, year; location of the site shown in figure 1. 

Source of data: U.S. Geological Survey National Water Information 

System (NWIS) database]

Date

(mm/dd/yyyy)

Root River Canal mean daily discharge

(cubic feet per second)

03/04/1974 1,410

05/23/2004 1,350

03/05/1974 1,200

03/05/1976 1,190

05/24/2004 1,150

03/03/1974 1,120

04/03/1983 1,120

04/20/1993 1,120

05/15/2004 1,070

Surface-Water Quantity and Quality 13
May June July Aug. Sept. Oct. Nov.

2004

0

1,000

2,000

3,000

4,000

5,000

DISCHARGE, IN CUBIC FEET PER SECOND

New Fane

Cedar Creek

Farmington

Kewaskum

Newburg

Waubeka

EXPLANATION

Day samples were collected

Figure 7. Hydrographs of discharge with sample-collection dates at six sites in the upper Milwaukee River and Cedar Creek 

Basins, Wis., from May 1 through November 15, 2004. Location of the sites shown in figure 1.

14 Surface-Water Quantity and Quality of the Upper Milwaukee River, Cedar Creek, and Root River Basins, Wisconsin, 2004
May June July Aug. Sept. Oct. Nov.

2004

0

500

1,000

1,500

2,000

2,500

DISCHARGE, IN CUBIC FEET PER SECOND

Day samples were collected

Root River Mouth

Root River Racine

Root River Canal

EXPLANATION

Figure 8. Hydrographs of discharge with sample-collection dates at three sites in the Root River Basin, Wis., from May 1 

through November 15, 2004. Location of the sites shown in figure 1.

Surface-Water Quantity and Quality 15
Aug. Sept. Oct. Nov.

2004

0

100

200

300

400

DISCHARGE, IN CUBIC FEET PER SECOND

New Fane

Cedar Creek

Farmington

Kewaskum

Newburg

Waubeka

EXPLANATION

Day samples were collected

Figure 9. Hydrographs of discharge with sample-collection dates at six sites in the upper Milwaukee River and Cedar Creek 

Basins, Wis., in the post-flood period starting on July 15, 2004. Location of the sites shown in figure 1. 

16 Surface-Water Quantity and Quality of the Upper Milwaukee River, Cedar Creek, and Root River Basins, Wisconsin, 2004
Aug. Sept. Oct. Nov.

2004

0

100

200

300

DISCHARGE, IN CUBIC FEET PER SECOND

Day samples were collected

Root River Mouth

Root River Racine

Root River Canal

EXPLANATION

Figure 10. Hydrographs of discharge with sample-collection dates at three sites in the Root River Basin, Wis., in the post-flood 

period starting on July 15, 2004. Location of the sites shown in figure 1.

Surface-Water Quantity and Quality 17
since October 1, 1963. A summary of the highest mean 

discharges on record (table 5) indicates that the discharge 

recorded during the study period on May 23, 2004, ranked 

second highest, and was the largest discharge recorded 

since March 4, 1974.

The magnitude of flooding at the Kewaskum site 

during June of 2004 is shown in figure 11. The river stage 

at Kewaskum peaked at approximately 1.5 feet above the 

flooding documented in the figure 11B photograph.

Discharge and water-quality data collected after two 

storms are discussed in detail later in the Water Quality 

During Storm Conditions section of this report. The first 

storm event (fig. 6) was a northeasterly trending storm 

front or broken line of cells that briefly pulsed to “severe 

storm” status on October 23, 2004 (National Weather 

Service, Weather Spotter’s Network—data and notes for 

October 23, 2004, from Green Lake County, Wis.). Precipitation was locally heavy at times and was irregularly 

distributed throughout the SEWRPC study area. Stage 

increases in response to the precipitation were smallest 

in the northern part of the Milwaukee River Basin around 

New Fane and largest in the southern parts of the study 

area near the Cedar Creek and Root River Basins.

A second front of storm cells followed on October 

28, 2004 (fig. 6). Weather Spotter Network Notes from 

Jefferson County, Wis. on October 28, 2004 noted a severe 

weather outbreak, with locally powerful downburst wind 

drafts and some hail (National Weather Service, 2004). 

The storms moved along the boundary of a cold front from 

west to east across the study area at an estimated speed 

of from 58 to 69 miles per hour. Discharge hydrograph 

rises in response to precipitation from this storm occurred 

before the stage of most monitored streams had returned to 

base-flow conditions following the storm on October 23, 

2004.

The October 23 and 28 storms were typical of the 

series of late summer and fall storms during 2004. Storm 

fronts moved in a general west to east, or southwest to 

northeast direction, and rainstorms consisted of broken 

storm cells that deposited highly variable quantities of 

precipitation across the Milwaukee River, Cedar Creek, 

and Root River Basins.

Surface-Water Quality

Analytical results for water-quality samples are provided in Waschbusch and others (2005). Intensive, partial, 

and mercury analysis schedules were performed on waterquality samples (tables 6 and 7).

Stream hydrographs and sampled days for the upper 

Milwaukee and Cedar Creek Basins are shown in figure 7, 

and those for the Root River Basin sites are shown in figure 8. Because plotting of the extreme flooding in May and 

June compressed the data on figures 7 and 8, the same discharge data are presented in figures 9 and 10 with the May 

and June flood events excluded to better represent typical 

hydrologic conditions and sampled days at the sampling 

sites during the post-flood period starting in July 2004.

In addition to the unexpected flooding and subsequent 

lack of rainfall in July and August, other factors caused 

A B

(Photograph by M. Lutz, USGS) (Photograph by J. Thomas, USGS)

Figure 11. Extensive flooding occurred in the study area during June of 2004. These photographs show (A) before, and (B) 

during flooding at the Kewaskum streamflow gage in southeastern Wis. Location of the site shown in figure 1.

18 Surface-Water Quantity and Quality of the Upper Milwaukee River, Cedar Creek, and Root River Basins, Wisconsin, 2004
Table 6. Numbers and types of water-quality samples from the nine sites in southeastern Wisconsin.

[Sample numbers include both regular and quality-assurance samples; location of sites shown in figure 1]

Sampling site Intensive analysis1 Partial analysis2 Mercury samples3

Scheduled samples per site 11 52 2

New Fane 10 51 4

Kewaskum 10 52 2

Farmington 10 48 2

Newburg 10 47 2

Waubeka 10 36 2

Cedar Creek 13 48 2

Root River Canal 10 45 2

Root River Racine 14 31 2

Root River Mouth 11 51 3

1

 Intensive analysis schedule includes biological oxygen demand, fecal coliforms, Escherichia coli, chloride, suspended 

solids, suspended sediment, nitrite plus nitrate nitrogen, ammonia nitrogen, Kjeldahl nitrogen, total phosphorus, dissolved 

ortho-phosphorus, total copper, total zinc, and chlorophyll a. Base-flow samples were intensive analysis samples.

2

 Partial analysis schedule includes chloride, suspended solids, and total phosphorus. 

3

 Mercury sample schedule includes particulate mercury, dissolved mercury, particulate methylmercury, and dissolved 

methylmercury. 

Table 7. Sampling dates and types of water-quality analysis for sites in the upper Milwaukee River, Cedar Creek and 

Root River Basins, Wis.

[mm/dd/yyyy, month, day, year; --, samples not collected; BOD, biological oxygen demand; exact start dates varied slightly between sites]

Sample start date

(mm/dd/yyyy)

Type of water-quality analysis

Upper Milwaukee River and 

Cedar Creek Basins (6 sites)

Root River Basin (3 Sites)

6/29/2004 Base-flow analysis Base-flow analysis 

7/21/2004 -- Partial storm analysis 

8/1/2004 Partial storm analysis Partial storm analysis 

8/17/2004 Partial storm analysis Partial storm analysis 

8/24/2004 Intensive analysis (Cedar Creek only) Intensive storm analysis 

9/07/2004 Base-flow analysis Base-flow storm analysis 

9/16/2004 Special bacteria analysis/BOD only Special bacteria analysis/BOD only

10/08/2004 Partial storm analysis --

10/23/2004 Intensive storm analysis Intensive storm analysis 

10/26/2004 Partial storm analysis Partial storm analysis 

11/3/2004 Intensive storm analysis --

Surface-Water Quantity and Quality 19
interruptions in the sampling schedule. Normal frontal 

storms in the 0.25 to 0.75-in. total rainfall range resumed 

in September, October, and November, and the scheduled sample collection plan was eventually completed for 

the nine sampling sites (tables 6 and 7). The automatic 

sample-collection procedure at Waubeka, however, was 

sometimes problematic, causing a lower sampling density 

during storm events than was originally planned. The Root 

River Racine site experienced extremely low flows at times 

because water was stored behind a dam/control upstream, 

and stage did not respond proportionally to storm events 

as the stage did at other sites. The sample intake lines at 

the Waubeka and Root River Racine site also had to be 

repositioned (lengthened) several times to resubmerge 

them in the receding stream channels as stage continued to 

decrease for several months after the May-June floods.

Water Quality During Base-flow Conditions

Two base-flow samples were collected to represent 

water quality during a spring and a summer base-flow 

event. These base-flow samples were collected on June 30 

and July 1, 2004, and on September 8 and 9, 2004 (tables 8 

and 9; Waschbusch and others, 2005).

Discharge was at flood stages during the June 30–July 

1 sampling (figs. 7 and 8), because of the extreme rainfall 

that occurred in May and June. May–June floodwaters 

were still receding on June 30, resulting in a higher “base 

flow” than for flows during most of the typical storms 

recorded later in the study. Additionally, the high base flow 

saturated normally dry areas by flooding the adjacent flood 

plains, thereby increasing the areas that could contribute 

contaminants to the streams. The September 8–9 base-flow 

sample was collected under more typical conditions and 

potentially provided a more typical representation of base 

flow for monitored streams in the study area.

Whereas substantial contamination was not apparent 

in the water quality of base flow at the Root River Basin 

sites (table 8), concentrations of suspended solids, chloride, total phosphorus, orthophosphorus, ammonia nitrogen, nitrate plus nitrate nitrogen, and total copper were 

generally higher at the Root River sites than at the upper 

Milwaukee River/Cedar Creek Basin sites (fig. 1).

The presence of elevated suspended solids and 

nutrients in Root River Basin samples can be attributed 

to agricultural activities in the basin. Although the landuse data in table 2 indicate that only 49.2 percent of land 

use is agricultural in the Root River Basin as compared 

to 50.5 percent in the upper Milwaukee River Basin and 

50.1 percent in the Cedar Creek Basin, the category of 

“agriculture” in the geographic information systems spatial 

coverage that was used to compute these percentages does 

not separate the intensity of the agricultural activities. 

Results of water-quality analysis of the base-flow samples 

in tables 8 and 9 indicate that agricultural activities may be 

somewhat more nutrient- and tillage-intensive in the Root 

River Basin than in the upper Milwaukee and Cedar Creek 

Basins. Other possible sources contributing to elevated 

levels of suspended solids, chloride, nutrients, and copper in the Root River Basin could include contamination 

associated with a higher population density (fig. 4) with 

increased urban land use (table 2) in the main stem headwaters of the Root River Basin.

Water Quality During Storm Conditions

Project sampling was designed to characterize water 

quality during storms when dynamic chemical and physical water-quality changes are expected; therefore, most 

water-quality samples were collected during stormflow 

conditions. Datasets for input to the HSPF model require 

collection of storm data during discharge rises, peaks, and 

recessions, regardless of the significance or magnitude of 

any water-quality changes during the various discharge 

conditions.

With the exception of the Root River Mouth site, 

analyses of the data indicated that water-quality did not 

change substantially during stormflow compared to base 

flow (table 10) at individual sites. Although some contaminants did slightly increase in concentration at times of 

storm-induced hydrograph peaks, others became slightly 

diluted at the peak (table 10; fig. 12).

For example, discharge, chloride, suspended solids, 

and total phosphorus data were collected for a storm that 

occurred at the Newburg site beginning July 29, 2004 (fig. 

12). Although the number of samples collected during this 

storm are insufficient to support a statistical analysis, there 

is a small increase in chloride (from 58.9 to 59.4 mg/L) 

and total phosphorus (from 0.105 to 0.122 mg/L) concentrations during the first storm peak that began on July 

29. A second storm peak of similar magnitude followed 

approximately a week later on August 7, where concentrations of chloride decreased from 57.4 to 54.8 mg/L and 

total phosphorus decreased from 0.135 to 0.113 mg/L. 

Increases or decreases caused during the first storm may 

have affected the quality of water during the second storm 

and reduced sample independence.

The water-quality changes measured during these 

storms are small. Water quality at Newburg, as at the other 

five upper Milwaukee River Basin and Cedar Creek Basin 

20 Surface-Water Quantity and Quality of the Upper Milwaukee River, Cedar Creek, and Root River Basins, Wisconsin, 2004
Table 8. Results of water-quality analysis of samples collected during base flow June 30–July 1, 2004, in Wis.

[mg/L, milligram per liter; μg/L, microgram per liter; mL, milliliter; <, less than; --, sample collected but not analyzed; location of sites shown in figure 1]

Water-quality parameters

Sampling sites

Milwaukee River Basin Cedar Creek Basin Root River Basin

New Fane Kewaskum Farmington Newburg Waubeka Cedar Creek Root River Canal Root River Racine Root River Mouth

Biological oxygen demand, mg/L <2.0 <2.0 <2.0 <2.0 <2.0 <2.0 <6.0 <2.0 <2.0Fecal coliforms, colonies per 100 mL -- -- -- 70 40 80 -- -- --Escherichia coli, colonies per 100 mL -- -- -- 90 90 120 -- -- --

Chloride, mg/L 16.5 27.4 34.9 40.9 40.8 51.9 40.9 59.6 48.2Suspended solids mg/L 7 10 12 19 16 6 31 64 35Nitrate plus nitrate, mg/L 0.1 0.538 1.4 0.713 1.0 1.97 5.51 4.8 3.66Ammonia, mg/L <.015 <0.15 0.018 0.031 <.015 0.023 0.11 0.067 0.072Kjeldahl nitrogen, mg/L 0.94 1.1 1.2 1.1 1.2 1.1 1.3 1.0 0.94Total phosphorus, mg/L 0.061 0.124 0.163 0.092 0.134 0.07 0.266 0.232 0.171Ortho-phosphorus, mg/L 0.031 0.081 0.112 0.076 0.079 0.036 0.129 0.101 0.082Total copper, μg/L <1 1 2 2 2 2 4 4 4Total zinc, μg/L <20 <20 <20 <20 <20 <20 <20 <20 <20Chlorophyll a, μg/L 2.83 3.56 2.95 5.06 8.65 3.6 3.4 4.29 2.47

Surface-Water Quantity and Quality 21
Table 9. Water quality in samples collected during base-flow sampling Sept. 8–9, 2004.

[mg/L, milligrams per liter; μg/L, micrograms per liter; mL, milliliter; <, less than; --, sample collected but not analyzed; location of sites shown in figure 1]

Water-quality parameters

Sampling sites

Milwaukee River Basin Cedar Creek Basin Root River Basin

New Fane Kewaskum Farmington Newburg Waubeka Cedar Creek Root River Canal Root River Racine Root River Mouth

Biological oxygen demand, mg/L <2.0 <2.0 <2.0 <2.0 <2.0 <2.0 <3.0 <3.0 4Fecal coliforms, colonies per 100 mL 90 350 280 60 20 180 150 60 270Escherichia coli, colonies per 100 mL 90 290 390 40 80 120 260 60 100

Chloride, mg/L 19.5 37.7 47.8 72.9 65 71.8 120 51.8 97.6Suspended solids mg/L 6 5 10 4 4 2 21 27 40Nitrate plus nitrite, mg/L 0.118 1.12 3.11 1.43 1.68 1.54 6.51 0.591 0.457Ammonia, mg/L <0.015 <0.015 <0.015 <0.015 <0.015 <0.015 0.079 0.233 0.111Kjeldahl nitrogen, mg/L 0.83 0.9 0.78 0.92 0.79 0.48 1.2 0.78 1.5Total phosphorus, mg/L 0.034 0.096 0.085 0.074 0.055 0.05 0.22 0.128 0.22Ortho-phosphorus, mg/L 0.012 0.081 0.045 0.039 0.028 0.032 0.114 0.056 0.048Total copper, μg/L <1 1 2 2 2 2 4 5 3Total zinc, μg/L <20 <20 <20 <20 <20 <20 <20 <20 <20Chlorophyll a, μg/L 1.37 2.53 8.41 5.91 7.34 0.95 2.26 2.34 43

22 Surface-Water Quantity and Quality of the Upper Milwaukee River, Cedar Creek, and Root River Basins, Wisconsin, 2004
7/28 8/1 8/6 8/10 8/15

110

130

150

170

190

210

DISCHARGE, IN CUBIC FEET PER SECOND

Chl - Chloride

Solids - Suspended Solids

Tot P - Total Phosphorus

Chl 58.9

Solids 8

Tot P 0.105

Chl 56.3

Solids 9

Tot P 0.115

Chl 59.4

Solids 6

Tot P 0.122

Chl 56.9

Solids 9

Tot P 0.132

Chl 54.8

Solids 11

Tot P 0.129

Chl 54.8

Solids 8

Tot P 0.129 Chl 57.4

Solids 11

Tot P 0.135

Chl 57.1

Solids 18

Tot P 0.128

Chl 52.2

Solids 18

Tot P 0.135

Chl 54.8

Solids 14

Tot P 0.113

2004

DATE OF SAMPLING

EXPLANATION

Figure 12. Changes in chloride, suspended solids, and total phosphorus concentrations during storm events, July 29 through 

August 15, 2004, at the Newburg, Wis. site. All concentrations are in milligrams per liter. Location of the site shown in figure 1.

Surface-Water Quantity and Quality 23
Table 10. Selected water-quality parameters in the upper Milwaukee River Basin, Wis., during base flow on September 9, 2004, 

and during the storm that began on October 23, 2004.

[mg/L, milligrams per liter; mm/dd/yy, month/day/year; hh:mm, hour:minute; --, no data available; <, less than; location of sites shown in figure 1]

Sampling site

Date and time 

of sampling 

(mm/dd/yy) (hh:mm)

Water-quality parameters

Chloride 

(mg/L)

Suspended 

solids (mg/L)

Nitrate plus

nitrite (mg/L)

Kjeldahl

nitrogen (mg/L)

Total phosphorus 

(mg/L)

New Fane 09/08/04 (base flow) 19.5 6 0.118 0.83 0.034

10/24/04 (03:40) 19.1 14 -- -- .039

10/24/04 (11:40) 20.1 4 -- -- .028

10/24/04 (13:35) 20.5 4 .187 .85 .028

10/24/04 (20:34) 20.2 13 -- -- .041

10/25/04 (0703) 20.1 9 .186 .84 .033

10/25/04 (17:01) 20.3 4 .175 .84 .025

10/27/04 (04:40) 21.1 7 -- -- .027

10/28/04 (14:21) 21.4 5 .219 .68 .029

10/29/04 (19:10) 20.3 8 -- -- .031

Kewaskum 09/08/04 (base flow) 37.7 5 1.12 .90 .096

 10/23/04 (11:30) -- 16 -- -- .08

10/23/04 (18:45) 39.9 15 -- -- .085

10/24/04 (01:15) 43.3 17 -- -- .103

10/24/04 (07:45) 41.1 19 -- -- .1

10/24/04 (12:10) 40.1 9 2.07 .84 .087

10/24/04 (20:49) 40.6 10 -- -- .075

10/25/04 (07:01) 40.2 11 1.99 1.00 .077

10/25/04 (18:01) 40.2 3 1.95 .96 .066

10/26/04 (22:45) 38.3 15 -- -- .085

10/28/04 (07:15) 41.2 11 -- -- .071

10/28/04 (15:01) 50.2 4 1.64 .95 .07

10/29/04 (11:45) 39.6 17 -- -- .082

10/30/04 (01:30) 40.2 9 -- -- .076

10/30/04 (14:30) 40.1 8 -- -- .075

Farmington 09/08/04 (base flow) 47.8 10 3.11 .78 .085

10/22/04 (04:45) 45.2 6 -- -- .057

10/24/04 (00:30) 45.6 7 -- -- .067

10/24/04 (14:13) 46.6 3 2.83 .79 .067

10/24/04 (20:57) 46.5 4 -- -- .067

10/25/04 (06:57) 47.8 4 2.69 .74 .064

10/25/04 (16:17) 47.9 <3 2.71 .69 .061

10/28/04 (14:02) 45.6 5 2.46 .67 .075

10/29/04 (13:15) 44.4 4 -- -- .081

24 Surface-Water Quantity and Quality of the Upper Milwaukee River, Cedar Creek, and Root River Basins, Wisconsin, 2004
Sampling site

Date and time 

of sampling 

(mm/dd/yy) (hh:mm)

Water-quality parameters

Chloride 

(mg/L)

Suspended 

solids (mg/L)

Nitrate plus

nitrite (mg/L)

Kjeldahl

nitrogen (mg/L)

Total phosphorus 

(mg/L)

Newburg 09/08/04 (base flow) 72.9 4 1.43 0.92 0.074

 10/23/04 (12:21) 83 3 -- -- .044

10/24/04 (00:30) 68.3 11 -- -- .065

10/24/04 (14:40) 69.6 5 1.7 .78 .056

10/24/04 (20:55) 70.1 8 -- -- .060

10/25/04 (06:56) 70.9 6 1.79 .84 .056

10/25/04 (16:31) 64.4 3 1.65 .72 .052

10/26/04 (15:00) 73.1 11 -- -- .074

10/28/04 (12:40) -- 13 -- -- .073

Waubeka 09/08/04 (base flow) 65 4 1.68 .79 .055

10/23/04 (06:30) 72.8 3 -- -- .035

10/23/04 (17:45) 72.1 <2 -- -- .032

10/24/04 (05:45) 76.4 6 -- -- .048

10/24/04 (11:45) 75.6 7 -- -- .050

10/24/04 (15:30) 71 <2 2.08 .59 .040

10/24/04 (20:33) 63.2 6 -- -- .044

10/25/04 (03:15) 68.8 7 -- -- .048

10/25/04 (07:03) 71.3 8 1.98 .92 .053

10/25/04 (15:41) 66 <2 1.77 .73 .042

10/28/04 (13:16) 61.7 9 1.8 .83 .057

Table 10. Selected water-quality parameters in the upper Milwaukee River Basin, Wis., during base flow on September 9, 2004, 

and during the storm that began on October 23, 2004—Continued.

[mg/L, milligrams per liter; mm/dd/yy, month/day/year; hh:mm, hour:minute; --, no data available; <, less than; location of sites shown in figure 1]

Surface-Water Quantity and Quality 25
sites, was relatively uncontaminated during base flow, and 

it remained relatively uncontaminated during stormflow.

Results of analyses of water-quality parameters and 

hydrographs of discharge during one of the two study 

“intensive-analysis” events and the start of a subsequent 

“partial analysis” event from October 22 through 29, 2004 

are shown in tables 10, 11, and 12. The associated discharge and sample collection dates are shown in figures 

12–14. Additional data from the September 9, 2004, 

base-flow samples are included in tables 10, 11, and 12 for 

comparison to storm data.

Results of the October 22–29 storm sample waterquality data compared to the September 8–9, 2004, baseflow data for the five upper Milwaukee River Basin sites 

are shown in table 10. At each of these sites, the analytical 

results from the base-flow sampling were similar to the 

storm sample data, indicating that water quality at these 

sites was unaffected by storm events.

Discharge and sampling dates for the Cedar Creek 

site during the October 22 through 29, 2004, storms are 

shown in figure 14. Leaves clogged the sample-line intake 

at Cedar Creek during the first part of the October 22 

storm, so water-quality data are only available for the five 

samples collected on October 24 and 25 when the hydrograph began to decline after the intake was cleared (table 

11). Although chloride concentrations appeared to be 

slightly elevated in the first (highest-flow) three samples, 

these differences are small and overall water quality during 

the October 22 through 30 storm was not substantially different than that during base flow at Cedar Creek.

Discharge and sampling dates for the Root River 

Canal, Root River Racine, and Root River Mouth sites during the October 22–29, 2004, storms are shown in figure 

15. The discharge records indicate that the precipitation 

fell unevenly across the basin during these two storms, 

with less precipitation falling in the basin of the Root River 

Canal upstream tributary and more precipitation falling in 

the basin along the Root River main stem upstream of the 

Root River Racine and Root River Mouth sites.

Chloride concentrations increased at the Root River 

Canal and Root River Racine sites during the October 

storm compared to the September base-flow sample (table 

12), while the base-flow concentration at the Root River 

Mouth site decreased.

Suspended-solids and total phosphorus concentrations 

in table 12 are similar in range to those at the Milwaukee 

River (table 10) and Cedar Creek Basins sites (table 11); 

however, concentrations of chloride were substantially 

higher at the three Root River sites. According to historical data published by Schneider and others (2004, p. 77), 

chloride concentrations ranged from 0 to 42 mg/L in the 

lower Milwaukee River Basin in the northernmost MMSD 

Planning Area to which the upper Milwaukee River and 

Cedar Creek Basins eventually discharge. These concentrations are substantially lower than those of 125 to 300 

mg/L in the headwaters of the Root River Basin near West 

Allis in the southernmost part of the MMSD Planning 

Area upstream of the Root River Racine site.

The October 22–29 storm data from the Root River 

Racine site indicate that concentrations of some constituents increased as discharge increased during the late 

October stormflow. Concentrations of suspended solids 

and phosphorus both increased slightly, from 14 to 20 

mg/L and from 0.087 to 0.131 mg/L, respectively, during 

the storm as discharge increased from 12 to 32 ft3

/s.

Table 11. Selected water-quality parameters at Cedar Creek Basin, Wis. during base flow on September 9, 2004, and during a 

storm event that began on October 23, 2004.

[mg/L, milligrams per liter; mm/dd/yy, month/day/year; hh:mm, hour:minute; --, no data available; <, less than; location of sites shown in figure 1]

Sampling site

Date and time 

of sampling 

(mm/dd/yy) (hh:mm)

Water-quality parameters

Chloride 

(mg/L)

Suspended 

solids (mg/L)

Nitrate plus 

nitrite (mg/L) 

Kjeldahl 

nitrogen (mg/L)

Total phosphorus 

(mg/L)

Cedar Creek 09/08/04 (base flow) 71.8 2 1.54 0.48 0.050

10/24/04 (16:25) 80.3 <2 1.97 .49 .033

10/24/04 (20:30) 80.6 <2 -- -- .029

10/25/04 (02:30) 80.3 <2 -- -- .030

10/25/04 (06:49) 71.9 <2 1.70 .49 .029

10/25/04 (15:05) 73.5 <3 1.54 .52 .030

26 Surface-Water Quantity and Quality of the Upper Milwaukee River, Cedar Creek, and Root River Basins, Wisconsin, 2004
Table 12. Selected water-quality parameters in the Root River Basin, Wis. at base flow on September 9, 2004, and during a storm 

event that began on October 23, 2004.

[mg/L, milligrams per liter; mm/dd/yy, month/day/year; hh:mm, hour:minute; --, no data available; <, less than; location of sites shown in figure 1]

Sampling site

Date and time 

of sampling 

(mm/dd/yy) (hh:mm)

Water-quality parameters

Chloride 

(mg/L)

Suspended 

solids (mg/L)

Nitrate plus 

nitrite (mg/L) 

Kjeldahl 

nitrogen (mg/L)

Total phosphorus 

(mg/L)

Root River 

Canal

09/08/04 (base flow) 120 21 6.51 1.2 0.22

 10/23/04 (08:30) 206 3 -- -- .087

10/23/04 (23:45) 216 10 -- -- .103

10/24/04 (08:51) 200 10 -- -- .088

10/24/04 (18:00) 196 8 -- -- .153

10/25/04 (06:46) 173 12 8.94 .73 .127

10/25/04 (14:00) 200 8 9.32 1 .157

10/26/04 (21:14) 210 7 8.96 .79 .161

10/27/04 (08:50) 174 5 6.94 1.2 .169

Root River 

Racine

09/08/04 (base flow) 51.8 27 .591 .78 .128

10/23/04 (05:45) 148 14 -- -- .087

 10/24/04 (06:00) 149 20 -- -- .122

10/24/04 (08:54) 148 18 -- -- .103

10/24/04 (20:46) 149 16 -- -- .120

10/25/04 (06:52) 149 18 .043 .85 .131

10/25/04 (13:17) 150 20 .051 1.00 .132

10/26/04 (21:00) 166 17 .158 .80 .124

10/27/04 (10:01) 167 17 .202 .86 .138

Root River 

Mouth

09/08/04 (base flow) 97.6 40 .457 1.5 .22

10/22/04 (23:30) 52.3 10 -- -- .104

10/23/04 (18:30) 87.9 16 -- -- .108

10/24/04 (06:45) 98.5 18 -- -- .110

10/24/04 (18:45) 87 14 -- -- .101

10/25/04 (06:55) 62.2 8 .373 .73 .092

10/25/04 (13:35) 70.8 24 .353 .74 .121

10/26/04 (21:13) 85.3 19 .373 .80 .111

10/27/04 (09:32) 84.7 7 .394 .79 .099

Surface-Water Quantity and Quality 27
10/22 10/24 10/26 10/28 10/30

0

50

100

150

200

DISCHARGE, IN CUBIC FEET PER SECOND

New Fane

Kewaskum

Farmington

Newburg

Waubeka

Sample collected

2004

DATE OF SAMPLING

EXPLANATION

Figure 13. Discharge data and sample dates at the five upper Milwaukee River Basin sites, southeastern Wis., from October 22 

through October 29, 2004. Location of the sites shown in figure 1.

28 Surface-Water Quantity and Quality of the Upper Milwaukee River, Cedar Creek, and Root River Basins, Wisconsin, 2004
10/22 10/24 10/26 10/28 10/30

20

25

30

35

40

DISCHARGE, IN CUBIC FEET PER SECOND

DATE OF SAMPLING

2004

Cedar Creek

Sample collected

EXPLANATION

Figure 14. Discharge data and sample dates at the Cedar Creek site, southeastern Wis., from October 22 through October 29, 

2004. Location of the site shown in figure 1.

Surface-Water Quantity and Quality 29
10/22/2004 10/24/2004 10/26/2004 10/28/2004 10/30/2004

0

10

20

30

40

50

DISCHARGE, IN CUBIC FEET PER SECOND

Root River Canal

Root River Racine

Root River Mouth

2004

DATE OF SAMPLING

EXPLANATION

Sample collected

Figure 15. Discharge data and sample dates at the Root River Canal, Root River Racine, and Root River Mouth sites, 

southeastern Wis. from October 22 through October 29, 2004. Location of the sites shown in figure 1.

30 Surface-Water Quantity and Quality of the Upper Milwaukee River, Cedar Creek, and Root River Basins, Wisconsin, 2004
Base-flow parameter concentrations from the Root 

River Mouth site (table 12) indicate that concentrations of 

all parameters were higher during the September 9 baseflow sampling than the concentrations reported for the 

late October storm sampling. It is likely that contaminants 

concentrate during extended low-flow conditions in the 

intensely urban Root River Mouth site, either from urban 

sources, from upstream sources, or from Lake Michigan, 

and, then during storm events, are flushed out and diluted 

in the harbor area. During field sampling observations, 

substantial amounts of trash, debris, and dead fish sometimes accumulated near the Root River Mouth site that 

were then subsequently flushed out into Lake Michigan 

during storms.

Specific Conductance, Temperature, and 

Dissolved Oxygen

Hydrolab water-quality sondes were used for continuous (every 15 minutes) collection of specific conductance 

(figs. 16 and 17), temperature (fig. 18), and dissolved oxygen (figs. 19 and 20) data at the upper Milwaukee River, 

Cedar Creek, and Root River Basin sites.

Specific conductance is a measure of the ability of 

a body (water) of unit length and unit cross section at a 

specified temperature to conduct electricity (Hem, 1992). 

The specific conductance of pure water is low; however, 

conductance increases substantially under ambient environmental conditions with increasing concentrations of 

charged ions such as chloride or nitrate.

Specific conductance (figs. 16 and 17) values were 

similar to those reported in Schneider and others (2004, 

fig. 24, p. 53) for the northern half of the MMSD Planning Area, but were generally less than concentrations in 

the more urbanized southern half of the MMSD Planning 

Area where the values have historically ranged from 901 to 

3,405 microSiemens per centimeter at most sampling sites 

(Schneider and others, 2004).

Water temperatures were generally consistent 

between all sites (fig. 18). Differences in channel geometry can cause some streams to have higher surface-area to 

volume ratios that can cause minor temperature variations 

between sites. Instrument noise (within acceptable limits) 

may also contribute to minor temperature differences.

Dissolved oxygen (DO) concentrations recorded at 

the nine sites (figs. 19 and 20) were generally consistent 

with expectations for relatively uncontaminated stream 

water that is open to the atmosphere. Because cold water 

has a larger capacity to store dissolved oxygen than warm 

water, concentrations of dissolved oxygen increased in 

October and November due to the colder temperatures of 

late fall and winter.

The lowest DO concentrations were recorded at 

Kewaskum (fig. 19) and at the Root River Mouth (fig. 20) 

sites during the study. Lower DO concentrations at the 

Kewaskum site are not explained by geologic setting, land 

use, population, or other water-quality data collected at 

this site; however, the DO probe was intermittently buried 

by sediments, which could have contributed to intermittently low dissolved oxygen readings. Concentrations of 

DO below the minimum standard of 5 mg/L (Ball and 

LaLiberte, 2004, p. 21) are commonly considered to be 

detrimental to fish and other aquatic organisms.

The Root River Mouth site Hydrolab sonde was 

installed immediately downstream of multiple marinas, 

boat docks, numerous blocks of city buildings, and various 

urban pipe discharges that may have released contaminants that might have contributed to reductions in the 

dissolved oxygen concentrations. For example, the Root 

River Mouth site consistently had elevated concentrations 

of ammonia (from unidentified sources) that could have 

contributed to a decrease in oxygen concentrations in the 

river as ammonia consumed oxygen in the oxidization of 

ammonium to nitrate. Dissolved oxygen readings every 15 

minutes, every day, for consecutive months were collected 

by means of a membrane probe, which was sensitive to 

fouling by debris, sedimentation, or algal growth. Additionally, DO readings can be biased by subtle differences 

in the membrane surface tension on the tip of the sonde. 

Record gaps on figures 19 and 20 represent periods where 

the Hydrolabs were inaccessible during flood events (May 

to July) or times when the hydrolabs were judged to be 

producing record of insufficient quality (Wagner and others, 2000).

Biological Oxygen Demand, Fecal Coliform 

Bacteria, and Escherichia coli

Biological oxygen demand (BOD), fecal coliform 

bacteria, and Escherichia coli are water-quality parameters 

of substantial interest in the Great Lakes Region (International Joint Commission, 2004; Haack and others, 2003; 

Lauber and others, 2003), including the sampled rivers 

that drain to Lake Michigan. In addition to the traditional 

bacterial concerns associated with water used as public 

supplies, bacterial issues in the last decade have become 

a major concern in recreational waters such as the Lake 

Michigan beaches of the greater Milwaukee area.

The measured BOD of site samples (table 13) was 

low with most samples having BOD below the detection 

Surface-Water Quantity and Quality 31
May June July Aug. Sept. Oct. Nov. Dec.

2004

300

400

500

600

700

800

900

SPECIFIC CONDUCTANCE, IN MICROSEIMENS PER CENTIMETER

New Fane

Kewaskum

Farmington

Newburg

Waubeka

Cedar Creek

EXPLANATION

Figure 16. Daily specific conductance recorded at the six upper Milwaukee River and Cedar Creek Basin sites, southeastern 

Wis. Location of the sites shown in figure 1. Gaps in the data indicate periods of data-collection equipment malfunction.

32 Surface-Water Quantity and Quality of the Upper Milwaukee River, Cedar Creek, and Root River Basins, Wisconsin, 2004
May June July Aug. Sept. Oct. Nov. Dec.

2004

200

600

1,000

1,400

SPECIFIC CONDUCTANCE, IN MICROSIEMENS PER CENTIMETER

Root River Mouth

Root River Racine

Root River Canal

EXPLANATION

Figure 17. Daily specific conductance recorded at the three Root River Basin sites, southeastern Wis. Location of the sites 

shown in figure 1. Gaps in the data indicate periods of data-collection equipment malfunction.

Surface-Water Quantity and Quality 33
May June July Aug. Sept. Oct. Nov. Dec.

2004

0

5

10

15

20

25

TEMPERATURE, IN DEGREES CELSIUS

New Fane

Kewaskum

Farmington

Newburg

Waubeka

Cedar Creek

Root River Canal

Root River Racine

Root River Mouth

EXPLANATION

Figure 18. Daily temperature recorded at the nine sampling sites in southeastern Wis. Location of the sites shown in figure 1.

34 Surface-Water Quantity and Quality of the Upper Milwaukee River, Cedar Creek, and Root River Basins, Wisconsin, 2004
May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec

2004

5

9

13

17

DISSOLVED OXYGEN CONCENTRATION, IN MILLIGRAMS PER LITER

New Fane

Kewaskum

Farmington

Newburg

Waubeka

Cedar Creek

EXPLANATION

Figure 19. Daily dissolved oxygen concentration recorded at the upper Milwaukee River Basin and Cedar Creek Basin sites, 

southeastern Wis. Location of the sites shown in figure 1. Gaps in the data indicate periods of data-collection equipment 

malfunction.

Surface-Water Quantity and Quality 35
May June July Aug. Sept. Oct. Nov. Dec.

2004

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

DISSOLVED OXYGEN CONCENTRATION, IN MILLIGRAMS PER LITER

Root River Mouth

Root River Racine

Root River Canal

EXPLANATION

Figure 20. Daily dissolved oxygen concentration recorded at the three Root River Basin sites, southeastern Wis. Location of the 

sites shown in figure 1. Gaps in the data indicate periods of data-collection equipment malfunction.

36 Surface-Water Quantity and Quality of the Upper Milwaukee River, Cedar Creek, and Root River Basins, Wisconsin, 2004
Table 13. Biological oxygen demand, fecal coliforms, and Escherichia coli in samples collected at nine sampling sites in 

Wisconsin.

[mL, milliliter; <, less than; mg/L, milligrams per liter; m-TEC, an agar method with a two-step membrane-filtration method for detection of Escherichia 

coli; Probable no., the most probable number non-filtration method uses a specified number of test tubes to statistically predict the number of organisms 

present; --, mean was not computed; location of the sites shown in figure 1.]

Site Parameter Number of 

samples Units Maximum Minimum Mean

New Fane Biological oxygen demand 6 5-day, mg/L <3 <2 --

Fecal coliform 10 colonies/100 mL 100 10 53

Escherichia coli Probable No. 1 colonies/100 mL 12 12 12

Escherichia coli m-TEC 9 colonies/100 mL 110 0 45

Kewaskum Biological oxygen demand 11 5-day, mg/L <3 <2 --

Fecal coliform 10 colonies/100 mL 3,600 20 583

Escherichia coli Probable No. 1 colonies/100 mL 80 80 80

Escherichia coli m-TEC 9 colonies/100 mL 2,300 0 402

Farmington Biological oxygen demand 6 5-day, mg/L <3 <2 --

Fecal coliform 9 colonies/100 mL 620 30 234

Escherichia coli Probable No. 1 colonies/100 mL 75 75 75

Escherichia coli m-TEC 8 colonies/100 mL 390 20 219

Newburg Biological oxygen demand 6 5-day, mg/L <3 <2 --

Fecal coliform 11 colonies/100 mL 330 10 122

Escherichia coli Probable No. 1 colonies/100 mL 51 51 51

Escherichia coli m-TEC 10 colonies/100 mL 200 10 85

Waubeka Biological oxygen demand 6 5-day, mg/L <3 <2 --

Fecal coliform 9 colonies/100 mL 180 20 63

Escherichia coli Probable No. 1 colonies/100 mL 62 62 62

Escherichia coli m-TEC 8 colonies/100 mL 200 <10 559

Cedar Creek Biological oxygen demand 6 5-day, mg/L <6 <2 --

Fecal coliform 14 colonies/100 mL 1,500 10 192

Escherichia coli Probable No. 4 colonies/100 mL 980 44 316

Escherichia coli m-TEC 10 colonies/100 mL 120 0 83

Root River Canal Biological oxygen demand 5 5-day, mg/L <3 <2 --

Fecal coliform 10 colonies/100 mL 1,400 60 424

Escherichia coli Probable No. 6 colonies/100 mL 1,600 70 555

Escherichia coli m-TEC 4 colonies/100 mL 260 30 108

Root River Racine Biological oxygen demand 5 5-day, mg/L <3 <3 --

Fecal coliform 10 colonies/100 mL 1,300 60 595

Escherichia coli Probable No. 6 colonies/100 mL 1,300 240 587

Escherichia coli m-TEC 4 colonies/100 mL 290 60 150

Root River Mouth Biological oxygen demand 5 5-day, mg/L 4 <2 --

Fecal coliform 9 colonies/100 mL 1,300 60 323

Escherichia coli Probable No. 5 colonies/100 mL 610 73 216

Escherichia coli m-TEC 4 colonies/100 mL 190 60 120

Surface-Water Quantity and Quality 37
limit of the test and a maximum concentration of only 4 

mg/L in a sample collected at the Root River Mouth site. 

No State or Federal aquatic water-quality criteria exist 

for 24 to 48 hours, BOD5 (5-day test) for ambient waterquality in aquatic environments. BOD detection limits are 

computed as a function of replicate analyses for specific 

sample groups; therefore, BOD detection limits may vary 

between different sample sets.

Colonies of fecal coliform bacteria or Escherichia 

coli in water samples from the nine sampling sites only 

indicate that fecal contamination of water by humans or 

animals is present and that unidentified toxic strains of 

bacteria are also likely to be present. Reported numbers 

in table 13 are likely to be one or two orders of magnitude less than numbers of colonies actually present in the 

monitored streams because of microorganism decay during 

the 24- to 48-hour holding and preparation time prior 

to sample analysis. The largest concentrations of fecal 

coliforms (3,600 colonies per 100 mL) and Escherichia 

coli (2,300 colonies per 100 mL) were reported in samples 

collected at Kewaskum (table 13).

Chloride

Chloride concentrations ranged from a minimum of 

15.5 mg/L in a sample collected at New Fane to a maximum of 216 mg/L in a sample collected at the Root River 

Canal site.

Chloride concentrations in samples collected at the 

nine sites (fig. 21) were considerably below USEPA (2006) 

secondary chloride standards for drinking water, which 

are presumably stricter than what would be required for 

ambient stream water quality. For example, the maximum 

concentration of 216 mg/L chloride for all project samples 

(fig. 21) was below the USEPA secondary (aesthetic) standard of 250 mg/L in drinking water.

Suspended Solids

Concentrations of suspended solids in the upper 

Milwaukee, Cedar Creek, and Root River Basins ranged 

from a minimum of 2 mg/L in samples collected at Cedar 

Creek to a maximum of 162 mg/L in a sample collected 

at the Root River Racine site, with median concentrations 

of 10 mg/L or less for each of the six Milwaukee River/

Cedar Creek sites (fig. 22). Although concentrations of 

suspended solids are higher at the three Root River sites 

than at the other sites, the concentrations at the Root River 

sites are low compared to the historic concentrations that 

ranged from 331 to 1,000 mg/L in the most of the MMSD 

Planning Area (Schneider and others, 2004, p. 83).

Two samples analyzed for suspended solids that were 

collected at the Root River Racine site are from samples 

collected on August 17, 2004, with concentrations of 162 

mg/L and 142 mg/L (fig. 22). These samples were collected when the water was brown due to increased solids 

and sediment concentrations.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) 

has not published broad water-quality criteria for suspended solids concentrations in aquatic waters. Guidelines, 

however, are managed under a variety of programs including the USEPA/States total maximum daily loads (TMDL) 

program, USEPA National Pollution Discharge Elimination System permits (NPDES), and various USEPA/States 

Best-Management Practice (BMP) programs.

Nutrients

Nitrate plus nitrite concentrations in samples collected at the nine monitored sites ranged from 0.043 mg/L 

at the Root River Racine site to 9.32 mg/L at the Root 

River Canal site (fig. 23). One possible source of high concentrations of nitrite plus nitrate at the Root River Canal 

site may be from leaching of agricultural fertilizers and 

animal manures from the farm fields in the predominately 

agricultural basin upstream of this site. Other possible 

sources of nitrate plus nitrite nitrogen to the river include 

leaching from septic fields or sewage-treatment facilities 

in this rural area. Nitrate plus nitrite concentrations in the 

urbanized headwaters of the Root River become substantially diluted by the time the river reaches the Root River 

Racine site.

Ammonia nitrogen concentrations ranged from 0.015 

mg/L in numerous samples at multiple sites to 0.345 mg/L 

in a sample collected at the Root River Mouth site (fig. 

24). The contributing sources of ammonia apparently are 

downstream of the Root River Racine site. A comparison 

of figures 24 and 25 indicates that most of the Kjeldahl 

(organic plus ammonia) nitrogen is in the organic form, 

because the ammonia concentrations shown in figure 24 

are substantially less than half of the Kjeldahl concentrations shown in figure 25.

Kjeldahl nitrogen concentrations (fig. 25) ranged 

from 0.48 mg/L in a sample collected at Cedar Creek to 

1.5 mg/L in two samples collected at Root River Racine 

and one sample collected at the Root River Mouth site. 

Possible sources of Kjeldahl nitrogen in the SEWRPC 

study areas include agricultural leaching of fertilizers and 

38 Surface-Water Quantity and Quality of the Upper Milwaukee River, Cedar Creek, and Root River Basins, Wisconsin, 2004
xx

x

x

xx

57 57 52 49 43 52 52 37 56

0

50

100

150

200

250

New Fane

Kewaskum

Farmington

Newburg

Waubeka

Cedar Creek

Root River Canal

Root River Racine

Root River Mouth

CHLORIDE, IN MILLGRAMS PER LITER

30 Number of 

values

EXPLANATION 

Schematic boxplot

x

x

o

o

Upper adjacent

75th percentile

Median

25th percentile

Lower adjacent

Lower outside

Lower detached

Upper detached

Upper outside

Figure 21. Distributions of chloride concentrations in samples collected at the nine sampling sites in southeastern Wis. Location 

of the sites shown in figure 1.

Surface-Water Quantity and Quality 39
SUSPENDED SOLIDS, IN MILLIGRAMS PER LITER

x

x x

x

x

o

x

x

o

o

200

150

100

50

0

61 60 48 55 45 57 41 39 42

30 Number of 

values

EXPLANATION 

Schematic boxplot

x

x

o

o

Upper adjacent

75th percentile

Median

25th percentile

Lower adjacent

Lower outside

Lower detached

Upper detached

Upper outside

New Fane

Kewaskum

Farmington

Newburg

Waubeka

Cedar Creek

Root River Canal

Root River Racine

Root River Mouth

Figure 22. Distributions of suspended solids concentrations in samples collected at the nine sampling sites in southeastern Wis. 

Location of the sites shown in figure 1.

40 Surface-Water Quantity and Quality of the Upper Milwaukee River, Cedar Creek, and Root River Basins, Wisconsin, 2004
NITRITE PLUS NITRATE, IN MILLIGRAMS PER LITER AS NITROGEN

x

x

o

x

x x

o

x

o

10 10 9 10 9 13 10 11 10

30 Number of 

values

EXPLANATION 

Schematic boxplot

x

x

o

o

Upper adjacent

75th percentile

Median

25th percentile

Lower adjacent

Lower outside

Lower detached

Upper detached

Upper outside

New Fane

Kewaskum

Farmington

Newburg

Waubeka

Cedar Creek

Root River Canal

Root River Racine

Root River Mouth

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

Figure 23. Distributions of nitrate plus nitrite-nitrogen concentrations in samples collected at the nine sampling sites in 

southeastern Wis. Location of the sites shown in figure 1.

Surface-Water Quantity and Quality 41
0.0

0.1

0.2

0.3

0.4

xx

o

o

10 10 9 10 9 13 10 11 10

30 Number of 

values

EXPLANATION 

Schematic boxplot

x

x

o

o

Upper adjacent

75th percentile

Median

25th percentile

Lower adjacent

Lower outside

Lower detached

Upper detached

Upper outside

AMMONIA, IN MILLIGRAMS PER LITER AS NITROGEN

New Fane

Kewaskum

Farmington

Newburg

Waubeka

Cedar Creek

Root River Canal

Root River Racine

Root River Mouth

Figure 24. Distributions of ammonia-nitrogen concentrations in samples collected at the nine sampling sites in southeastern 

Wis. Location of the sites shown in figure 1.

42 Surface-Water Quantity and Quality of the Upper Milwaukee River, Cedar Creek, and Root River Basins, Wisconsin, 2004
ORGANIC PLUS AMMONIA NITROGEN, IN MILLIGRAMS PER LITER AS NITROGEN

o

x

x

10 10 9 10 9 13 10 11 10

30 Number of 

values

EXPLANATION 

Schematic boxplot

x

x

o

o

Upper adjacent

75th percentile

Median

25th percentile

Lower adjacent

Lower outside

Lower detached

Upper detached

Upper outside

New Fane

Kewaskum

Farmington

Newburg

Waubeka

Cedar Creek

Root River Canal

Root River Racine

Root River Mouth

0.4

0.6

0.8

1.0

1.2

1.4

1.6

1.8

Figure 25. Distributions of organic plus ammonia Kjeldahl nitrogen concentrations in samples collected at the nine sampling 

sites in southeastern Wis. Location of the sites shown in figure 1.

Surface-Water Quantity and Quality 43
animal manures, septic system discharges, and sewagetreatment plant discharges.

Most sample concentrations of Kjeldahl nitrogen 

exceeded the “reference conditions” of 0.65 mg/L Kjeldahl 

nitrogen at the 25th percentile for Level III, Ecoregion 53 

(U. S. Environmental Protection Agency, 2000, p. 16). The 

reference-condition concentration is not a water-quality 

standard, but rather is published as a guidance concentration for State, local, and Tribal organizations to use in 

developing their own water-quality standards.

Total phosphorus concentrations ranged from 0.021 

mg/L in a sample from Cedar Creek to 0.627 mg/L at the 

Root River Canal site (fig. 26). Many sample concentrations exceeded the recently published USEPA water-criteria guidelines of 0.080 mg/L total phosphorus for streams 

in southeastern Wisconsin (U. S. Environmental Protection 

Agency, 2000; fig. 26); however, this guidance criteria is 

not a water-quality limit or standard.

Phosphorus data from the SEWRPC study areas are 

comparable to summarized historical total phosphorus data 

from sites within the MMSD Planning Area as published 

in Schneider and others (2004, p. 109). Schneider and 

others showed that total phosphorus concentrations ranged 

from 0.073 to 0.111 mg/L in the lower Milwaukee River 

Basin nearest to the upper Milwaukee River and Cedar 

Creek Basins and ranged from 0.112 to 2.500 mg/L in the 

southern part of the MMSD Planning Area in the headwaters of the Root River Basin near West Allis.

Because a large percentage of the total phosphorus 

in natural waters is typically not in a bioavailable form, 

orthophosphorus (reactive) may be measured as an indicator of the fraction of phosphorus that is readily available 

to aquatic vegetation. Orthophosphorus concentrations in 

samples collected at the nine sites ranged from 0.002 mg/L 

in two samples collected at the Root River Racine site to 

0.136 mg/L in a sample collected at the Root River Canal 

site (fig. 27). State or Federal water-quality standards do 

not exist for ambient concentrations of orthophosphorus in 

aquatic environments.

Metals

Probable sources of copper to the nine sites include 

copper occurring in geologic materials, leaching of copper to water from plumbing fixtures, or various industrial 

processes (Hem, 1992, p. 141). Additionally, copper may 

enter the environment from agricultural pesticides or from 

compounds added to water specifically to retard or prevent 

algal growth.

Total copper concentrations were lower in the 

Milwaukee River and Cedar Creek Basins samples than 

in those measured from the three Root River sites (table 

14). Concentrations of copper in the Root River samples 

ranged from less than detection limit to 38 μg/L in sample 

collected at the Root River Canal site. The maximum 

concentrations of copper in the Root River samples exceed 

some draft U. S. Environmental Protection Agency Ambient Water-Quality Criteria for acute toxicity to a variety 

of aquatic organisms and most chronic levels of copper 

(toxicity criteria vary by species) (U.S. Environmental 

Protection Agency, 2003).

Mercury samples were collected twice at each site 

during the study and were analyzed for particulate mercury, dissolved mercury, particulate methylmercury, and 

dissolved methylmercury (table 14). Traces of mercury 

were present at all sites, although concentrations were low 

and no toxic “hotspots” were found. Concentrations of 

methylmercury, although low, may be important because 

of the high potential for methylmercury bioaccumulation 

in the food chain. The largest mercury concentrations 

(2.880 ng/L) were reported in a particulate mercury sample 

collected at the Root River Mouth site.

Total zinc levels were below the analytical detection limit of 20 μg/L in 91 of the 92 samples collected at 

the nine sites during the project. One sample collected at 

Cedar Creek had a concentration barely above the detection limit at 30 μg/L.

Chlorophyll a

Chlorophyll a concentrations in samples collected 

at the nine sites were generally low (fig. 28) at less than 

10 μg/L. Elevated concentrations of chlorophyll a, for 

example, 137 μg/L, in samples collected at the Root River 

Racine site may potentially be attributed to unmonitored 

contributions from the headwaters of the Root River in the 

urban areas around West Allis (fig. 4), or from the effect 

immediately upstream of the Highway 38 bridge that 

acts as a control dam during low-flow conditions. Water 

ponded behind the control structure is exposed to sunlight, 

has a source of nutrients from upstream areas such as the 

agricultural lands around the Root River Canal site, and 

is subject to increased algal growth. Chlorophyll a in the 

Root River then becomes progressively more diluted as 

it flows downstream to the Root River Mouth site, a zone 

of intermittent mixing between the Root River and Lake 

Michigan.

44 Surface-Water Quantity and Quality of the Upper Milwaukee River, Cedar Creek, and Root River Basins, Wisconsin, 2004
0.0

0.1

0.2

0.3

0.4

0.5

0.6

0.7

TOTAL PHOSPHORUS, IN MILLIGRAMS PER LITER AS PHOSPHORUS

x

xxx

x

o

x

xx

x

o

x

53 58 52 51 43 52 52 37 56

30 Number of 

values

EXPLANATION 

Schematic boxplot

x

x

o

o

Upper adjacent

75th percentile

Median

25th percentile

Lower adjacent

Lower outside

Lower detached

Upper detached

Upper outside

New Fane

Kewaskum

Farmington

Newburg

Waubeka

Cedar Creek

Root River Canal

Root River Racine

Root River Mouth

Figure 26. Distributions of total phosphorus concentrations in samples collected at the nine sampling sites in southeastern Wis. 

Location of the sites shown in figure 1.

Summary and Conclusions 45
0.00

0.02

0.04

0.06

0.08

0.10

0.12

0.14

0.16

ORTHOPHOSPHORUS, IN MILLIGRAMS PER LITER AS PHOSPHORUS

o

x

o

o

x x

x

x

o

10 10 9 10 9 13 10 11 10

30 Number of 

values

EXPLANATION 

Schematic boxplot

x

x

o

o

Upper adjacent

75th percentile

Median

25th percentile

Lower adjacent

Lower outside

Lower detached

Upper detached

Upper outside

New Fane

Kewaskum

Farmington

Newburg

Waubeka

Cedar Creek

Root River Canal

Root River Racine

Root River Mouth

Figure 27. Distributions of orthophosphorus concentrations in samples collected at the nine sampling sites in southeastern Wis. 

Location of the sites shown in figure 1.

46 Surface-Water Quantity and Quality of the Upper Milwaukee River, Cedar Creek, and Root River Basins, Wisconsin, 2004
0

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

160

o o x x

x

o

10 10 9 10 9 9 15 11 10

CHLOROPHYLL A, IN MICROGRAMS PER LITER

New Fane

Kewaskum

Farmington

Newburg

Waubeka

Cedar Creek

Root River Canal

Root River Racine

Root River Mouth

30 Number of 

values

EXPLANATION 

Schematic boxplot

x

x

o

o

Upper adjacent

75th percentile

Median

25th percentile

Lower adjacent

Lower outside

Lower detached

Upper detached

Upper outside

Figure 28. Chlorophyll a concentrations in samples collected at the nine sampling sites in southeastern Wis. Location of the 

sites shown in figure 1. 

Summary and Conclusions 47
Table 14. Maximum and minimum concentrations of total copper, particulate mercury, dissolved mercury, particulate 

methylmercury, dissolved methylmercury, and total zinc for nine sites in Wisconsin. 

[μg/L, micrograms per liter; ng/L, nanograms per liter; <, less than; location of the sites shown in figure 1]

Site Constituent Number of samples Units Maximum Minimum

New Fane Total copper 10 μg/L 4 <1

Particulate mercury 2 ng/L .761 .213

Dissolved mercury 2 ng/L 1.260 .120

Particulate methylmercury 2 ng/L .034 <0.010

Dissolved methylmercury 2 ng/L .270 .040

Total zinc 10 μg/L <20 <20

Kewaskum Total copper 10 μg/L 2 <1

Particulate mercury 2 ng/L .723 .032

Dissolved mercury 2 ng/L 1.200 1.000

Particulate methylmercury 2 ng/L .032 .016

Dissolved methylmercury 2 ng/L .140 .100

Total zinc 10 μg/L <20 <20

Farmington Total copper 9 μg/L 2 <1

Particulate mercury 2 ng/L .702 .496

Dissolved mercury 2 ng/L .780 .700

Particulate methylmercury 2 ng/L .023 .019

Dissolved methylmercury 2 ng/L .100 .050

Total zinc 9 μg/L <20 <20

Newburg Total copper 10 μg/L 2 <1

Particulate mercury 2 ng/L 1.070 .982

Dissolved mercury 2 ng/L 1.410 1.000

Particulate methylmercury 2 ng/L .024 .016

Dissolved methylmercury 2 ng/L .140 .080

Total zinc 10 μg/L <20 <20

Waubeka Total copper 9 μg/L 2 <1

Particulate mercury 2 ng/L .725 .399

Dissolved mercury 2 ng/L 1.13 .75

Particulate methylmercury 2 ng/L .027 <.100

Dissolved methylmercury 2 ng/L .100 .070

Total zinc 9 μg/L <20 <20

Cedar Creek Total copper 13 μg/L 3 1

Particulate mercury 2 ng/L .225 .202

Dissolved mercury 2 ng/L .920 .720

Particulate methylmercury 2 ng/L .013 <.010

Dissolved methylmercury 2 ng/L .070 .050

Total zinc 13 μg/L 30 <20

48 Surface-Water Quantity and Quality of the Upper Milwaukee River, Cedar Creek, and Root River Basins, Wisconsin, 2004
Site Constituent Number of samples Units Maximum Minimum

Root River Canal Total copper 10 μg/L 38 3

Particulate mercury 2 ng/L 1.050 .887

Dissolved mercury 2 ng/L 1.110 .900

Particulate methylmercury 2 ng/L .018 .017

Dissolved methylmercury 2 ng/L .090 .06

Total zinc 10 μg/L <20 <20

Root River Racine Total copper 11 μg/L 5 2

Particulate mercury 2 ng/L .865 .693

Dissolved mercury 2 ng/L 1.010 .860

Particulate methyl- mercury 2 ng/L .035 .021

Dissolved methyl- mercury 2 ng/L .050 .040

Total zinc 11 μg/L <20 <20

Root River Mouth Total copper 10 μg/L 27 3

Particulate mercury 2 ng/L 2.880 2.530

Dissolved mercury 2 ng/L .430 .340

Particulate methyl- mercury 2 ng/L .062 .038

Dissolved methyl- mercury 2 ng/L .070 .060

Total zinc 10 μg/L <20 <20

Table 14. Maximum and minimum concentrations of total copper, particulate mercury, dissolved mercury, particulate 

methylmercury, dissolved methylmercury, and total zinc for nine sites in Wisconsin —Continued. 

[μg/L, micrograms per liter; ng/L, nanograms per liter; <, less than; location of the sites shown in figure 1]

Summary and Conclusions 49
Summary and Conclusions

Discharge and water quality were measured at nine 

study sites in southeastern Wisconsin from May 1 through 

November 15, 2004, by the U.S. Geological Survey in 

cooperation with the Southeastern Wisconsin Regional 

Planning Commission (SEWRPC). The data were collected for calibration of hydrological models that will be 

used by water-resources managers to simulate how various 

management strategies will affect the water quality of 

streams. The data will also support development of the 

current SEWRPC Regional Water Quality Management 

Plan and the Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District 

2020 Facilities Plan.

Five of the nine sites were in the upper Milwaukee 

River Basin, including the East, West, and North Branches 

of the Milwaukee River headwaters. One site was on Cedar 

Creek near Cedarburg, Wis., upstream of the confluence of 

Cedar Creek with the upper Milwaukee River. The remaining three sites were in the Root River Basin to the south of 

the Milwaukee metropolitan area, and included sites at the 

Root River Canal tributary, in Racine downstream of the 

Highway 38 bridge, and in the downtown Racine area near 

the discharge point of the Root River into Lake Michigan.

Hydrologic conditions from May 1 through November 15, 2004, were affected by flooding in southeastern 

Wisconsin during the spring. The flooding was caused by 

irregularly distributed, excessive rainfall during May and 

June 2004. A nearly continuous 75-year long record from 

Cedar Creek indicated that a daily discharge of 2,120 ft3

recorded on May 27, 2004, ranked ninth of the highest ten 

mean daily discharges on record, and was the largest discharge recorded since March 30, 1960. Discharge records 

from continuous monitoring on the Root River Canal near 

Franklin since October 1, 1963, indicate that the discharge 

recorded on May 23, 2004, ranked second highest on 

record, and was the largest discharge recorded since March 

4, 1974.

Analysis of water-quality data indicated that concentrations of most parameters (dissolved oxygen, biological oxygen demand, fecal coliform bacteria, chloride, 

suspended solids, nitrate plus nitrite nitrogen, ammonia 

nitrogen, Kjeldahl nitrogen, total phosphorus, dissolved 

orthophosphorus, total copper, particulate mercury, dissolved mercury, particulate methylmercury, dissolved 

methylmercury, and total zinc) were below applicable U. 

S. Environmental Protection Agency and State of Wisconsin water-quality standards at all sites. Exceptions 

included dissolved oxygen concentrations at the Kewaskum, Farmington, Root River Canal, Root River Racine, 

and Root River Mouth sites; each site had from several 

days to several weeks of daily average dissolved oxygen 

concentrations below 5 mg/L. The Wisconsin Department 

of Natural Resources recommends preserving 5 mg/L of 

dissolved oxygen in river water to support fish, aquatic 

plants, and other aquatic organisms. The lowest dissolved 

oxygen concentrations were measured at the Root River 

Mouth site, where elevated concentrations of ammonia 

may have been actively consuming oxygen in the oxidation 

of ammonia to nitrate. Oxygen levels measured at this site 

were below 5 mg/L on many days.

In addition to continuous monitoring of discharge, 

temperature, specific conductance, and dissolved oxygen, 

water-quality samples were taken at each of the nine sites 

during two base-flow events and six storm events. Concentrations of chloride, suspended solids, and total phosphorus were analyzed in all samples. In addition, samples 

taken during the base-flow events and two of the storm 

events were analyzed for biological oxygen demand, fecal 

coliforms, Escherichia coli, nitrate plus nitrite nitrogen, 

ammonia nitrogen, Kjeldahl nitrogen, orthophosphorus, 

total copper, total zinc, and chlorophyll a to provide a 

more intensive characterization of water quality. Particulate mercury, dissolved mercury, particulate methylmercury, and dissolved methylmercury were analyzed in 

samples from one base-flow event and from one storm 

event at each site.

Water-quality did not change substantially, or consistently, during stormflow in comparison to base flow at any 

of nine sampling sites. Of all samples, the highest concentrations of fecal coliforms (3,600 colonies per 100 mL) 

and Escherichia coli (2,300 colonies per 100 mL) were 

reported in samples collected at the Kewaskum site. The 

highest mercury concentrations (2.880 ng/L) were reported 

in a particulate mercury sample collected at the Root River 

Mouth site. The highest concentration of total suspended 

solids (162 mg/L) was reported in a sample collected at the 

Root River Racine site. The highest concentrations of chloride (216 mg/L), total phosphorus (0.627 mg/L), orthophosphorus (0.136 mg/L), nitrate plus nitrite (9.32 mg/L), 

and copper (38 μg/L) were reported for samples collected 

at the Root River Canal site, which is downstream of an 

agricultural area. The highest concentration of chlorophyll 

a (139 μg/L) was reported in a sample collected at the 

Root River Racine site.

50 Surface-Water Quantity and Quality of the Upper Milwaukee River, Cedar Creek, and Root River Basins, Wisconsin, 2004
References Cited

Ball, J., and LaLiberte, P., 2004, State of Wisconsin 

guidelines for designating fish and aquatic life uses for 

Wisconsin surface waters: Wisconsin Department of 

Natural Resources, Bureau of Watershed Management 

PUBL-WT-807-04, 75 p.

Burzynski, M., 2001, The state of the Milwaukee River 

Basin: Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, 

PUBL-WT-704-2001, 108 p.

Burzynski, M., and Helker, C., 2002, The state of the 

Root-Pike River Basin: Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, PUBL-WT-700-2002, 84 p.

DeWild, J.F., Olson, M.L., and Olund, S.D., 2002, Determination of methylmercury by aqueous phase ethylation, followed by gas chromatographic separation with 

cold vapor atomic fluorescence detection: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 01–445, 14 p.

Garn, H.S., 2002, Surface-water quality-assurance plan for 

the Wisconsin District of the U. S. Geological Survey, 

Water Resources Division: U.S. Geological Survey 

Open-File Report 02–30, 52 p.

Guy, H.P., and Norman, V.W., 1970, Field methods for 

measurement of fluvial sediment: U.S. Geological Survey Techniques of Water-Resources Investigations, book 

3, chapter C2, 59 p.

Haack S.K., Fogarty L.R., and Wright, C., 2003, Escherichia coli and enterococci at beaches in the Grand 

Traverse Bay, Lake Michigan: Sources, characteristics, 

and environmental pathways. Environmental Science 

and Technology v. 37, n. 15, p. 3275–3282. 

Hem, J.D., 1992, Study and interpretation of the chemical 

characteristics of natural water, 4th ed.: U.S. Geological 

Survey Water-Supply Paper 2254, 264 p.

International Joint Commission, 2004, Twelfth Biennial 

Report on Great Lakes Water Quality: Ottawa, International Joint Commission, 84 p.

Lauber, C. L., Glatzer, L., and Sinsabaugh, R. L., 2003, 

Prevalence of pathogenic Escherichia coli in recreational waters: Journal of Great Lakes Research, v. 29, 

n. 2, p. 301–306.

Lineback, J.A., Bleuer, N.K., Mickelson, D.M., Farrand, 

W.R., and Goldthwait, R.P., 1983, Quaternary geologic 

map of the Chicago 4 degree by 6 degree Quadrangle, 

United States, [edited and integrated by Richmond, 

G.M. and Fullerton, D.S.]: U.S. Geological Survey Miscellaneous Investigations Series Map I–1420(NK–16).

Martin, L., 1965, The physical geography of Wisconsin: 

Madison, Wis., University of Wisconsin Press, 608 p.

National Weather Service, 2004, Milwaukee-Sullivan 

station data and Rain Spotter Network data: National 

Weather Service, accessed June 5, 2006 at http://www.

crh.noaa.gov/mkx/

Olson, M.L., and DeWild, J.F., 1999, Low-level collection techniques and species-specific analytical methods 

for mercury in water, sediment, and biota: U. S. Geological Survey Water Resources Investigations Report 

99–4018–B, 11 p.

Schneider, M.A., Lutz, M.A., and others, 2004, Waterresources-related information for the Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District Planning Area, Wisconsin, 

1970–2002: U. S. Geological Survey Water-Resources 

Investigations Report 03–4240, 288 p.

U.S. Census Bureau, 2000, Census 2000 redistricting data: 

U. S. Census Bureau, accessed June 6, 2006, at http://

www.census.gov/rdo/www/redistricting%20data.htm

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 2000, Ambient water quality criteria recommendations, rivers and 

streams in nutrient ecoregion VII: U.S. Environmental 

Protection Agency, Office of Water, EPA-822-B-00-018, 

93 p.

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 2006, Secondary drinking water regulations: guidance for nuisance 

chemicals: U. S. Environmental Protection Agency, 

accessed June 6, 2006, at http://www.epa.gov/safewater/

consumer/2ndstandards.html

U. S. Environmental Protection Agency, 2003, 2003 Draft 

update of ambient water quality criteria for copper: 

U. S. Environmental Protection Agency, 822-R-03-026, 

71 p.

U.S. Geological Survey, variously dated, National field 

manual for the collection of water-quality data: U.S. 

Geological Survey Techniques of Water-Resources 

Investigations, book 9, chaps. A1–A9, variously paginated.

Wagner, R.J, Mattraw, H.C., Ritz, G.F., and Smith, B.A., 

2000, Guidelines and standard procedures for continuous water-quality monitors: site selection, field operation, calibration, record computation, and reporting: 

U.S. Geological Survey Water-Resources Investigations 

Report 00–4252, 53 p.

References Cited 51
52 Surface-Water Quantity and Quality of the Upper Milwaukee River, Cedar Creek, and Root River Basins, Wisconsin, 2004

Waschbusch, R.J., Olson, D.L., Marsh, S.B., and Stark, 

P.A., 2005, Water-resources data, Wisconsin, water 

year 2004: U.S. Geological Society Water Data Report 

WDR–WI–04, 1,017 p.

Wigal, J., 2002, Implementation guidance for ambient 

water quality criteria for bacteria (draft): U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, EPA-823-B-02-003, 101 p.
Printed on recycled paper