Big Eau Pleine Reservoir, Marathon County, Wisconsin

Contacts: Lake Manager= Sorge, Buzz (WCR-Eau Claire); 715-839-3794; sorgep@dnr.state.wi.us
Fish Biologist
Aquatic Plant Management Contact= Scott Provost; 715-421-7881 Scott.Provost@Wisconsin.gov
Water Management Specialist
Waterbasin Leader
Lake Organization List (Exit DNR)

Links:Marathon County Home Page (Exit DNR)
Wisconsin Valley Improvement Company, Inc. Home Page (Exit DNR)

Lake Information for BIG EAU PLEINE RESERVOIR
Waterbody Number 1427400
Township, Range and Section T26NR06ES14
Quarter - Quarter Section SESW
Area in acres = 6830 and Maximum depth in feet = 46

Wisconsin Lakes Book

Source: Wisconsin DNR- (Pub. FM-800) 1999 Revision. Key
Lake Name = Big Eau Pleine Reservoir
Area = 6830 (acres)
Maximum Depth = 46 (feet)
Mean Depth = 16 (feet)
Public Access = BR (BR= Boat Ramp; BF= Barrier-free; P= Barrier Free Pier; T= Walk in Trail; R= Roadside; W= Wilderness in Public Ownership; BW= Barrier-free Wilderness; NW= Navigable Water; and X= some type of access is available)
Lake Map =X ( Blank, = No DNR Lake Map exists; X = Lake map exists)More information on lake maps.
Lake Type = DG (DG= Drainage Lake; SE= Seepage Lake; SP= Spring Lake; and DN= Drained Lake)
Muskie = P
Key=(A= Abundant; C= Common; or P= Present)
Northern Pike = C
Walleye = A
Largemouth Bass =
Smallmouth Bass = P
Panfish =
Trout =
Catfish =
Sturgeon =
Mercury in fish = Y (Blank, no fish tested as of 1995; One or more fish species in lake tested Z = Real low amount of mercury found or Y= Mercury was found, an consumption advisory exists.)More Information.

"Old Historical Information"

Source: 1977, Surface Water Resources of Marathon County

Big Eau Pleine Reservoir, T26N, R6E, Section 14 and 23 Surface Acres = 6,830.4, Maximum Depth = 46 feet, Secchi Disk = 3 feet A medium hard water drainage lake (impoundment) on the Big Eau Pleine River having slightly acid, medium brown water of low transparency. Approximately 95 percent of the shoreline is upland, with the remainder being wetland. The littoral materials are composed of sand (60 percent), muck (25 percent), rubble (10 percent), and boulder (5 percent). Aquatic vegetation is sparse. Fish inhabiting this flowage include northern pike, walleye, muskellunge, largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, yellow perch, black bullhead, carp and white sucker. The reservoir has 66.3 miles of shoreline, of which 2.7 miles is public frontage. A public boat landing with parking is provided. Public recreational facilities include a park area, campsites, and campground. Shoreline developments also include 152 dwellings. Inlet streams are the Big Eau Pleine River, Freeman Creek, Fenwood Creek, and two unnamed streams. The outlet is directly connected to Lake DuBay, located on the Wisconsin River. Recent winterkills (1973-74) are believed to have resulted from organic pollution. Waterfowl, especially diving ducks, use this flowage on their spring and fall migrations. The flowage is maintained as a low flow augmentation reservoir by the Wisconsin Valley Improvement Company. The water control structure has a head of 31.5 feet.

Average Water Quality in Late Summer during the past 5 Years for Big Eau Pleine Reservoir in Wisconsin (Central) basin.

Note: No numbers by the first = in water clarity, etc. means no samples on this lake in the past 5 years in late summer.
Water Clarity in feet = for samples compared to 9 feet for 229 samples in the basin.
Chlorophyll A in ug/l = for samples compared to 14 ug/l for 62 samples in the basin.
Total Phosphorus in mg/l = for samples compared to 0.06 mg/l for 72 samples in the basin.
Public Perception of water conditions = for samples compared to 2 for 204 samples in the basin.
Where the scale is 1-5 1= Beautiful, could not be any nicer; 2= Very minor aesthetic problems - excellent for swimming, boating, enjoyment; 3= Swimming and aesthetic enjoyment slightly impaired because of algae levels; 4= Desire to swim and level of enjoyment of the lake substantially reduced because of algae (would not swim, but boating ok); 5= Swimming and aesthetic enjoyment of the lake nearly impossible because of algae level.
Trophic state is another indicator of water quality. 

"Bibliography for Big Eau Pleine Reservoir, Marathon County, Wisconsin     
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--- This bibliography is being build. Don't assume it is complete. ---
--- If you know of other related references for this lake, please tell us.---       

Bartelt, S., et. al., 1973 The collection and integration of land, 
     water, and recreation data used in resource planning.  
     Student-Originated Studies Program, Michael Nichols, project 
     director, Univ. of Wisconsin-Stevens Point.  National Science 
     Foundation. Washington D.C. Unpublished

Buchanan, Alan. 1976. Zooplankton of the Big Eau Pleine Reservoir. 
     M.S. Thesis. University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point.

Carlson, H and L. M. Andrews. 1977. Surface Water Resources of 
     Marathon Co. Wis. DNR. 1981 81 pp.

Chan, Peter, et. al. 1972. Water quality and recreational value 
     analysis on Lake Dubay and the Eau Pleine Reservoir, 
     Wisconsin. Steven Schmidt, project director. 

Elbert, Stephen Thomas. 1980. Hydrologic-land use relationship to 
     non-point pollution of the Big Eau Pleine River. M.S. Thesis. 
     University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point.

Gunnison, Douglas. and  John W. Barko. 1988. Investigation of 
     environmental problems in the Big Eau Pleine Reservoir, 
     Wisconsin. Prepared for US Army Engineer District, St. Paul. 
     U.S. Army Engineer Waterways Experiment Station, Vicksburg, 
     Miss.

Hammermeister, Dean E. 1982. Sediment oxygen demand of the Big 
     Eau Pleine Reservoir, Marathon County, Wisconsin. M.S. 
     Thesis. University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point.

Hansen, Lois C. 1979. Application of the universal soil loss 
     equation to the Big Eau Pleine watershed. M.S. Thesis. 
     University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point.

James, W. F., H. L. Eakin, D. Gunnison, J. W. Barko. 1992. 
     Sediment-overlying water relationships affecting wintertime 
     dissolved oxygen conditions in the Big Eau Pleine Reservoir, 
     Wisconsin. prepared for US Army Engineer District, St. Paul. 
     U.S. Army Engineer Waterways Experiment Station, Vicksburg, 
     Miss. Technical report;W-92-2. 64 pp.

Joy, Earl Thomas. 1975. The walleye, Stizostedion vitreum 
     (Mitchill) population and sport fishery of the Big Eau 
     Pleine, a fluctuating, central - Wisconsin reservoir. M.S. 
     Thesis.  University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point.

Kaminski, Thaddeus A. 1977. Application of an erosion model to a 
     diversified agricultural watershed. M.S. Thesis. University 
     of Wisconsin-Stevens Point.

Kaster, J. L. 1976. Benthic macroinvertebrates of the Big Eau 
     Pleine, a fluctuating, central Wisconsin reservoir. M.S. 
     Thesis. University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point.

Kendy, Eloise and Kenneth R. Bradbury. 1988. Hydrogeology of the 
     Wisconsin River Valley in Marathon County, Wisconsin. 
     University of Wisconsin-Extension, Wisconsin Geological and 
     Natural History Survey. 

Kreitlow, J. 1991. Source of Phosphorus Entering the Upper Big 
     Eau Pleine River Watershed on July 18, 1990, Wisconsin DNR 
     unpublished information.

Kreitlow, J. 1991 Appraisal Monitoring Plan for the Lower Big 
     Eau Pleine Priority Watershed Project. Wisconsin - DNR 
     Rhinelander, WI.

Kreitlow, J. 1992 Appraisal Monitoring Report for Lower Big Eau 
     Pleine Priority Watershed Project, Wisconsin DNR 
     unpublished report.

Linskens, Michael J. 1986. The efficiency of a 2.7 acre farm 
     pond in reducing nutrient and sediment loading from a 68.2 
     acre watershed. M.S. Thesis. University of Wisconsin-Stevens 
     Point. 

Marano, Mike. 1979. Computer modeling snow relationships in the 
     Big Eau Pleine watershed, Wisconsin. M.S. Thesis. 
     University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point. 

O'Flanagan, Barry D.  1982. A practical guide to reservoir water 
     quality modeling. M.S. Thesis. University of Wisconsin-
     Stevens Point.

Shaw, Byron H. 1978. Final report to Wisconsin Department of 
     Natural Resources on the Big Eau Pleine Reservoir and 
     watershed studies. University of Wisconsin, Stevens Point, 
     Wis.

Shaw, Byron H., John F. Sullivan, and James Vennie. 1980. "The 
     Big Eau Pleine Reservoir, Wisconsin". p 345-259. Paper 
     No. 4-18. Proceedings of the Symposium on Surface Water 
     Impoundments-Volume 1. Edited by H.G.Stefan

Shaw, Byron H. and C. F. Powers. 1980. Agricultural runoff and 
     reservoir drawdown effects on a 2760 - hectare reservoir, 
     final report.  Corvallis, OR : U.S.  Environmental 
     Protection Agency, B803547-02-1, Environmental Research 
     Laboratory ; Cincinnati, OH :  Center for Environmental 
     Research Information. 45 pp.

Shaw, Byron H. and C. F. Powers. 1983. Agricultural runoff and 
     reservoir drawdown effects on a 2760 - hectare reservoir, 
     summary report.  Corvallis, OR : U.S. Environmental 
     Protection Agency, Environmental Research Laboratory; 
     Cincinnati, OH :  Center for  Environmental Research 
     Information. 16 pp.

Sullivan, J. F., 1978. Primary production of the Big Eau Pleine 
     Reservoir, Wisconsin. M.S. Thesis. University of Wisconsin-
     Stevens Point, 141 pp.           

Sullivan, J. F., 1978. Primary productivity of the Big Eau Pleine 
     Reservoir,  Wisconsin. Verh. Internat. Verein. Limnol., 
     20:1581-1586

Swalby, Louie J. 1979. Long term BOD analysis of the Big Eau 
     Pleine Reservoir, Wisconsin, as related to BOD source. M.S. 
     Thesis. University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point.

U.S. Department of Agriculture Coordinating Committee. 1977. Big 
     Eau Pleine Watershed--Marathon, Clark and Taylor Counties, 
     Wisconsin: Application for Model Implementation Program. -- 
     (ATS3210).

Vennie, James G. 1982. Water and nutrient budgets and phosphorus 
     models for the Big Eau Pleine Reservoir, Wisconsin. M.S. 
     Thesis. University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point, 182 leaves.

Weber, Steven P., Byron Shaw and Stanley A. Nichols 1996. The 
     aquatic macrophyte communities of eight northern Wisconsin 
     flowages : St. Croix, Gile, Minong, Brule, Rainbow, Willow, 
     Caldron Falls, Big Eau Pleine.

Wisconsin. Dept. of Natural Resources. 1987  A Nonpoint Source 
     Control Plan for the Upper Big Eau Pleine River Priority 
     Watershed Project: The Wisconsin Nonpoint Source Water 
     Pollution Abatement program/plan prepared by Wisconsin 
     Department of Natural Resources, Bureau of Water Resources 
     Management, Nonpoint source and land management section in 
     cooperation with Marathon County Land Conservation 
     Department, Clark County Land Conservation Department and 
     Taylor County Land Conservation Department. author, John 
     Lewis and B. Jaeger. 128pp. 

Wisconsin. Dept. of Natural Resources. 1991. Upper Wisconsin 
     River central sub-basin water quality management plan. 
     221 pp.

Wisconsin. Dept. of Natural Resources. 1993. Nonpoint source 
     control plan for the Lower Big Eau Pleine River Watershed: 
     the Wisconsin Nonpoint Source Water Pollution Abatement 
     Program / cooperatively prepared by Department  of Natural 
     Resources, Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer 
     Protection, Marathon County Land Conservation Department; 
     author, Charlotte H. Haynes. v.1 Project Summary v.2 
     The Plan.

Wisconsin Valley Improvement Compay. 1991-1996. Application for
     new licence major project existing dam FERC Project #2113
     Wisconsin River Headwater Reservoir System. Vol.1-9 (54 
     lakes)." County, Wisconsin

Produced by: Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, Bureau of Watershed Management
For Corrections or More information to add on this topic: James Vennie, Limnologist-Lake Data Manager, 608-266-2212

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Last Revised: Thursday May 07 2009