Streams and Waterbodies in Wisconsin
This map displays the pattern of different surface water feature types across the
state of Wisconsin, including perennial, intermittent and ephemeral streams.
Perennial streams generally contain water throughout the year, except for periods
of extreme drought. Intermittent streams contain water for only part of the year,
while ephemeral streams flow only in response to precipitation events. Although
the intermittent and ephemeral stream classifications are distinguished from each
other in the dataset, many ephemeral streams are included in the "intermittent"
category. In addition, some ephemeral streams in the Southwest have been
classified as washes. Only recently, and mainly on U.S. Forest Service land, have
streams been added to the dataset under the "ephemeral" category. No streams in
the state have yet been classified in the ephemeral category (data current as of
October 2009). The map highlights the predominance of intermittent and
ephemeral streams across the state. Of the 73,575 miles of linear streams in
Wisconsin, 57 percent (42,145 miles) are intermittent or ephemeral. Three percent
of streams are ditches ([2,531 miles), which are not classified by their flow
duration in the dataset.
The water features on the map are from the National Hydrography Dataset (NHD)
at high resolution (1:24,000 scale or higher). Many smaller waters are not
included in the NHD because they could not be detected on the original aerial
photos used to create the dataset or were excluded from the maps from which the
dataset originates. The majority of perennial and most intermittent streams are
captured at this resolution. However, most ephemeral streams are not captured
unless they are in the arid west. Additional information on the NHD can be ¦
obtained from the NHD website at https://nhd.usgs.gov.	0
HUS35 (&) ©
science for a changing world	PR0^d>	')
The National Hydrography Dataset
eS o B m n 5) M
50	100
Miles
Prepared by INDUS Corporation under contract with
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Office of Water - Washington, DC
October 2013
SURFACE WATER FEATURES
~	STREAM/RIVER - PERENNIAL
~	STREAM/RIVER - INTERMITTENT
I I STREAM/RIVER - UNCLASSIFIED
¦ CANAL/DITCH
~J LAKE/POND OR RESERVOIR
¦[ SWAMP/MARSH
m playa
~	WASH
ISI STATE BOUNDARY
This map relies exclusively on USGS data for mapping water
resources such as streams and other waterbodies. Due to the
resolution of the map, it does not distinguish effectively between
land and water and thus makes waters appear more prevalent than
is actual. This map does not depict the scope of waters protected
under the Clean Water Act or the scope of waters that would be
protected under the Army/EPA proposed rule. This map has not
been used for any regulatory purpose.

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