I am wondering if rain has much impact on water levels and clarity of limestone/spring-fed streams(hay creek for example). I would think they would tend to still stay pretty clear seeing that the source is not far away from where I’m fishing… Maybe I’m wrong? Thanks.
Jake
It takes a lot of rain to get Creeks like that muddy. especially hay creek. however the water levels might be impacted.
Depends on the creek and the watershed surrounding it. If there are lots of ag fields in the watershed where the farmers don’t use conservation on their land… it doesn’t take much more than an inch to muddy the creek. They tend to be more flashy meaning they jump up and muddy quick then drop back down. Springs in the Driftless area are connected to the surface by sinkholes. Some springs muddy fairly quickly after rains… some springs don’t muddy ever. Most streams are fed by multiple springs plus straight surface runoff so all streams will get muddy to a degree with enough rain. Again it goes back to the land use in the watershed.
If the watershed that feeds the creek is healthy… than the stream will rise some but the clarity will stay good for the most part.
Thanks guys!
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