Juda Branch

Quick Facts

Hydrologic Unit Code (HUC-12):  070900040603

Area:  18.7 square miles (11,981 acres); 6% of Lower Sugar River Watershed/2011

Counties: Green County/Jefferson, Sylvester, Decatur, and Spring Grove Townships

Municipalities: Juda [population 300 (2020)]

Primary Land Uses:  Agriculture (cropland 44%, pasture/hay 43%), Developed (7%), Forest (3%), water/wetland (1%) of landcover/2011)

Points of Interest: Juda, Grande Cheese.

Water Quality: Three named streams are found in this subwatershed: Juda Branch and its two tributaries, North Fork Juda Branch and Riley School Branch. North Fork Branch, Riley School Branch, and the 4.4-mile section of Juda Branch from Juda eastward are impaired.  In-stream habitats have been rated poor due to agricultural ditching and polluted runoff. A common impairment is total phosphorus with values exceeding the WisCALM criteria of 0.075 mg/L. Recently (2020), a 2.1-mile section of North Fork Juda Branch was delisted for phosphorus as levels had fallen below the WisCALM criteria. For more details, click on the named streams above. 

The high biological oxygen demand (BOD) readings from North Fork Juda Branch are an indicator of organic matter due to discharge into the stream from a succession of industrial facilities (Sylvester Whey,  Protient, and Grande Cheese).  See Learn More below.

At a Glance

• The Juda Branch flows eastwardly and empties into Sylvester Creek north of Ten Eyck Road, just before Sylvester Creek discharges into the Sugar River.
• Part of Juda Branch subwatershed is in drainage district 1, allowing farmers to install drain tiles to reduce soil moisture. The Juda Branch stream has been channelized and runs along the railroad tracks the last three miles before joining Sylvester Creek.
• The North Fork Juda Branch winds back and forth across Hwy 11/81 between Monroe and the Juda, where it flows through the Juda Park, a Water Action Volunteer (WAV) monitoring site.
• Grande Cheese purchased Protient, formerly Sylvester Whey, in 2013. Since then, Grande has made significant investments in the wastewater plant to improve its discharge to the North Fork Juda Branch.
• Juda is situated between the Juda Branch and North Fork Juda Branch, where the two streams join.
• Riley School Branch meanders through cropland and pastures and joins Juda Branch east of Bagley Road.

Learn More

The impaired Juda Branch subwatershed streams have been the focus of major improvements over the years. In addition to dairy farms going out of business and eliminating manure spreading, another farm has fenced the cattle out of the North Fork, a major BOD source and solids in the water. Grande Cheese has also made some significant improvements, including adding a stormwater pond that keeps solids from washing into the North Fork. In 2020, as part of its phosphorus reduction efforts, Grande reduced its phosphorus discharge by 20%. This is an ongoing commitment to the DNR to reduce phosphorus. Grande also sent funds to the DNR that were used to incent farmers to plant cover crops to eliminate erosion and runoff and empty and abandon manure storage pits.

The headwaters of the Juda Branch streams originate high in hills at elevations of over 900 feet. Steep hills that are primarily farmed drop quickly to the stream level 100 feet below. While the steep hills (gradients of 2 - 12%) can cause significant runoff during heavy rain events, rainwater also infiltrates the ground and emerges in springs near the streams.

The Juda Branch has been one of the most tested subwatersheds in the Lower Sugar River Watershed. WAV sample median results for phosphorus are shown in the table below. WAV sampling is conducted from May through October by local volunteers.

Additional Level 2 baseline data besides total phosphorus may also be collected: biotic index and aquatic invasive species, dissolved oxygen and temperature, habitat, pH, streamflow, transparency, and water temperature. To learn about what this data means to a stream's condition and understand a Level 2 stream monitoring report, click here.

Recreation

Residents seek recreational pursuits through events held at local churches, the Juda School District, and the Juda Community Center and Fire Department.

For a printable PDF map of Juda Branch Subwatershed, click here.

 

References: Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources