Rountree Branch

The Rountree Branch (click here to see map of Rountree watershed) is a tributary to the Little Platte River. The 18 mile seepage- and spring-fed stream begins in western Lafayette County and flows west through the City of Platteville to the Little Platte River. The Rountree Branch watershed covers approximately 13 square miles. The terrain ranges from gently to moderately rolling and the streams are incised in steep-sided valleys. This hilly topography and the urban influence of the City of Platteville make the Rountree Branch highly susceptible to flash flooding.

The headwaters of the Rountree Branch begin in cropland a few miles outside the City of Platteville. Agricultural activities in the watershed are dominated by cash crops (mainly corn and soybeans), but also include some dairy farms. Cultivation occurs on the ridge tops and valley floors while grazing occurs adjacent to the streams. The steeper valley slopes are left in woodlots.

The Rountree Branch flows through Moundview Park in the City of Platteville, then travels past a rock quarry and cheese plant and continues adjacent to the Hwy 151 business corridor and through the University of Wisconsin-Platteville campus. The stream is subject to urban runoff throughout much of its length. In addition, the City of Platteville storm sewer enters the stream just west of the intersection of Hwy 151 and Hwy 80/81.

The Rountree Branch is well known as a small-mouth bass nursery for the Little Platte River. Recent fisheries evaluations indicate that the Rountree Branch supports a resident brown trout population. The Wisconsin DNR is considering classifying 6 miles of the Rountree Branch as a class II trout fishery.

Friends of the Rountree Branch (FORB), an ad hoc committee of the City of Platteville Parks and Recreation Department, formed in 1997. The group is comprised of citizen volunteers interested in improving the Rountree Branch. The group has constructed a recreational trail that borders the Rountree Branch and is beginning to look at ways to improve the aquatic habitat and water quality of the stream.

For more information about the Rountree Branch watershed refer to Rountree Branch Watershed Study conducted by the UW-Platteville Civil and Environmental Engineering Department in conjunction with Southwest Badger Resource Conservation and Development (RC&D) or the Wisconsin DNR Grant-Platte River State of the Basin Report. In the State of the Basin report you can find more detailed information on the history, research and current activities in the watershed and surrounding areas.