Assessment Comments

290220 (21IOWA/DNR) at Maquoketa. 008489 (1117MBR/EPA) NE of Maquoketa.

Basis for Assessment

Used results of DNR quarterly monitoring NW of Maquoketa in FY92-93 to assess support of Class A (primary contact) uses as PS, Class B(WW) aquatic life uses as FST, and results of fish contaminant (RAFT) monitoring in 1995 to assess fish consumption uses as FS.*  Other monitoring, however, has been conducted in the Maquoketa River watershed as part of assessments of sediment/nutrient delivery to Pool 13 of the Mississippi River.   Runoff sampling was conducted in May and July 1996 by DNR/LTRMP (Bellevue) staff at 24 sites along the Maquoketa River and its major tributaries.   Although useful for identifying subwatersheds of the Maquoketa basin that contribute excessive levels of sediment and nutrients to the Mississippi River, this monitoring was not directed at assessing the status of aquatic life in these watersheds.   Thus, until additional montoring in the Maquoketa River above the North Fork shows impairments to the Class B(WW) uses from the relatively high levels of suspended sediment and nutrients, continue to assess support of the Class B(WW) uses as FST.   Additional monitoring is needed to determine sources of violations of the Class A primary contact recreation water quality criterion.   *Results from the 1997 RAFT fish contaminant monitoring program were received in August 1998.   Continue to assess support of the fish consumption uses as FS due to levels of all contaminants in the composite sample of whole-fish carp collected from the RAFT trend station NE of Maquoketa less than 1/2 of respective FDA action levels.