2018 305(b) Assessment Summary

2018 Integrated Report including the 2018 Impaired Waters List: Approved by U.S. EPA March 24, 2020:

Iowa DNR submitted the 2018 Integrated Report which includes the 2018 Impaired Waters List to the U.S. EPA as required by Sections 305(b) and 303(d) of the federal Clean Water Act for approval on February 24, 2020. Iowa DNR received final approval of this submittal from the U.S. EPA on March 24, 2020.

Public comments were sought on Iowa’s draft 2018 list of impaired waters from November 14, 2019 through December 28, 2019. Iowa DNR prepared a summary of responses to the 102 comments received on the draft 2018 list of Impaired Waters Iowa’s draft list was updated following the public comment period and Iowa's final 2018 Impaired Waters list, as submitted to U.S. EPA, contained 622 waterbodies with a total of 831 impairments.

Materials for review

• 2018 Iowa Integrated Report EPA Submittal Letter
• Methodology for Iowa’s 2018 Water Quality Assessment, Listing, and Reporting Pursuant to Sections 305(b) and 303(d) of the Federal Clean Water Act.
• Public Participation Responsiveness Summary for Iowa's 2018 Section 303 (d) list of Impaired Waters
• 2018 303(d) Impaired Waters List USEPA Region 7 2018 Approval Letter
• 2018 303(d) Impaired Waters List USEPA Region 7 2018 Decision Document

Links to additional background information can be found at:

• http://www.iowadnr.gov/Environmental-Protection/Water-Quality/Water-Monitoring/Impaired-Waters
• https://programs.iowadnr.gov/adbnet/Docs/Publications

Background

Iowa's Section 303(d) lists and Integrated Reports are prepared according to Iowa DNR's assessment and listing methodology and follow U.S. EPA guidelines for "integrated reporting" that combine requirements of Sections 305(b), 303(d), and 314 of the federal Clean Water Act. These U.S. EPA guidelines suggest that states place all their waters into one of the following categories that comprise a state's Integrated Report:

• Supporting: These waterbody segments are assessed as fully supporting their assessed designated uses*. Segments assessed as supporting all their designated uses are in Category 1 of the Integrated Report. Those segments where some of the designated uses are met but insufficient information exists to determine whether the remaining uses are met are placed in Category 2 of the Integrated Report.
• Uses Not Assessed: These are designated uses for which insufficient information exists to determine whether that designated use is met. Other designated uses for that waterbody, however, may have been assessed as either "supporting" or "impaired".

• Waterbody segments Not Assessed: Insufficient information exists to determine whether any beneficial uses designated for that segment are met. These segments are placed into Category 3 of the Integrated Report.

• Category 4: The waterbody segment is impaired but a TMDL is not required; the waterbody segment is not included on the state's section 303(d) list of impaired waters(Category 5 of the Integrated Report).

• Category 5: The states Section 303(d) list of impaired waters. The waterbody segment is impaired and a total maximum daily load (TMDL) is needed. The list contains 622 waterbodies with a total of 831 impairments. There were 608 segments with 818 impairments on Iowa's 2016 final EPA-approved list.

• WINOFI: As provided for in Iowa's credible data law, the Department is to maintain a separate list of waters that require further investigative monitoring before a “monitored” assessment can be prepared. As specified in thecredible data law,this list is not part of the Section 303(d)/impaired water segments process in Iowa and includes waterbody segments where limited information suggests, but does not conclusively (credibly) demonstrate, a water quality impairment. If the results of further investigative monitoring demonstrate, with data of sufficient quality and quantity, that a water quality impairment exists, the affected waterbody can be added to Iowa's Section 303(d) list. Iowa's draft 2018 list of waters in need of further investigation contains 472 waterbody segments.

• Delistings: These water segments are proposed for removal from Iowa's previous (2016) list of impaired waters. A rationale for each proposed delisting is provided.