Lick Creek IA 04-LDM-1027
mouth (S19 T67N R7W Lee Co.) to confluence with unnamed tributary in S32 T68N R7W Lee Co.
- Cycle
- 2016
- Release Status
- Final
- Overall IR
- 2 - Some of the designated uses are met but there is insufficient data to determine if remaining designated uses are met.
- Trend
- Unknown
- Created
- 9/1/2016 1:42:04 PM
- Updated
- 9/7/2016 9:46:34 AM
The presumptive Class A1 (primary contact recreation) uses remain "not assessed" (IR 3a) due to the lack of information upon which to base an assessment. The support level of the Class B(WW2) aquatic life uses are assessed (evaluated) as "fully supported" (IR 2a) based on 1997, 2003, 2010 and 2014 biological sampling conducted as part of the IDNR/SHL stream biocriteria project.
[Note: Prior to the 2008 Section 305(b) cycle, this stream segment was designated only for Class B(LR) aquatic life uses. Due to changes in Iowa’s surface water classification that were approved by U.S. EPA in February 2008, this segment is now presumptively designated for Class A1 (primary contact recreation) uses. The stream remains designated for aquatic life uses (now termed Class B(WW2) aquatic life uses). Thus, for the current assessment, the available water quality monitoring data will be compared to the applicable Class A1 and Class B(WW2) water quality criteria.] The Class B(WW2) aquatic life uses remain assessed (evaluated) as “fully supporting” based on data collected in 1997, 2003, 2010 and 2014 as part of the IDNR/SHL stream biocriteria project. The 1997 FIBI score was 51 (good) and the BMIBI score was 42 (fair). The 2003 FIBI score was 20 (poor) and the BMIBI score was not calculated due to the severe low number of organisms collected during the sampling. The 2010 FIBI score was 63 (good) and the BMIBI score was 39 (fair). The 2014 FIBI score was 40 (fair) and the BMIBI score was 57 (good). The aquatic life use support was assessed (evaluated) as fully supporting (=FS), based on a comparison of the FIBI and BMIBI scores with biological impairment criteria (BIC) established for previous Section 305(b) reports. The biological impairment criteria were determined from a statistical analysis of data collected at stream ecoregion reference sites from 1994-2008. The FIBI BIC for this ecoregion is 33 and the BMIBI BIC is 41. This segment passed the FIBI BIC 3/4 times and passed the BMIBI BIC 2/3 times in the last 18 years.
This aquatic life assessment is now considered "evaluated" based on a change in the 2010 IDNR assessment methodology. IDNR now requires a segment have two or more biological samples collected from the segment over a recent five-year period to be considered “monitored”. This segment had multiple FIBI samples collected in the previous 18 years (1997-2014); however, the multiple samples were not collected during a recent five-year period.
In addition, this assessment was also categorized as "evaluated" because of the sampling conditions in 2003. This site is a reference site for the 40a ecoregion and has historically been assessed as "fully supporting". During the 2003 sampling visit, a bankfull/out of bank flood event less than one week prior, and was documented as a reason for the overall low aquatic abundance. From the 2003 Lick Creek field sheets: "Poor catch may be related to high (overbank) flow about a week prior to sampling. High (overbank) flows had occurred about a week prior to sampling. Much of the rock was clean (scoured & redeposited). Colonization was light in all habitats.” This reference site will be sampled again in the near future.