Whitewater Creek IA 01-NMQ-103

Assessment Comments

Stream assessment in S36, T87N, R1W, Dubuque County in August 1991. Monitoring by DNR/LTRMP staff in 1996.

Basis for Assessment

Runoff sampling conducted by the DNR/LTRMP staff in May and June 1996 suggests that the Whitewater Creek watershed contributes relatively high levels of suspeneded sediment and nutrients to the N.Fk.  Maquoketa River.   No biological monitoring has been conducted, however, to determine whether the Class B(LR) uses are impaired.   A review of the field sheet from the September 1994 DNR stream use assessment in Dubuque County shows that (1) very high quality habitats exist in this stream due to very diverse substrates and presence of pool/riffle sequences with only isolated channel alterations and (2) that rocky substrates prevented effective seining of the fish community.   Thus, due to lack of sufficient information on the aquatic communities of this stream, changed the assessment of support of the Class B(WW) aquatic life uses from FST to "not assessed."  Biological monitoring is needed to determine the status of the aquatic communities of this stream and to provide the information necessary to develop an accurate assessment of support of the Class B(WW) uses.