Iowa DNR
Iowa DNR
ADBNet
Water Quality Assessments
Impaired Waters List

Lake Ahquabi IA 04-LDM-1080

Warren County S14T75NR24W 4 mi SSW of Indianola.

Cycle
2022
Release Status
Final
Overall IR
5 - Water is impaired or threatened and a TMDL is needed.
Trophic
Eutrophic
Trend
Stable
Created
12/28/2021 10:12:02 AM
Updated
1/27/2022 9:36:42 AM
Use Support
Class A1
Recreation - Primary contact
Not Supported
Support Level
Not Supported
Impairment Code
5a - Pollutant-caused impairment. TMDL needed.
Cause Magnitude
Slight
Status
New
Source
Other: Sediment Resuspension
Source Confidence
Low
Cycle Added
2022
Impairment Rationale
Narrative criteria violation: aesthetically objectionable conditions
Data Source
Ambient monitoring: Iowa DNR-lakes
TMDL Priority
Tier I
Class BLW
Aquatic Life - Lakes and wetlands
Fully Supported
Class C
Drinking Water -
Fully Supported
Class HH
Human Health -
Fully Supported
Impairment Delistings
Cycle Added Class Cause Data Source Rationale
2008 Class A1 Algal Growth: Chlorophyll a Ambient monitoring: Iowa DNR-lakes New data: WQ improvement (chemical / physical / bacterial)
2012 Class A1 Bacteria: Indicator Bacteria- E. coli Ambient monitoring: Iowa DNR-lakes New data: WQ improvement (chemical / physical / bacterial)
Documentation
Assessment Summary

The Class A1 use was assessed (monitored) as “not supported” due to aesthetically objectionable conditions caused by non-algal turbidity. The Class BLW use was assessed (monitored) as “fully supported.” The Class C use was assessed (monitored) as “fully supported.” The Class HH (fish consumption) use was assessed as "fully supported" based on fish tissue sampling data.

Assessment Explanation

Data Sources:

Data Source

Data Source ID

Data Type

Data Age

Site ID

Site Name

Site Description

Iowa DNR

6

WQ

CY 2018-2020

21910001

Lake Ahquabi Beach (Lake Ahquabi State Park)

Iowa DNR

6

WQ

CY 2016-2020

22910002

Lake Ahquabi

Iowa DNR

6

FT

See Below

71

Lake Ahquabi

S of Indianola

Class A1 - Indicator Bacteria:

Site ID

Data Source ID

# Samples per Year (2018/ 2019/2020)

2018 Geometric Mean

2019 Geometric Mean

2020 Geometric Mean

Violates Annual Geometric Mean?

# 2018 SSM violations / SSM Violations needed for impairment

# 2019 SSM violations / SSM Violations needed for impairment

# 2020 SSM violations / SSM Violations needed for impairment

Violates Annual SSM Significantly >10% Rule?

Assessment Type

Support Level

21910001

6

1/1/8

5

98

31

NO

0 / NA

0 / NA

2 / 3

NO

Monitored

Full

22910002

6

3/5/3

1

5

8

NO

0 / NA

0 / NA

0 / NA

NO

Evaluated

Full

Lake Ahquabi was assessed as "not supported" for the 2012 assessment/listing cycle based on Dissolved Oxygen. Based on DNR’s assessment methodology 2 consecutive assessment/listing cycles without significantly greater than 10% of the samples violating the single-sample maximum criterion are necessary to propose delisting based on Dissolved Oxygen violations. There were less than 10% of the samples exceeding the single-sample maximum criterion for the 2020or current 2022assessment listing cycle. Therefore, the impairment for Dissolved Oxygen is suggested for delisting for the 2022 assessment/listing cycle.

Class A1- pH:

Site ID

Data Source ID

# Samples / # Years

Minimum Value

Maximum Value

Mean Value

# Violations

Violations needed for impairment

Violates Significantly >10% Rule?

Assessment Type

Support Level

22910002

6

30 / 5

7

10.03

8.36

1

6

NO

Monitored

Full

Class A1- Lake TSI's:

Site ID

Data Source ID

Parameter Name

# Samples / # Years

Minimum Value

Maximum Value

Median Value

Median TSI Violation?

Assessment Type

Support Level

22910002

6

Chlorophyll a TSI

29 / 5

15

71

62

NO

Monitored

Full

22910002

6

Secchi TSI

15 / 5

41

77

67

YES

Monitored

Not

22910002

6

Total Phosphorus TSI

29 / 5

53

80

64

NA

NA

NA

22910002

6

Fixed suspended solids

15 / 5

0.6

29

3

NA

NA

NA

DNR's assessment methodology indicates that at least two assessment/listing cycles with a TSI value less than or equal to 63 are necessary to suggest de-listing of an impairment. The chlorophyll a TSI value for the 2008 assessment listing cycle was 66, which based on DNR's assessment/listing methodology indicated an impairment based on the narrative criteria protecting against aesthetically objectionable conditions. Because the TSI value for the 2020 assessment/listing cycle was less than the trigger of 65 (2020 listing for chlorophyll a was 58), and because the TSI value for the current listing cycle is also 62, based on DNR's methodology, these values suggest "full support" of the Class A1 uses protecting against aesthetically objectionable conditions and the impairment (5a) for chlorophyll a is suggested for delisting for the 2022 assessment/listing cycle.

Class BLW - Conventional Parameters:

Site ID

Data Source ID

Parameter Name

# Samples / # Years

Minimum Value

Maximum Value

Mean Value

# Violations

# Acute / Chronic Violations

Violations needed for impairment

Violates Significantly >10% Rule?

Assessment Type

Support Level

22910002

6

Ammonia

27 / 5

0.0003

0.23

0.06

NA

0 / 0

6

NO

Monitored

Full

22910002

6

Dissolved Oxygen

29 / 5

4.1

11.3

8.2

2

NA / NA

6

NO

Monitored

Full

22910002

6

pH

30 / 5

7

10.03

8.36

1

NA / NA

6

NO

Monitored

Full

22910002

6

Temperature

30 / 5

12.4

30.8

23.3

0

NA / NA

6

NO

Monitored

Full

Class BLW - Lake Planktonic Cyanobacteria:

Site ID

Data Source ID

# Samples

Maximum Cyanobacteria Wet Mass

Maximum Cyanobacteria % Composition

Median Cyanobacteria Wet Mass

Median Cyanobacteria % Composition

Median Cyanobacteria Concentration = 75th Percentile

Assessment Type

Support Level

22910002

6

6

13.63

95.4%

9.11

85.8%

NO

Evaluated

NA

Class C - Conventional Parameters:

Site ID

Data Source ID

Parameter Name

# Samples / # Years

Minimum Value

Maximum Value

Mean Value

Median Value

# Violations

Violates Significantly >10% Rule?

Assessment Type

Support Level

22910002

6

Chloride

14 / 1

7.5

11

9.3

9.6

0

NO

Monitored

Full

22910002

6

Inorganic nitrogen (nitrate and nitrite)

29 / 5

0.02

0.63

0.06

0.05

0

NO

Monitored

Full

22910002

6

pH

30 / 5

7

10.03

8.36

8.4

1

NO

Monitored

Full

Class HH - Fish Tissue Sampling:

Site ID

Biopart

Year

Species

# in sample / # of samples

Avg Length (cm)

(Avg) Hg (ppm)

Chlordane (ppm)

Sum PCBs (ppm)

71

tissue plug

2019

largemouth bass

10

34

0.218

Support Level

Full

Monitoring and Methods
Assessment Key Dates
5/23/2016
Fixed Monitoring Start Date
9/8/2020
Fixed Monitoring End Date
7/1/2019
Fish Tissue Monitoring
Methods
120
Surveys of fish and game biologists/other professionals
222
Non-fixed-station monitoring (conventional during key seasons and flows)
260
Fish tissue analysis
340
Primary producer surveys (phytoplankton/periphyton/macrophyton)
420
Indicator bacteria monitoring