Iowa DNR
Iowa DNR
ADBNet
Water Quality Assessments
Impaired Waters List

Badger Creek Lake IA 04-LDM-1100

Madison County S11T77NR27W 9 mi. E of Earlham.

Cycle
2022
Release Status
Final
Overall IR
4 - Water is impaired or threatened and a TMDL has been completed or is not needed.
Trophic
Hypereutrophic
Trend
Stable
Created
12/28/2021 11:07:24 AM
Updated
2/17/2022 9:18:28 AM
Use Support
Class A1
Recreation - Primary contact
Not Supported
Support Level
Not Supported
Impairment Code
4a - Pollutant-caused impairment. TMDL has been completed.
Cause Magnitude
Moderate
Status
Continuing
Source
Agriculture
Source Confidence
Moderate
Cycle Added
2002
Impairment Rationale
Narrative criteria violation: aesthetically objectionable conditions
Data Source
Ambient monitoring: Iowa DNR-lakes
Support Level
Not Supported
Impairment Code
4a - Pollutant-caused impairment. TMDL has been completed.
Cause Magnitude
Moderate
Status
Continuing
Source
Other: Sediment Resuspension
Source Confidence
Low
Cycle Added
2002
Impairment Rationale
Narrative criteria violation: aesthetically objectionable conditions
Data Source
Ambient monitoring: Iowa DNR-lakes
Class BLW
Aquatic Life - Lakes and wetlands
WINOFI
Impairment Code
3b - Use potentially impaired based on an evaluated assessment.
Cause Magnitude
High
Status
Continuing
Source
Natural
Source Confidence
High
Cycle Added
2008
Impairment Rationale
Non Pollutant-caused fish kill
Data Source
Fish kill investigation: Iowa DNR
Class HH
Human Health -
Fully Supported
Impairment Delistings
Cycle Added Class Cause Data Source Rationale
2018 Class A1 pH Ambient monitoring: Iowa DNR-lakes New data: WQ improvement (chemical / physical / bacterial)
2018 Class BLW pH 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 poor water transparency and algal blooms that violated the state’s narrative criteria protecting against aesthetically objectionable conditions. The Class BLW use was assessed (evaluated) as “WINOFI" based on the results of a fish kill investigation and information from the DNR Fisheries Bureau. The Class HH (fish consumption) use was assessed (evaluated) as “fully supported” based on fish tissue sampling data. Note: A TMDL for siltation and nutrients, covering algal growth (including nuisance growth of cyanobacteria), at Badger Creek Lake was prepared by DNR and approved by EPA in 2003. Because the Section 303(d) impairment due to pH was not addressed in the TMDL, this waterbody was will remain in Category 5a (impaired; TMDL required) for this assessment/listing cycles.

Assessment Explanation

Data Sources:

Data Source

Data Source ID

Data Type

Data Age

Site ID

Site Name

Site Description

Iowa DNR

6

WQ

CY 2016-2020

22610004

Badger Creek Max Depth

Lake Deep Point

Iowa DNR

6

WQ

CY 2016-2019

14000187

Badger Creek Lake 1.5

TMDL Sampling Site

Iowa DNR

6

WQ

CY 2016-2019

11610009

Badger Creek Lake - lake inlet at Quail Ridge (12)

TMDL Sampling Site

Iowa DNR

6

FT

See Below

187

Badger Creek

Near Booneville

Class A1 - Indicator Bacteria: No Data

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

22610004

6

15 / 5

8

9.3

8.6

1

4

NO

Monitored

Full

Badger Creek Lake was assessed as "not supported" for the 2018 assessment/listing cycle due to frequent violations of the state Class A1 criterion for pH. 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 pH violations. There were less than 10% of the samples exceeding the single-sample maximum criterion for the 2020 or current 2022 assessment listing cycle. Therefore, the impairment for pH is suggested for delisting for the 2022 assessment/listing cycle.

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

14000187

6

Chlorophyll a TSI

25 / 4

44

86

74

YES

Monitored

Not

22610004

6

Chlorophyll a TSI

40 / 5

37

86

70

YES

Monitored

Not

22610004

6

Secchi TSI

15 / 5

49

83

70

YES

Monitored

Not

11610009

6

Total Phosphorus TSI

20 / 4

61

98

83

NA

NA

NA

14000187

6

Total Phosphorus TSI

24 / 4

57

92

82

NA

NA

NA

22610004

6

Total Phosphorus TSI

39 / 5

57

92

81

NA

NA

NA

22610004

6

Inorganic suspended solids

15 / 5

0.3

85

3

NA

NA

NA

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

22610004

6

Ammonia

15 / 5

0.0003

0.324

0.09

NA

0 / 0

4

NO

Monitored

Full

22610004

6

Dissolved Oxygen

14 / 5

4

16.8

10

1

NA / NA

4

NO

Monitored

Full

22610004

6

pH

15 / 5

8

9.3

8.6

1

NA / NA

4

NO

Monitored

Full

22610004

6

Temperature

15 / 5

16.2

31.2

24.6

0

NA / NA

4

NO

Monitored

Full

Badger Creek Lake was assessed as "not supported" for the 2018 assessment/listing cycle due to frequent violations of the state Class BLW criterion for pH. 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 pH violations. There were less than 10% of the samples exceeding the single-sample maximum criterion for the 2020 or current 2022 assessment listing cycle. Therefore, the impairment for pH is suggested for delisting for the 2022 assessment/listing cycle.

Class BLW - Fish Kill Assessment:

The Class BLW aquatic life use assessment based on the 2011 fish kill placed this segment in Category 3b. This assessment was “evaluated” because: (1) the cause of the fish kill was not identified or (2) the fish kill was attributed to a non-pollutant cause (e.g., winterkill). Segments assessed using “evaluated” assessments are placed in Category 3b and are added to the state list of Waters In Need Of Further Investigation (WINOFI). If no additional fish kills are reported in this segment for a 10-year period (2021), the Category will be changed from 3b to 3a (not assessed).

Details about the 2011 fish kill can be found here: https://programs.iowadnr.gov/fishkill/Events/846

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)

187

fillet

2011

black bullhead

4

32.1

0.032

0.03

0.09

187

tissue plug

2011

largemouth bass

5

34.4

0.124

Support Level

Full

Monitoring and Methods
Assessment Key Dates
5/4/2016
Fixed Monitoring Start Date
9/8/2020
Fixed Monitoring End Date
3/21/2011
Fish Kill
9/29/2011
Fish Tissue Monitoring
1/30/2003
TMDL Completed
Methods
120
Surveys of fish and game biologists/other professionals
140
Incidence of spills and/or fish kills
222
Non-fixed-station monitoring (conventional during key seasons and flows)
260
Fish tissue analysis
340
Primary producer surveys (phytoplankton/periphyton/macrophyton)