Iowa DNR
Iowa DNR
ADBNet
Water Quality Assessments
Impaired Waters List

Raccoon River IA 04-RAC-1116

mouth (at Des Moines Polk Co.) to the Polk/Dallas county line

This is a DRAFT assessment
Draft assessments may change without notice
Cycle
2026
Current Phase
Public Comment
Overall IR
4 - Water is impaired or threatened and a TMDL has been completed or is not needed.
Trend
Stable
Created
10/27/2025 3:10:03 PM
Updated
12/23/2025 4:35:43 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
Unknown: Source Unknown
Source Confidence
N/A
Cycle Added
2002
Impairment Rationale
Geometric mean criterion exceeded
Data Source
Ambient monitoring: Corps of Engineers/ISU/UI
Class BWW1
Aquatic Life - Warm Water Type 1
Fully Supported
Class C
Drinking Water -
Not Supported
Support Level
Not Supported
Impairment Code
4a - Pollutant-caused impairment. TMDL has been completed.
Cause Magnitude
Moderate
Status
New
Source
Agriculture
Source Confidence
Low
Cycle Added
2026
Impairment Rationale
Significantly > 10% of samples fail to meet criterion
Data Source
Ambient monitoring: municipal water supply
Class HH
Human Health -
Not Assessed
Impairment Delistings
No delistings for this assessment cycle.
Documentation
Assessment Summary

The Class A1 use was assessed as "not supported" based on indicator bacteria (E. coli) monitoring data. The Class BWW1 use was assessed as "fully supported" based on ambient chemical/physical water quality monitoring data. The Class C use was assessed as "not supported" based on water quality monitoring data. All other designated uses were “not assessed.”  Note: A TMDL for nitrate and pathogen indicators (E. coli) was prepared by DNR and approved by EPA in June 2008. Because this TMDL covers both of the Section 303(d) impairments identified for this IR cycle, the Class A1 and Class C designated uses were placed in IR Category 4a (impaired; TMDL approved).

Assessment Explanation

Data Sources:

Data Source

Data Source ID

Data Type

Data Age

Site ID

Site Name

Site Description

DMWW

13

WQ

CY 2022-2024

99990003

Raccoon River


Class A1 - Indicator Bacteria:

Site ID

Data Source ID

# Samples per Year (2022/ 2023/2024)

2022 Geometric Mean

2023 Geometric Mean

2024 Geometric Mean

Violates Annual Geometric Mean?

# 2022 SSM violations / SSM Violations needed for impairment

# 2023 SSM violations / SSM Violations needed for impairment

# 2024 SSM violations / SSM Violations needed for impairment

Violates Annual SSM Significantly >10% Rule?

Assessment Type

Support Level

99990003

13

170/170/158

99

94

158

YES

45 / 23

42 / 23

54 / 22

YES

MONITORED

NOT


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

99990003

13

759 / 3

7.46

8.97

8.29

0

88

NO

MONITORED

FULL


Class BWW1 - Binomial 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

99990003

13

Chloride

759 / 3

12.99

210.52

37.78

NA

0 / 0

88

NO

MONITORED

FULL

99990003

13

pH

759 / 3

7.46

8.97

8.29

0

NA / NA

88

NO

MONITORED

FULL

99990003

13

Sulfate

759 / 3

13.92

82.11

46.33

0

NA / NA

88

NO

MONITORED

FULL

99990003

13

Temperature

758 / 3

-1.11

30

12.61

0

NA / NA

87

NO

MONITORED

FULL


Class BWW1 - Toxic Parameters:

Site ID

Data Source ID

Parameter Name

# Samples / # Years

Maximum Value

Mean Value

Median Value

# Acute / Chronic Violations

>1 Acute / Chronic Violation

Assessment Type

Support Level

99990003

13

Ammonia

757 / 3

1.42

0.06

0.01

0 / 0

NO

MONITORED

FULL


Class C - Binomial 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

99990003

13

Chloride

759 / 3

12.99

210.52

37.78

35.45

0

NO

MONITORED

FULL

99990003

13

Fluoride

759 / 3

100

480

301

300

0

NO

MONITORED

FULL

99990003

13

Nitrate

759 / 3

0.05

18.23

4.06

2.63

99

YES

MONITORED

NOT

99990003

13

Nitrite

760 / 3

0.05

0.15

0.05

0.05

0

NO

MONITORED

FULL

99990003

13

pH

759 / 3

7.46

8.97

8.29

8.31

0

NO

MONITORED

FULL


Class C - Iowa Drinking Water Compliance Report:

Compliance monitoring required by the Iowa DNR Water Supply Operations and Engineering Sections did not show violations of finished water caused by source water at the Des Moines Water Works facility during the 2022-24 monitoring period. The results of compliance monitoring as reported in annual compliance reports are available at the following location at the Iowa DNR’s home page: https://www.iowadnr.gov/Environmental-Protection/Water-Quality/Water-Supply-Engineering/Annual-Compliance-Report.

Class HH - No Data


Monitoring and Methods
Assessment Key Dates
1/3/2022
Monitoring Start
12/31/2024
Monitoring End
Methods
200
Physical/Chemical Monitoring
275
Drinking water compliance reports
420
Indicator bacteria monitoring
860
Other Agencies/Organizations provided monitoring data