North Raccoon River IA 04-RAC-1131

from confluence with Camp Cr. (S7 T86N R34W Calhoun Co.) to confluence with Indian Cr. in S24 T87N R36W Sac Co.

Open Data Collection Period Modal

For purposes of developing stream/river water quality assessments for integrated reporting, three years of water quality data are typically used for both conventional pollutant parameters (e.g., indicator bacteria) and the less frequently monitored toxic parameters (e.g., toxic metals). Since the 2004 IR cycle, DNR has used a three-year data gathering period for streams, rivers, and beaches. For most assessments, the use of three years of data increases the number of samples upon which the decision on use support is based and helps address the problem of weather-related year-to-year fluctuations in water quality.

Due to the lower sampling frequency in Iowa’s ambient lake, biological, fish kill, and fish tissue monitoring programs, five years of data are used for developing IR assessments and for identifying Section 303(d) listings.

Data Type	Data Timeframe
Beach Sampling Data	CY 2020 - 2022
Stream/River Water Quality Data	CY 2020 - 2022
Lake Water Quality Data	CY 2018 - 2022
Biological Sampling Data	CY 2018 - 2022*
Fish Kill Data	CY 2018 - 2022
Fish Tissue Sampling Data	CY 2018 - 2022
Continuous Dissolved Oxygen Sampling Data	CY 2018 - 2022
*Biological sites sampled in both 2017 and 2021 were also assessed.

Open Segment Map
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Cycle: 2024
Release Status: Final
Overall IR: 4 - Water is impaired or threatened and a TMDL has been completed or is not needed.
Trend: Unknown
Created: 11/1/2023 8:13:07 AM
Updated: 1/3/2024 2:35:36 PM

Use Support

Class A1

Recreation - Primary contact

Not Supported

Bacteria: Indicator Bacteria- E. coli

Support Level

Not Supported

Impairment Code

4a - Pollutant-caused impairment. TMDL has been completed.

Cause Magnitude

Slight

Status

Continuing

Source

Unknown: Source Unknown

Source Confidence

N/A

Cycle Added

2008

Impairment Rationale

Geometric mean criterion exceeded

Data Source

Ambient monitoring: Iowa DNR-rivers

Class BWW1

Aquatic Life - Warm Water Type 1

WINOFI

Biological: low aquatic macroinvertebrate IBI

Support Level

Further Investigation Needed

Impairment Code

3b-u - Use potentially biologically impaired based on uncalibrated IBI metrics.

Cause Magnitude

Moderate

Status

Continuing

Source

Unknown: Source Unknown

Source Confidence

Low

Cycle Added

2006

Impairment Rationale

Low Biotic Index

Data Source

Beach monitoring: Iowa DNR WQMA

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" due to levels of indicator bacteria (E. coli) that violated state water quality standards. The Class BWW1 use was assessed as "WINOFI" based on biological sampling data. All other designated uses were "not assessed." Note: A TMDL for pathogen indicator impairments in the Raccoon River basin was approved by EPA in 2008. Because this TMDL covers the primary Section 303(d) impairment identified for the 2006 IR cycle, this segment was moved from IR Category 5a to IR Category 4a (impaired; TMDL approved) for the 2008 cycle. This waterbody remains in IR Category 4a for the current cycle.

Assessment Explanation

Data Sources:

Data Source	Data Source ID	Data Type	Data Age	Site ID	Site Name	Site Description
Iowa DNR	6	WQ	CY 2014-2016	10810001	North Raccoon River near Sac City (DS1)	Site located in Segment 1132 and no longer used to assess this segment.
Iowa DNR	6	BIO	See Below	511	North Raccoon River	Auburn – REMAP #164

Class A1 - Indicator Bacteria:

Site ID	Data Source ID	# Samples / # Years	2014 Geometric Mean	2015 Geometric Mean	2016 Geometric Mean	Annual Geometric Mean Violation	# Violations	% Violations	Significantly >10% Violations	Assessment Type	Support Level
10810001	6	24 / 3	292	256	632	Yes	12	50%	Yes	Evaluated	Not

Class BWW1 - Biological Sampling:

Benthic Macroinvertebrates:

BioNet Site ID	Date	Drainage Area (mi2)	Ecoregion	Major Drainage/Thermal	BM Sample Gear	BMIBI score	BMIBI Class	47b BMIBI BIT	BMIBI Pass/ Fail
511	10/1/13	829	47b	MS/WW	ArtSub	47	Fair	62	Fail

Fish:

BioNet Site ID	Date	Drainage Area (mi2)	Ecoregion	Major Drainage/Thermal	Riffle Stream?	FIBI score	FIBI Class	47b FIBI BIT	FIBI Pass/ Fail
511	8/26/13	829	47b	MS/WW	No	48	Fair	32	Pass

Overall:

Community	Assessment Type	Assessment Result	Support Level	IR Category	Reason
Benthic Macroinvertebrates	Evaluated	Fail (0/1)	Not
Fish	Evaluated	Pass (1/1)	Full
Overall	Evaluated	Fail	WINOFI	3bu	Assessment was evaluated because it was based on a single sample and the drainage area of the sample site was larger than the calibrated range.

Class HH - No Data

Monitoring and Methods

Assessment Key Dates

8/26/2013

Biological Monitoring

1/13/2014

Monitoring Start

12/8/2016

Monitoring End

6/30/2008

TMDL Completed

Methods

150

Monitoring data more than 5 years old

315

Regional reference site approach

320

Benthic macroinvertebrate surveys

420

Indicator bacteria monitoring