Pickerel Lake IA 04-RAC-1180
Buena Vista County S1T93NR35W 4 mi NE of Marathon.
- Cycle
- 2026
- Current Phase
- Public Comment
- Overall IR
- 2 - Some of the designated uses are met but there is insufficient data to determine if remaining designated uses are met.
- Trophic
- Eutrophic
- Trend
- Stable
- Created
- 10/27/2025 3:11:39 PM
- Updated
- 1/7/2026 1:51:54 PM
The Class A1 use remains assessed (monitored) as "fully supported." The Class BLW use remains assessed (monitored) as "fully supported." All other designated uses remain “not assessed.”
Data Sources: Data Source Data Source ID Data Type Data Age Site ID Site
Name Site
Description Iowa DNR 6 WQ CY 2018-2020 22110004 Pickerel
Lake
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 22110004 6 10 / 2 7.8 9.4 8.3 1 3 NO MONITORED FULL Class BLW – Shallow Lake TSI: Site ID Data Source ID Parameter Name # Samples / # Years Minimum Value Maximum Value Median Value Median TSI Violation? Assessment Type Support Level 22110004 6 Chlorophyll a TSI 12 / 3 44 79 62 NO EVALUATED FULL The TSI value for Secchi depth is not used to evaluate the
attainment of the aquatic life use in shallow lakes. Due to the depth of these
shallow lakes, TSI values for Secchi depth can be misleading. In some
instances, the Secchi disk remains visible at the bottom of the lake and the
depth of the lake is recorded as the Secchi depth. In these instances, water
clarity may be sufficient to support the Class BLW use, but the index value is
limited by the depth of the lake. Thus, the combination of total suspended
solids and chlorophyll a was used to determine whether or not the Class BLW use
was impaired in these shallow systems. Class BLW - 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 22110004 6 Dissolved Oxygen 12 / 3 5.92 16.86 10.11 0 NA / NA 4 NO MONITORED FULL 22110004 6 pH 10 / 2 7.8 9.4 8.3 1 NA / NA 3 NO MONITORED FULL 22110004 6 Temperature 12 / 3 14.5 26.5 21.7 0 NA / NA 4 NO MONITORED FULL Class BLW - Protection of Submerged Aquatic Vegetation: Site ID Data Source ID Parameter Name # Samples / # Years Minimum Value Maximum Value Median Value Median Value >= SAV Assessment Type Support Level 22110004 6 Total suspended solids 12 / 3 4 52 13 NO MONITORED FULL Guidelines for wetland assessment from the Upper Mississippi
River Conservation Committee’s Water Quality Technical Section (2003) state
that a median total suspended solids concentration of less than 30 mg/L during the growing season is necessary to provide sufficient water clarity to support
the growth of submersed aquatic vegetation (SAV) in wetlands and shallow lakes.
High levels of total suspended solids impede the growth of SAV. SAV is critical
to the health of wetland and shallow lake ecosystems. The elimination of SAV
can degrade habitat quality such that undesirable aquatic species such as
cyanobacteria, common carp and fathead minnows dominate. As such, the
suppression of SAV constitutes a violation of Iowa’s narrative water quality
criteria protecting against undesirable or nuisance aquatic life. Class BLW - 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 22110004 6 Ammonia 5 / 1 0.09 0.04 0.02 0 / 0 NO EVALUATED FULL
Class HH - No Data