Iowa DNR
Iowa DNR
ADBNet
Water Quality Assessments
Impaired Waters List

Des Moines River IA 04-UDM-1212

from the Interstate 80/35 bridge (S17 T79N R24W Polk Co.) to Saylorville Dam in S30 T80N R24W Polk Co.

Cycle
2020
Release Status
Final
Overall IR
4 - Water is impaired or threatened and a TMDL has been completed or is not needed.
Trend
Stable
Created
9/15/2020 6:48:13 AM
Updated
10/13/2020 6:55:32 AM
Use Support
Class A1
Recreation - Primary contact
Fully Supported
Class BWW1
Aquatic Life - Warm Water Type 1
WINOFI
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
2014
Impairment Rationale
Low Biotic Index
Data Source
Biological monitoring: Iowa DNR WQMA
Class C
Drinking Water -
Partially Supported
Support Level
Partially Supported
Impairment Code
4a - Pollutant-caused impairment. TMDL has been completed.
Cause Magnitude
Moderate
Status
Continuing
Source
Agriculture
Source Confidence
Moderate
Cycle Added
2018
Impairment Rationale
Significantly > 10% of samples fail to meet criterion
Data Source
Ambient monitoring: Corps of Engineers/Iowa DNR/ISU
Class HH
Human Health -
Fully Supported
General Use
General Use water -
Not Assessed
Impairment Delistings
No delistings for this assessment cycle.
Documentation
Assessment Summary

The presumptive Class A1 use was assessed as "fully supported" based on indicator bacteria monitoring. The Class BWW1 use remains assessed as "partially supported” based on biological sampling data. The Class C (drinking water) use was assessed as "partially supported" based on water quality monitoring data. The Class HH (fish consumption) use was assessed as "fully supported" based on fish tissue sampling data and on water quality monitoring data. Note: A TMDL for nitrate was approved by EPA in September 2009. Because this TMDL covers the nitrate impairment identified for this waterbody, this impairment remains in IR Category 4a (impaired; TMDL approved) for this cycle.

Assessment Explanation

Sources of Data:

Data Source

Data Source ID

Data Type

Data Age

Site ID

Site Name

Site Description

USACE

12

WQ

CY 2016-2018

17770001

Des Moines River at 66th. St.

Iowa DNR

6

BIO

See Below

917

Des Moines River

Des Moines – US1


Presumptive Class A1 - Indicator Bacteria:

Site ID

Data Source ID

# Samples / # Years

2016 Geometric Mean

2017 Geometric Mean

2018 Geometric Mean

Annual Geometric Mean Violation

# Violations

% Violations

Significantly >10% Violations

Assessment Type

Support Level

17770001

12

22 / 2

22.18

NA

20.83

No

2

9%

No

Monitored

Full


Class A - pH:

Site ID

Data Source ID

# Samples / # Years

Maximum Value

Mean Value

Median Value

# Violations

% Violations

Significantly >10% Violations

Assessment Type

Support Level

17770001

12

65 / 3

8.97

8.19

8.2

0

0%

No

Monitored

Full


Class BWW1 - Conventional Parameters:

Site ID

Data Source ID

Parameter Name

# Samples / # Years

Maximum Value

Mean Value

Median Value

# Acute / Chronic Violations

% Acute/ Chronic Violations

Significantly >10% Violations

Assessment Type

Support Level

17770001

12

Ammonia

65 / 3

1.49

0.12

0.06

0 / 2

0% / 3%

No

Monitored

Full

17770001

12

Dissolved oxygen

65 / 3

15.4

11.1

10.8

NA / 0

NA / 0%

No

Monitored

Full

17770001

12

pH

65 / 3

8.97

8.19

8.2

0 / NA

0% / NA

No

Monitored

Full

17770001

12

Temperature

65 / 3

29.3

16.2

17.9

0 / 0

0% / 0%

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

% Acute/ Chronic Violations

>1 Acute / Chronic Violation

Assessment Type

Support Level

17770001

12

Cadmium

3 / 1

0.15

0.15

0.15

0 / 0

0% / 0%

No

Evaluated

Full

17770001

12

Copper

7 / 2

1.9

1

1.1

0 / 0

0% / 0%

No

Evaluated

Full

17770001

12

Lead

3 / 1

0.5

0.5

0.5

0 / 0

0% / 0%

No

Evaluated

Full

17770001

12

Mercury

3 / 1

0.025

0.0175

0.025

0 / 0

0% / 0%

No

Evaluated

Full


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

917

9/17/14

5840

47b

MS/WW

Float ArtSub

29

Poor

62

Fail

917

9/24/13

5840

47b

MS/WW

ArtSub

42

Fair

62

Fail

917

8/17/12

5840

47b

MS/WW

ArtSub

32

Fair

62

Fail

Overall:

Community

Assessment Type

Assessment Result

Support Level

Earned IR Category

Actual IR Category

Reason

Benthic Macroinvertebrates

Evaluated

Fail (0/3)

Partial

3bu

3bu

Assessment is evaluated because it included samples not collected in the last five years and the drainage area of the samples site was larger than the calibrated range.


Class C - Conventional Parameters:

Site ID

Data Source ID

Parameter Name

# Samples / # Years

Maximum Value

Mean Value

Median Value

# Violations

% Violations

Significantly >10% Violations

Assessment Type

Support Level

17770001

12

Inorganic nitrogen (nitrate and nitrite)

65 / 3

13.8

7.1

7.1

12

18%

Yes

Monitored

Partial


Class C - Toxic Parameters:

Site ID

Data Source ID

Parameter Name

# Samples / # Years

Maximum Value

Mean Value

Median Value

Number of Non - Detects

Mean Value > Criterion or MCL

Assessment Type

Support Level

17770001

12

Cadmium

3 / 1

0.15

0.15

0.15

3

No

All Non-Detect

Full

17770001

12

Lead

3 / 1

0.5

0.5

0.5

3

No

All Non-Detect

Full


Class HH-FW - Toxic Parameters:

Site ID

Data Source ID

Parameter Name

# Samples / # Years

Maximum Value

Mean Value

Median Value

Number of Non - Detects

Mean Value > Criterion or MCL

Assessment Type

Support Level

17770001

12

Copper

7 / 2

1.9

1

1.1

3

No

Evaluated

Full

17770001

12

Mercury

3 / 1

0.025

0.0175

0.025

3

No

All Non-Detect

Full

Class HH – Fish Tissue Sampling:

Fish consumption (HH) uses are assessed (monitored) as “fully supported” based on results of water quality and fish contaminant monitoring at ISU/ACOE station 5 (17770001) at Sycamore Access in 2014-2016. Fish contaminant monitoring conducted downstream from Saylorville Reservoir by ISU/ACOE in 2014, 2015 and 2016 showed low levels of pesticide contaminants (dieldrin, chlordane, trifuluralin, and chlorpyrifos) in composite samples of whole fish of common carp. None of the concentrations for chlordane approached Iowa’s thresholds for issuing a one meal per week consumption advisory. Composite samples of whole-fish common carp were analyzed for PCBs in 2016. Levels of PCBs in samples of whole-fish common carp were below levels of detection in 2016. In addition to these pesticide parameters, fillets from smallmouth bass were analyzed for mercury in in 2014 and fillets from largemouth bass were analyzed for mercury in in 2015 and 2016. The results showed that the level of mercury in the 2014 sample from smallmouth bass (0.69 ppm) was above the Hg level of concern (0.3 ppm); however the samples from the 2015 largemouth bass (0.13 ppm) and the 2016 largemouth bass (0.11 ppm) were both below the level of concern.

For more information on ISU/ACOE water quality monitoring in this river reach, see the Des Moines River Water Quality Monitoring Network web site is http://home.eng.iastate.edu/~dslutz/dmrwqn/dmrwqn.html.

Monitoring and Methods
Assessment Key Dates
8/17/2012
Biological Monitoring
9/24/2013
Biological Monitoring
9/17/2014
Biological Monitoring
12/3/2018
Fixed Monitoring End Date
1/4/2016
Fixed Monitoring Start Date
6/1/2015
Fish Tissue Monitoring
5/29/2014
Fish Tissue Monitoring
6/1/2016
Fish Tissue Monitoring
9/1/2009
TMDL Completed
Methods
150
Monitoring data more than 5 years old
230
Fixed station physical/chemical (conventional plus toxic pollutants)
260
Fish tissue analysis
315
Regional reference site approach
320
Benthic macroinvertebrate surveys
420
Indicator bacteria monitoring