Iowa DNR
Iowa DNR
ADBNet
Water Quality Assessments
Impaired Waters List

Silver Lake IA 04-UDM-1229

Palo Alto County S20T95NR34W 2 mi W of Ayrshire.

Cycle
2022
Release Status
Final
Overall IR
5 - Water is impaired or threatened and a TMDL is needed.
Trophic
Hypereutrophic
Trend
Stable
Created
12/29/2021 11:30:58 AM
Updated
2/17/2022 10:20:02 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
High
Status
Continuing
Source
Agriculture
Source Confidence
High
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
High
Status
Continuing
Source
Agriculture
Source Confidence
High
Cycle Added
2002
Impairment Rationale
Narrative criteria violation: aesthetically objectionable conditions
Data Source
Ambient monitoring: Iowa DNR-lakes
Support Level
Not Supported
Impairment Code
5* - 303(d)-impaired last cycle; fully supporting this cycle; potential de-listing.
Cause Magnitude
Moderate
Status
Continuing
Source
Unknown: Source Unknown
Source Confidence
N/A
Cycle Added
2018
Impairment Rationale
Significantly > 10% of samples fail to meet criterion
Data Source
Ambient monitoring: Iowa DNR-lakes
TMDL Priority
Tier I
Class BLW
Aquatic Life - Lakes and wetlands
Not Supported
Support Level
Not Supported
Impairment Code
5* - 303(d)-impaired last cycle; fully supporting this cycle; potential de-listing.
Cause Magnitude
Moderate
Status
Continuing
Source
Unknown: Source Unknown
Source Confidence
N/A
Cycle Added
2018
Impairment Rationale
Significantly > 10% of samples fail to meet criterion
Data Source
Ambient monitoring: Iowa DNR-lakes
TMDL Priority
Tier I
Class HH
Human Health -
Not Assessed
Impairment Delistings
No delistings for this assessment cycle.
Documentation
Assessment Summary

The Class A1 use was assessed (monitored) as “not supported” due to poor water transparency caused by inorganic suspended solids, algae blooms that violate Iowa’s narrative water quality standard protecting against aesthetically objectionable conditions and due to frequent violations of the state criterion for pH. The Class BLW use was assessed (monitored) as "not supported" due to violations of the Class B(LW) criterion for pH. All other designated uses were “not assessed.” Note: A TMDL for algae and turbidity at Silver Lake was prepared by DNR and approved by EPA in 2005. Thus, these impairments are moved from IR Category 5a (impaired; TMDL required) to Category 4a (impaired; TMDL approved). Because not all the impairments identified for this lake are covered by this TMDL (pH), this lake remains in IR Category 5a.

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

22740003

Silver Lake (Palo Alto County)

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

22740003

6

12 / 4

8.1

9.3

8.7

3

4

NO

Monitored

Full

According to DNR's methodology, a lake must meet water quality standards for two consecutive cycles to suggest de-listing. Therefore, Silver Lake will remain listed for the 2022 cycle as "not supported" its Class A1 use due to pH.

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

22740003

6

Chlorophyll a TSI

14 / 5

26

83

69

YES

Monitored

Not

22740003

6

Secchi TSI

14 / 5

59

89

77

YES

Monitored

Not

22740003

6

Total Phosphorus TSI

14 / 5

64

92

81

NA

NA

NA

22740003

6

Inorganic suspended solids

14 / 5

0.6

128

16.8

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

22740003

6

Ammonia

12 / 4

0.0003

0.1804

0.05

NA

0 / 0

4

NO

Monitored

Full

22740003

6

Dissolved Oxygen

13 / 5

6.5

15.5

9.6

0

NA / NA

4

NO

Monitored

Full

22740003

6

pH

12 / 4

8.1

9.3

8.7

3

NA / NA

4

NO

Monitored

Full

22740003

6

Temperature

13 / 5

16.2

27.3

22.7

0

NA / NA

4

NO

Monitored

Full

According to DNR's methodology, a lake must meet water quality standards for two consecutive cycles to suggest de-listing. Therefore, Silver Lake will remain listed for the 2022 cycle as "not supported" its Class BLW use due to pH.

Class BLW - Lake Planktonic Cyanobacteria:

Site ID

Data Source ID

# Samples

Maximum Cyanobacteria Wet Mass

Maximum Cyanobacteria % Composition

Median Cyanobacteria Wet Mass

Median Cyanobacteria % Composition

Median Cyanobacteria Concentration = 75th Percentile

Assessment Type

Support Level

22740003

6

5

71.81

91.9%

7.79

67.5%

NO

Evaluated

NA

Class HH: No Data

Monitoring and Methods
Assessment Key Dates
5/31/2016
Fixed Monitoring Start Date
8/9/2020
Fixed Monitoring End Date
4/3/2006
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)
340
Primary producer surveys (phytoplankton/periphyton/macrophyton)