Don Williams Lake IA 04-UDM-1249

Results of IDNR beach monitoring from 2012 through 2014 suggest that the Class A1 uses are "Fully Supported." Levels of indicator bacteria at Don Williams Park Beach were monitored once per week during the primary contact recreation seasons (May through September) of 2012 (16 samples), 2013 (14 samples) and 2014 (14 samples), as part of the IDNR beach monitoring program.   According to IDNR’s assessment methodology two conditions need to be met for results of beach monitoring to indicate “full support” of the Class A1 (primary contact recreation) uses: (1) the geometric mean of the samples from each recreation season of the three-year assessment period are less than the state's geometric mean criterion of 126 E.  coli orgs/100 ml and (2) not more than 10% of the samples during any one recreation season exceeds the state's single-sample maximum value of 235 E.  coli orgs/100 ml. If a sampling season geometric mean exceeds the state criterion of 1000 orgs/100 ml during the three-year assessment period, the Class A1 uses should be assessed as “not supported.” Also, if a sampling season geometric mean exceeds the state criterion of 126 orgs/100 ml during the three-year assessment period and/or if significantly more than 10% of the samples in any one of the three recreation seasons exceed Iowa's single-sample maximum value of 235 E.  coli orgs/100 ml, the Class A1 uses should be assessed as “partially supported.” This assessment approach is based on U.S.   EPA guidelines (see pgs 3-33 to 3-35 of U.S.   EPA 1997b).

At Don Williams Park Beach, the geometric means from 2012, 2013 and 2014 were all below the Iowa water quality standard of 126 E.  coli orgs/100 ml.   The geometric mean was 7 E.  coli orgs/100 ml in 2012, 16 E.  coli orgs/100 ml in 2013 and 25 E.  coli orgs/100 ml in 2014.   The percentage of samples exceeding Iowa's single-sample maximum criterion (235 E.  coli orgs/100 ml) was 0% in 2012, 14% in 2013 and 0% in 2014.   None of these are significantly greater than 10% of the samples and therefore do not suggest impairment of the Class A1 uses.   According to IDNR's assessment methodology and U.S.  EPA guidelines, these results suggest "Fully Supported" of the Class A1 uses.

For the 2016 assessment/listing cycle, the Class A1 (primary contact recreation) uses of Don Williams Lake are assessed (monitored) as "fully supported" based on information from the ISU lake survey. Using the median values from these surveys from 2010-2014 (approximately 15 samples), Carlson 's (1977) trophic state indices for Secchi depth, chlorophyll a, and total phosphorus were 63, 62, and 69 respectively for Don Williams Lake. According to Carlson (1977) the Secchi depth, chlorophyll a, and total phosphorus values all place Don Williams Lake in the Eutrophic category. These values suggest moderately high levels of chlorophyll a and suspended algae in the water, moderately poor water transparency, and high levels of phosphorus in the water column. The data show no violations of the Class A1 criterion for pH in 15 samples.

The level of inorganic suspended solids was moderately high at Don Williams Lake, and does suggest that non-algal turbidity may contribute to the impairment at this lake. The median level of inorganic suspended solids in Don Williams Lake (4.1 mg/L) was ranked 81st among the 138 lakes by the ISU lake survey.

Data from the 2010-2014 ISU lake survey suggest a small population of cyanobacteria exists at Don Williams Lake. These data show that cyanobacteria comprised 27% of the phytoplankton wet mass at this lake. The median cyanobacteria wet mass (3.2 mg/L) was ranked 6th of the 138 lakes sampled.

The Class B(LW) (aquatic life) uses are assessed (evaluated) as “partially supported” due to  siltation in the lake.   Information from the IDNR Fisheries Bureau suggests that siltation causes the aquatic life uses to be “partially supported” at Don Williams Lake. The lake was drawn down and a fishery restoration was completed at the lake in 2012 and improvement was expected, however, this lake recently developed a very large common carp population and they are impacting vegetation and water quality.  

Results of the ISU lake survey from 2010-2014, however, show there were no violations of the criterion for ammonia in 15 samples(0%), one violation of the criterion for dissolved oxygen in 15 samples(7%), and no violations of the criterion for pH in 15 samples(0%). Based on IDNR's assessment methodology these violations are not significantly greater than 10% of the samples and therefore suggest (fully supported/monitored) of the Class B(LW) uses of Don Williams Lake.

Fish consumption uses were assessed (monitored) as “fully supported” based on results of U.S.   EPA/IDNR fish contaminant (RAFT) monitoring at Don Williams Lake in 2010.   The composite samples of fillets from channel catfish and largemouth bass had low levels of contaminants.   Levels of primary contaminants in the composite sample of channel catfish fillets were as follows: mercury: 0.0443 ppm; total PCBs: 0.09 ppm; and technical chlordane: <0.03 ppm.    Levels of primary contaminants in the composite sample of largemouth bass fillets were as follows: mercury: 0.0978 ppm.   The existence of, or potential for, a fish consumption advisory is the basis for Section 305(b) assessments of the degree to which Iowa’s lakes and rivers support their fish consumption uses.    The fish contaminant data generated from the 2010 RAFT sampling conducted at this lake show that the levels of contaminants do not exceed any of the advisory trigger levels, thus indicating no justification for issuance of a consumption advisory for this waterbody.

Note:  A TMDL for organic enrichment and siltation at Don Williams Lake was prepared by IDNR and approved by EPA in 2005.   Because all Section 303(d) impairments identified for the 2014 assessment/listing cycle are addressed by the TMDL, this waterbody remains in IR Category 4a.