Catfish Creek IA 01-TRK-126

Assessment Comments

1995 biocriteria: habscr/fshscr = 31/13 (shock, 18 spp., 5 fams.).

Basis for Assessment

SUMMARY:  The Class B(CW) aquatic life uses remain assessed as "fully supported / threatened."  Due to the age of the data upon which the assessment is based, however, the assessment category is changed from "monitored" to "evaluated."  Fish consumption uses remain "not assessed."  EXPLANATION:  The aquatic life uses remain assessed as "fully supported / threatened" based on results of the biological monitoring conducted on this stream segment in 1995 (see assessment for the 2000 report above).   However, because these data are now considered too old (greater than five years) to accurately characterize current water quality conditions, the assessment category is changed from "monitored" (indicating an assessment with relatively high confidence) to "evaluated" (indicating an assessment with relatively low confidence).   As noted in the previous (2000) assessment, further investigation is needed to identify possible causes and sources of any impairments to these uses.   Fish consumption uses remain "not assessed" due to the lack of fish contaminant monitoring in this stream segment.