Soldier Creek IA 04-UDM-1277
mouth (S19 T89N R28W Webster Co.) to confluence with unnamed tributary in S26 T90N R28W Webster Co.
- Assessment Cycle
- 2018
- Release Status
- Final
- Data Collection Period
- Overall IR Category
- 3 - Insufficient data exist to determine whether any designated uses are met.
- Trend
- Unknown
- Created
- 7/22/2019 9:03:21 AM
- Updated
- 7/22/2019 9:04:22 AM
The presumptive Class A1 (primary contact recreation) uses remain "not assessed" due to the lack of information upon which to base an assessment. The Class B(WW2) aquatic life uses remains "not assessed" based on results of an Iowa DNR fish kill follow-up survey in October 2014.
The kill occurred on or before May 24, 2006; no cause of the kill was identified. Approximately 7,557 fish were killed beginning in an unnamed tributary near Floral Ave on west side of Sec. 17, T89N, R28W (NE Fort Dodge) and extending 2.7 miles downstream in Soldier Creek ending at the Des Moines River Sec. 19, T89N,R28W. The cause of the fish kill was unknown, but was possibly due to storm drain runoff. The value of the dead fish was estimated to be $3,246.92. The investigation cost was $3,933.63.
This stream segment’s fish community was sampled on October 8, 2014, as part of the DNR Watershed Improvement and Water Monitoring sections’ fishkill follow up monitoring program. Sampling methods described in DNR’s fish kill follow-up protocol (Attachment 5 of Iowa’s assessment/listing methodology) were followed. Approximately 520 feet of stream were sampled using a single pass with two backpack electro fishing units. Results of this sampling show that this stream supports approximately 4,500 fish per mile compared to the Level IV ecoregion 47b average of approximately 2,310 fish per mile; 82% of the expected fish taxa for this ecoregion were sampled. The results from this follow-up sampling and comparison of these results to ecoregion averages suggest that the fish community of this stream segment is similar to or better than non-fishkill impacted streams. Although the results of the fishkill follow-up sampling lack the scientific rigor to determine whether the designated aquatic life uses are “fully supported,” the results do indicate that the stream has recovered from the May 2006 fish kill event. Thus, the assessment of aquatic life use support for this stream segment was moved from impairment Category 5b of Iowa’s Integrated Report to Category 3a (designated use not assessed).