Badger Lake IA 04-UDM-1291

Webster County S19T90NR28W 4.5 mi N of Fort Dodge.

Open Data Collection Period Modal

For purposes of developing stream/river water quality assessments for integrated reporting, three years of water quality data are typically used for both conventional pollutant parameters (e.g., indicator bacteria) and the less frequently monitored toxic parameters (e.g., toxic metals). Since the 2004 IR cycle, DNR has used a three-year data gathering period for streams, rivers, and beaches. For most assessments, the use of three years of data increases the number of samples upon which the decision on use support is based and helps address the problem of weather-related year-to-year fluctuations in water quality.

Due to the lower sampling frequency in Iowa’s ambient lake, biological, fish kill, and fish tissue monitoring programs, five years of data are used for developing IR assessments and for identifying Section 303(d) listings.

Data Type	Data Timeframe
Beach Sampling Data	CY 2012 - 2014
Stream/River Water Quality Data	CY 2012 - 2014
Lake Water Quality Data	CY 2010 - 2014
Biological Sampling Data	CY 2010 - 2014*
Fish Kill Data	CY 2010 - 2014
Fish Tissue Sampling Data	CY 2010 - 2014
Continuous Dissolved Oxygen Sampling Data	CY 2010 - 2014
*Biological sites sampled in both 2009 and 2013 were also assessed.

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Cycle: 2016
Release Status: Final
Overall IR: 3 - Insufficient data exist to determine whether any designated uses are met.
Trophic: Eutrophic
Trend: Stable
Created: 5/12/2016 8:57:51 AM
Updated: 7/11/2016 9:33:29 AM

Use Support

Class A1

Recreation - Primary contact

Fully Supported

Class BLW

Aquatic Life - Lakes and wetlands

WINOFI

Sedimentation/Siltation

Support Level

Further Investigation Needed

Impairment Code

3b - Use potentially impaired based on an evaluated assessment.

Cause Magnitude

Moderate

Status

Continuing

Source

Agriculture

Source Confidence

Moderate

Cycle Added

2002

Impairment Rationale

Adverse impacts on plant/animal communities

Data Source

Biological monitoring: Iowa DNR Fisheries

Exotic/Invasive Species

Support Level

Further Investigation Needed

Impairment Code

3b - Use potentially impaired based on an evaluated assessment.

Cause Magnitude

Moderate

Status

Continuing

Source

Unknown: Source Unknown

Source Confidence

Low

Cycle Added

2002

Impairment Rationale

Adverse impacts on plant/animal communities

Data Source

Biological monitoring: Iowa DNR Fisheries

Class HH

Human Health -

Not Assessed

General Use

General Use water -

Not Assessed

Impairment Delistings

No delistings for this assessment cycle.

Documentation

Assessment Summary

The Class A1 (primary contact recreation) uses are assessed (monitored) as “fully supported.” The Class B(LW) (aquatic life) uses are assessed (evaluated) as “partially supported” (IR 2b) due to siltation and water quality impacts of common carp. Fish consumption uses remain “not assessed.” Sources of data for this assessment include (1) results of the statewide survey of Iowa lakes conducted from 2010 through 2014 by Iowa State University (ISU), and (2) information from the IDNR Fisheries Bureau.

Assessment Explanation

For the 2016 assessment/listing cycle, the Class A1 (primary contact recreation) uses of Badger 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 62, 59, and 68 respectively for Badger Lake. According to Carlson (1977) the Secchi depth, chlorophyll a, and total phosphorus values all place Badger Lake in the Eutrophic category. These values suggest relatively low 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 Badger Lake, and does suggest that non-algal turbidity may contribute to the impairment at this lake. The median level of inorganic suspended solids in Badger Lake (4.2 mg/L) was ranked 82nd 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 Badger Lake. These data show that cyanobacteria comprised 53% of the phytoplankton wet mass at this lake. The median cyanobacteria wet mass (9.8 mg/L) was ranked 28th of the 138 lakes sampled.

The Class B(LW) (aquatic life) uses are assessed (evaluated) as “partially supported” based on information from the IDNR Fisheries Bureau. Information from the IDNR Fisheries Bureau suggests that siltation and the impacts of common carp on turbidity at this lake impair the aquatic life uses (partial support/evaluated). Results of the ISU lake survey from 2010-2014 show there were no violations of the criterion for ammonia in 15 samples(0%), no violations of the criterion for dissolved oxygen in 15 samples(0%), 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.

Fish consumption uses remain "not assessed" due to the lack of fish contaminant monitoring in this lake.

Monitoring and Methods

Assessment Key Dates

5/17/2010

Fixed Monitoring Start Date

8/18/2014

Fixed Monitoring End Date

Methods

120

Surveys of fish and game biologists/other professionals

222

Non-fixed-station monitoring (conventional during key seasons and flows)

340

Primary producer surveys (phytoplankton/periphyton/macrophyton)