Iowa DNR
Iowa DNR
ADBNet
Water Quality Assessments
Impaired Waters List

Three Mile Lake IA 05-GRA-1371

Union County S32 T73N R29W approximately 3 miles N or Afton.

This is a DRAFT assessment
Draft assessments may change without notice
Cycle
2026
Current Phase
Public Comment
Overall IR
2 - Some of the designated uses are met but there is insufficient data to determine if remaining designated uses are met.
Trophic
Eutrophic
Trend
Stable
Created
10/27/2025 3:10:13 PM
Updated
1/2/2026 10:42:06 AM
Use Support
Class BLW
Aquatic Life - Lakes and wetlands
Fully Supported
Class C
Drinking Water -
Fully Supported
Class HH
Human Health -
Not Assessed
Impairment Delistings
No delistings for this assessment cycle.
Documentation
Assessment Summary

The Class BLW use was assessed (monitored) as “fully supported.” The Class C (drinking water) use was assessed (monitored) as "fully supported” based on water quality monitoring data and drinking water compliance monitoring required by the DNR. All other designated uses are “not assessed.” Note: This lake is not designated for Class A1 (primary contact recreation) uses in the Iowa Water Quality Standards.

Assessment Explanation

Data Sources:

Data Source

Data Source ID

Data Type

Data Age

Site ID

Site Name

Site Description

Iowa DNR

6

WQ

CY 2020-2024

22880003

Three Mile Lake

Creston Water Supply

27

WQ

CY 2022-2023

99990213

Three Mile Creek Lake

Public water Supply

Class BLW - Binomial 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

22880003

6

Dissolved Oxygen

13 / 5

4.24

9.12

7.04

1

NA / NA

4

NO

MONITORED

FULL

22880003

6

pH

13 / 5

7.59

9.03

8.1

1

NA / NA

4

NO

MONITORED

FULL

99990213

27

pH

547 / 2

7.78

8.81

8.28

0

NA / NA

65

NO

MONITORED

FULL

22880003

6

Temperature

13 / 5

18.3

29

23.6

0

NA / NA

4

NO

MONITORED

FULL

99990213

27

Temperature

547 / 2

0.55556

27.7778

11.935

0

NA / NA

65

NO

MONITORED

FULL

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

22880003

6

3

27.66524543

88.90%

0.545609533

9.79%

NO

EVALUATED

NA

Class BLW - Protection of Submerged Aquatic Vegetation:

Site ID

Data Source ID

Parameter Name

# Samples / # Years

Minimum Value

Maximum Value

Median Value

Median Value = SAV

Assessment Type

Support Level

22880003

6

Total suspended solids

13 / 5

2.4

18

8

NO

MONITORED

FULL

Class BLW - Toxic Parameters:

Site ID

Data Source ID

Parameter Name

# Samples / # Years

Maximum Value

Mean Value

Median Value

# Acute / Chronic Violations

>1 Acute / Chronic Violation

Assessment Type

Support Level

22880003

6

Ammonia

13 / 5

0.326

0.1

0.08

0 / 0

NO

MONITORED

FULL

Class C - Binomial Parameters:

Site ID

Data Source ID

Parameter Name

# Samples / # Years

Minimum Value

Maximum Value

Mean Value

Median Value

# Violations

Violates Significantly >10% Rule?

Assessment Type

Support Level

99990213

27

Fluoride

79 / 2

120

450

311

310

0

NO

MONITORED

FULL

22880003

6

Inorganic nitrogen (nitrate and nitrite)

12 / 5

0.03

1.53

0.43

0.18

0

NO

MONITORED

FULL

22880003

6

pH

13 / 5

7.59

9.03

8.1

8.03

1

NO

MONITORED

FULL

99990213

27

pH

547 / 2

7.78

8.81

8.28

8.28

0

NO

MONITORED

FULL

Class C - Iowa Drinking Water Compliance Report:

Compliance monitoring required by the Iowa DNR Water Supply Operations and Engineering Sections did not show violations of finished water caused by source water at the Creston Water Supply facility during the 2022-24 monitoring period. The results of compliance monitoring as reported in annual compliance reports are available at the following location at the Iowa DNR’s home page: https://www.iowadnr.gov/Environmental-Protection/Water-Quality/Water-Supply-Engineering/Annual-Compliance-Report.

Class HH - No Data

Monitoring and Methods
Assessment Key Dates
6/2/2020
Monitoring Start
6/26/2024
Monitoring End
9/27/2011
Fish Tissue Monitoring
Methods
200
Physical/Chemical Monitoring
275
Drinking water compliance reports
340
Primary producer surveys (phytoplankton/periphyton/macrophyton)
860
Other Agencies/Organizations provided monitoring data