Iowa DNR
Iowa DNR

ADBNet

Water Quality Assessments
Impaired Waters List

Lake Anita IA 05-NSH-1435

Cass County S32T77NR34W 1/2 mi S Anita.

This is a DRAFT assessment
Draft assessments may change without notice
Overall IR
5 - Water is impaired or threatened and a TMDL is needed.
Trophic
Eutrophic
Trend
Stable
Current Phase
Public Comment
Created
10/27/2025 3:10:15 PM by
Updated
1/12/2026 8:28:41 AM by
Use Support
Class A1
Recreation - Primary contact
Not Supported
Support Level
Not Supported
Impairment Code
4a - Pollutant-caused impairment. TMDL has been completed.
Cause Magnitude
Slight
303(d) Listing Status
Delisted
Source
Other: Sediment Resuspension
Source Confidence
Low
Cycle Added
2024
Impairment Rationale
Narrative criteria violation: aesthetically objectionable conditions
Cycle Delisted
2026
Delisting Rationale
TMDL preparation and approval
Data Source
Ambient monitoring: Iowa DNR-lakes
Support Level
Not Supported
Impairment Code
4a - Pollutant-caused impairment. TMDL has been completed.
Cause Magnitude
Slight
303(d) Listing Status
New
Source
Natural: Internal Nutrient Recycling (Primarily Lakes)
Source Confidence
Moderate
Cycle Added
2026
Impairment Rationale
Narrative criteria violation: aesthetically objectionable conditions
Data Source
Ambient monitoring: Iowa DNR-lakes
Class BLW
Aquatic Life - Lakes and wetlands
Not Supported
Support Level
Not Supported
Impairment Code
5a - Pollutant-caused impairment. TMDL needed.
Cause Magnitude
Slight
303(d) Listing Status
New
Source
Unknown: Source Unknown
Source Confidence
N/A
Cycle Added
2026
Impairment Rationale
Significantly > 10% of samples fail to meet criterion
Data Source
Ambient monitoring: Iowa DNR-lakes
TMDL Priority
Tier III
Class HH
Human Health -
Fully Supported
Cycle Added Class Cause Data Source Rationale
2024 Class A1 Turbidity: Secchi Disk Transparency Ambient monitoring: Iowa DNR-lakes TMDL preparation and approval
Documentation
Assessment Summary

The Class A1 use was assessed (monitored) as “not supported” due to non-algae turbidity and algae blooms that violated Iowa's narrative criteria protecting against aesthetically objectionable conditions. The Class BLW use was assessed (monitored) as “not supported” due to violations of the dissolved oxygen criteria. The Class HH (fish consumption) use was assessed (monitored) as “fully supported” based on fish tissue sampling data. Note: A TMDL for algae at Lake Anita was prepared by DNR and approved by EPA in 2023. Additionally, a TMDL for turbidity at Lake Anita was prepared by DNR and approved by EPA in 2025. Because not all Section 303(d) impairments identified for the current assessment/listing cycle (dissolved oxygen) are addressed by the TMDL, this waterbody was placed in IR Category 5a (impaired; TMDL needed).

Assessment Explanation

Data Sources:

Data Source

Data Source ID

Data Type

Data Age

Site ID

Site Name

Site Description

Iowa DNR

6

WQ

CY 2022-2024

21150001

Lake Anita Beach

Iowa DNR

6

WQ

CY 2020-2024

22150002

Lake Anita

Iowa DNR

6

FT

See Below

1100

Lake Anita

Class A1 - Indicator Bacteria:

Site ID

Data Source ID

# Samples per Year (2022/ 2023/2024)

2022 Geometric Mean

2023 Geometric Mean

2024 Geometric Mean

Violates Annual Geometric Mean?

# 2022 SSM violations / SSM Violations needed for impairment

# 2023 SSM violations / SSM Violations needed for impairment

# 2024 SSM violations / SSM Violations needed for impairment

Violates Annual SSM Significantly >10% Rule?

Assessment Type

Support Level

21150001

6

15/14/15

39

45

24

NO

0 / 4

0 / 4

1 / 4

NO

MONITORED

FULL

Class A1 - pH

Site ID

Data Source ID

# Samples / # Years

Minimum Value

Maximum Value

Mean Value

# Violations

Violations needed for impairment

Violates Significantly >10% Rule?

Assessment Type

Support Level

22150002

6

15 / 5

7.5

8.5

8

0

4

NO

MONITORED

FULL

Class A1 - Lake TSI's

Site ID

Data Source ID

Parameter Name

# Samples / # Years

Minimum Value

Maximum Value

Median Value

Median TSI Violation?

Assessment Type

Support Level

22150002

6

Chlorophyll a TSI

15 / 5

38

76

67

YES

MONITORED

NOT

22150002

6

Secchi TSI

15 / 5

49

70

66

YES

MONITORED

NOT

22150002

6

Total Phosphorus TSI

15 / 5

50

65

60

NA

NA

NA

22150002

6

Fixed suspended solids

15 / 5

0.7

9

2

NA

NA

NA

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

22150002

6

Dissolved Oxygen

15 / 5

3.3

11.6

6.8

4

NA / NA

4

YES

MONITORED

NOT

22150002

6

pH

15 / 5

7.5

8.5

8

0

NA / NA

4

NO

MONITORED

FULL

22150002

6

Temperature

15 / 5

18.2

28.9

24

0

NA / NA

4

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

22150002

6

6

57.16733713

97.02%

3.228048285

64.04%

NO

EVALUATED

NA

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

22150002

6

Ammonia

15 / 5

0.318

0.07

0.03

0 / 0

NO

MONITORED

FULL

Class HH - Fish Tissue Sampling:

Site ID

Biopart

Year

Species

# in sample / # of samples

Avg Length (cm)

(Avg) Hg (ppm)

Chlordane (ppm)

Sum PCBs (ppm)

1100

tissue plug

2019

black crappie

2

18.9

0.067

1100

tissue plug

2020

crappie spp.

8

27.5

0.167

1100

tissue plug

2019

largemouth bass

10

34.6

0.196

Support Level

Full


Monitoring and Methods
Assessment Key Dates
6/3/2020
Monitoring Start
9/30/2024
Monitoring End
7/1/2019
Fish Tissue Monitoring
7/1/2020
Fish Tissue Monitoring
4/13/2023
TMDL Completed
9/12/2025
TMDL Completed
Methods
200
Physical/Chemical Monitoring
260
Fish tissue analysis
340
Primary producer surveys (phytoplankton/periphyton/macrophyton)
420
Indicator bacteria monitoring