Iowa DNR
Iowa DNR

ADBNet

Water Quality Assessments
Impaired Waters List

Green Valley Lake IA 05-PLA-1472

Union County S26T73NR31W 2.5 mi NW of Creston.

This is a DRAFT assessment
Draft assessments may change without notice
Overall IR
4 - Water is impaired or threatened and a TMDL has been completed or is not needed.
Trophic
Hypereutrophic
Trend
Stable
Current Phase
Public Comment
Created
10/27/2025 3:10:16 PM by
Updated
1/12/2026 8:29:21 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
Moderate
303(d) Listing Status
Continuing
Source
Agriculture
Source Confidence
Low
Cycle Added
2004
Impairment Rationale
Narrative criteria violation: aesthetically objectionable conditions
Data Source
Ambient monitoring: Iowa DNR-lakes
Support Level
Not Supported
Impairment Code
4a - Pollutant-caused impairment. TMDL has been completed.
Cause Magnitude
Moderate
303(d) Listing Status
Continuing
Source
Agriculture
Source Confidence
Low
Cycle Added
2016
Impairment Rationale
Narrative criteria violation: aesthetically objectionable conditions
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
Delisted
Source
Unknown: Source Unknown
Source Confidence
Low
Cycle Added
2024
Impairment Rationale
Significantly > 10% of samples fail to meet criterion
Cycle Delisted
2026
Delisting Rationale
TMDL preparation and approval
Data Source
TMDL monitoring: Iowa DNR
Class BLW
Aquatic Life - Lakes and wetlands
Not Supported
Impairment Code
3b - Use potentially impaired based on an evaluated assessment.
Cause Magnitude
Slight
303(d) Listing Status
Continuing
Source
Unknown: Source Unknown
Source Confidence
N/A
Cycle Added
2016
Impairment Rationale
Adverse impacts on plant/animal communities
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
Delisted
Source
Unknown: Source Unknown
Source Confidence
Low
Cycle Added
2024
Impairment Rationale
Significantly > 10% of samples fail to meet criterion
Cycle Delisted
2026
Delisting Rationale
TMDL preparation and approval
Data Source
TMDL monitoring: Iowa DNR
Class C
Drinking Water -
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
Unknown: Source Unknown
Source Confidence
Low
Cycle Added
2024
Impairment Rationale
Significantly > 10% of samples fail to meet criterion
Cycle Delisted
2026
Delisting Rationale
TMDL preparation and approval
Data Source
TMDL monitoring: Iowa DNR
Class HH
Human Health -
Not Assessed
Cycle Added Class Cause Data Source Rationale
2024 Class BLW pH TMDL monitoring: Iowa DNR TMDL preparation and approval
2024 Class C pH TMDL monitoring: Iowa DNR TMDL preparation and approval
2024 Class A1 pH TMDL monitoring: Iowa DNR TMDL preparation and approval
Documentation
Assessment Summary

The Class A1 use was assessed (monitored) as “not supported” due to algal blooms, non-algal turbidity and violations of the Class A1 criterion for pH. The Class BLW use was assessed (monitored) as "not supported" due to violations of the Class BLW criterion for pH and "WINOFI" due to a large population of cyanobacteria. The Class C use was assessed (monitored) as “not supported” due to violations of the Class BLW criterion for pH. All other designated uses are “not assessed.” Note: A TMDL for algae, turbidity, and dissolved oxygen at Green Valley Lake was prepared by DNR and approved by EPA in 2019. Additionally, a TMDL addendum for pH at Green Valley Lake was prepared by DNR and approved by EPA in 2025. Because all Section 303(d) impairments identified for the current assessment/listing cycle are addressed by the TMDL, this waterbody is placed in IR Category 4a (impaired; TMDL approved).

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

21880001

Green Valley Beach

Iowa DNR

6

WQ

CY 2020-2024

22880001

Green Valley Lake

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

21880001

6

15/14/15

26

19

16

NO

2 / 4

0 / 4

0 / 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

22880001

6

15 / 5

7.4

9.7

8.5

6

4

YES

MONITORED

NOT

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

22880001

6

Chlorophyll a TSI

15 / 5

56

82

71

YES

MONITORED

NOT

22880001

6

Secchi TSI

15 / 5

56

79

72

YES

MONITORED

NOT

22880001

6

Total Phosphorus TSI

15 / 5

63

86

73

NA

NA

NA

22880001

6

Fixed suspended solids

15 / 5

0.7

26

6

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

22880001

6

Dissolved Oxygen

15 / 5

3.1

12.9

7.5

2

NA / NA

4

NO

MONITORED

FULL

22880001

6

pH

15 / 5

7.4

9.7

8.5

6

NA / NA

4

YES

MONITORED

NOT

22880001

6

Temperature

15 / 5

17.6

27.4

23.8

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

22880001

6

5

26.27724849

90.71%

19.15001761

69.59%

YES

EVALUATED

WINOFI

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

22880001

6

Ammonia

15 / 5

0.717

0.11

0.04

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

22880001

6

Inorganic nitrogen (nitrate and nitrite)

14 / 5

0.03

1.38

0.38

0.15

0

NO

MONITORED

FULL

22880001

6

pH

15 / 5

7.4

9.7

8.5

8.3

6

YES

MONITORED

NOT

Class HH - No Data

Monitoring and Methods
Assessment Key Dates
6/2/2020
Monitoring Start
9/30/2024
Monitoring End
10/7/2019
TMDL Completed
9/12/2025
TMDL Completed
Methods
200
Physical/Chemical Monitoring
340
Primary producer surveys (phytoplankton/periphyton/macrophyton)
420
Indicator bacteria monitoring