Iowa DNR
Iowa DNR
ADBNet
Water Quality Assessments
Impaired Waters List

Lake Pahoja IA 06-BSR-1532

Lyon County S23T99NR48W 5 mi SSW of Larchwood.

Cycle
2022
Release Status
Final
Overall IR
5 - Water is impaired or threatened and a TMDL is needed.
Trophic
Eutrophic
Trend
Stable
Created
1/4/2022 7:20:42 AM
Updated
1/20/2022 8:47:56 AM
Use Support
Class A1
Recreation - Primary contact
Not Supported
Support Level
Not Supported
Impairment Code
5a - Pollutant-caused impairment. TMDL needed.
Cause Magnitude
Moderate
Status
Continuing
Source
Unknown: Source Unknown
Source Confidence
Low
Cycle Added
2016
Impairment Rationale
Geometric mean criterion exceeded
Data Source
Beach monitoring: Iowa DNR WQMA
TMDL Priority
Tier II
Class BLW
Aquatic Life - Lakes and wetlands
WINOFI
Impairment Code
3b - Use potentially impaired based on an evaluated assessment.
Cause Magnitude
Slight
Status
Continuing
Source
Natural
Source Confidence
Low
Cycle Added
2016
Impairment Rationale
Non Pollutant-caused fish kill
Data Source
Fish kill investigation: Iowa DNR
Class HH
Human Health -
Fully Supported
Impairment Delistings
No delistings for this assessment cycle.
Documentation
Assessment Summary

The Class A1 use was assessed (monitored) as “not supported” due to violations of the state water quality criteria for indicator bacteria. The Class BLW use was assessed (evaluated) as "WINOFI" base on a naturally caused fish kill. The Class HH (fish consumption) use was assessed (evaluated) as “fully supported” based on fish tissue sampling data. NOTE: A TMDL for impairments at Lake Pahoja due to algae and pH was prepared by Iowa DNR and approved by the U.S. EPA in 2018. Because not all of the impairments are covered by the TMDL for the current assessment cycle (indicator bacteria) the waterbody is placed in IR Category 5a (impaired and TMDL required.)

Assessment Explanation

Data Sources:

Data Source

Data Source ID

Data Type

Data Age

Site ID

Site Name

Site Description

Iowa DNR

6

WQ

CY 2014-2016

21600001

Lake Pahoja Recreation Area Beach

Iowa DNR

6

WQ

CY 2016-2019

22600001

Lake Pahoja

Iowa DNR

6

FT

See Below

134

Lake Pahoja

Near Larchwood

Class A1 - Indicator Bacteria: Historical 2018 Assessment

Site ID

Data Source ID

# Samples / # Years

2014 Geometric Mean

2015 Geometric Mean

2016 Geometric Mean

Annual Geometric Mean Violation

# Violations

% Violations

Significantly >10% Violations

Assessment Type

Support Level

21600001

6

36 / 3

186

48

36

No

10

28%

Yes

Monitored

Not

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

22600001

6

12 / 4

7.7

9

8.3

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

22600001

6

Chlorophyll a TSI

12 / 4

36

74

50

NO

Monitored

Full

22600001

6

Secchi TSI

12 / 4

39

88

56

NO

Monitored

Full

22600001

6

Total Phosphorus TSI

12 / 4

33

94

72

NA

NA

NA

22600001

6

Inorganic suspended solids

12 / 4

0.3

42

1.3

NA

NA

NA

Class BLW - Conventional 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

22600001

6

Ammonia

12 / 4

0.003

0.128

0.06

NA

0 / 0

4

NO

Monitored

Full

22600001

6

Dissolved Oxygen

12 / 4

6.1

11.8

8.9

0

NA / NA

4

NO

Monitored

Full

22600001

6

pH

12 / 4

7.7

9

8.3

0

NA / NA

4

NO

Monitored

Full

22600001

6

Temperature

12 / 4

14.8

27.3

21.7

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

22600001

6

6

4.98

87.7%

1.06

17.3%

NO

Evaluated

NA

Class BLW - Fish Kill:

The Class BLW use was assessed (evaluated) as “WINOFI” due to fish kills that occurred in 2012. Because the cause of the fish kill was not identified, or the fish kill was attributed to a non-pollutant cause (e.g., winterkill), the assessment type is “evaluated.” Segments assessed using “evaluated” assessments are placed in Category 3b and are added to the state list of waters in need of further investigation. If no additional fish kills are reported in the segment for a 10 year period, the Category will be changed from 3b to 3a (water not assessed).

Details about the 2012 fish kill can be found here:https://programs.iowadnr.gov/fishkill/Events/858

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)

134

tissue plug

2012

largemouth bass

5

39.2

0.203

Support Level

Full

Monitoring and Methods
Assessment Key Dates
6/1/2016
Fixed Monitoring Start Date
9/3/2019
Fixed Monitoring End Date
9/26/2012
Fish Tissue Monitoring
9/22/2016
TMDL Completed
Methods
120
Surveys of fish and game biologists/other professionals
222
Non-fixed-station monitoring (conventional during key seasons and flows)
260
Fish tissue analysis
340
Primary producer surveys (phytoplankton/periphyton/macrophyton)
420
Indicator bacteria monitoring