Little Sioux River IA 06-LSR-1577

[Note:  Prior to the 2008 Section 305(b) cycle, this river segment was designated only for Class B(WW1) aquatic life uses, including fish consumption uses.   Due to changes in Iowa’s surface water classification that were approved by U.S.  EPA in February 2008 (see http://www.iowadnr.com/water/standards/files/06mar_swc.pdf) and the results of an Use Attainability Analysis, this segment is also now designated for Class A1 (primary contact recreation) uses.   This segment remains designated for warmwater aquatic life use (now termed Class B(WW1) uses), and for fish consumption uses (now termed Class HH (human health/fish consumption uses).]

The Class A1 (primary contact recreation) are assessed as "partially supported" based on levels of indicator bacteria that exceeded state water quality criteria.   The geometric means of indicator bacteria (E. coli) in the 22 samples collected during the recreational seasons of 2012 through 2014 at the Little Sioux River upstream of Spencer were as follows: the 2012 geometric mean was 112 orgs/100 ml, the 2013 geometric mean was 144 orgs/100 ml, and the 2014 geometric mean was 217 orgs/100 ml.  Two of the three recreation season geometric means exceeded the Class A1 geometric mean criterion of 126 orgs/100 ml.  Eleven of the combined 22 samples (50%) exceeded Iowa’s Class A1 single-sample maximum criterion of 235 orgs/100 ml.  According to U.S. EPA guidelines for Section 305(b) reporting and IDNR’s assessment/listing methodology, if the geometric mean is greater than 126 orgs/100 ml., the primary contact recreation uses should be assessed as "impaired" (see pgs 3-33 to 3-35 of U.S. EPA 1997b).  Thus, because at least one recreation season geometric mean exceeded criteria for Class A1 uses, these uses are assessed as "partially supported"

Based exclusively on the results of ambient water quality monitoring, Class B(WW1) aquatic life uses should be assessed (monitored) as "fully supported".  Monitoring at the IDNR/SHL city station upstream from Spencer showed no violations of Class B(WW1) water quality criteria for 32 Ammonia samples (maximum = 1.1 mg/L), 33 Dissolved Oxygen samples (minimum = 5.3 mg/L), 32 pH samples (range = 7.6 to 8.9), 33 Temperature samples (maximum = 29.7° c), 33 Chloride samples (maximum = 41 mg/L), or 33 Sulfate samples (maximum = 150 mg/L) occurred during monitoring from January 2012 to September 2014.   According to U.S.  EPA guidelines for Section 305(b) water quality assessments (U.S.  EPA 1997b, page 3-17), the EPA guidelines allow up to 10% violations of these conventional parameters before impairment of water quality is indicated. Thus, these results thus suggest “full support” of the Class B(WW1) aquatic life uses.

In contrast to the water quality aquatic life assessment, the aquatic life assessment based on biological sampling suggests the aquatic life uses are "partially supporting".   This evaluated biological assessment was based on data collected in 2012-2014 as part of the IDNR/SHL large river sampling project.   A series of biological metrics that reflect stream water quality and habitat integrity were calculated from the biological sampling data.   The biological metrics are based on the numbers and types of benthic macroinvertebrate taxa collected in the stream sampling reach.   The biological metrics were combined a benthic macroinvertebrate index (BMIBI).   The index rank the biological integrity of a stream sampling reach on a rising scale from 0 (minimum) to 100 (maximum).   The 2012-2014 BMIBI scores were 31 (fair) and 15, 18 (both poor).  The aquatic life use support was assessed (evaluated) as partially supporting (=PS), based on a comparison of the BMIBI scores with biological impairment criteria (BIC) established from a statistical analysis of biological data collected at stream ecoregion reference sites from 1994-2008.   The BMIBI BIC for this ecoregion is 54.   This assessment is considered evaluated because the drainage area (536 mi2) above this sampling site was greater than the maximum limit (500 mi2) that was used to calibrate the Iowa wadeable stream impairment criteria.   Even though this site failed the BMIBI BIC (0/3), it is uncertain as to whether or not this segment is meeting the aquatic life criteria because the site used for the assessment doesn’t fall in the calibrated watershed size.   According to IDNR’s assessment/listing methodology, impairments based on “evaluated” assessments are of lesser confidence and are thus not appropriate for Section 303(d) listing (Category 5 of the Integrated Report).   IDNR does, however, consider these impairments as appropriate for listing under either Category 2b or 3b of the Integrated Report (waters potentially impaired and in need of further investigation).   

Fish consumption uses remain "not assessed" due to the lack of recent fish contaminant monitoring data for this river segment.