Assessment Comments
Assessment is based on result of 1997 bioassessment: fish 14 spp., 4 fams.; Fish IBI= 38(fair), BM-IBI (2 sites) = 69(good) 66(good).
Basis for Assessment
Used results of the August 1997 DNR watershed bioassessment 1 mi NE of Ida Grove to update the assessment developed for the 1996 report. Based on results of the 1997 bioassessment, upgraded the assessment of support of the Class B(WW) aquatic life uses from PS to FST due to (1) presence of a moderately diverse fish community of 14 species from 4 families, (2) presence of a majority of the expected taxa (6 of 9) for streams in the Northwest Iowa Loess Prairies, (3) presence of the expected game fish species (channel catfish), and (4) lack of violations of Class B(WW) WQ criteria in the sampled collected during the watershed bioassessment. As described in the assessment developed for the 1996 Section 305(b) report, channelization and streambank erosion remain threats to continued support of the Class B(WW) aquatic life uses.
