Iowa DNR
Iowa DNR
ADBNet
Water Quality Assessments
Impaired Waters List

Willow Creek IA 06-LSR-1626

mouth (S17 T94N R36W Clay Co.) to confluence with unnamed tributary in NW 1/4 S31 T95N R37W Clay Co.

Cycle
2020
Release Status
Final
Overall IR
5 - Water is impaired or threatened and a TMDL is needed.
Trend
Unknown
Created
6/18/2020 10:39:28 AM
Updated
10/12/2020 1:09:20 PM
Use Support
Class A1
Recreation - Primary contact
Not Supported
Support Level
Not Supported
Impairment Code
5p - Impairment occurs on a waterbody with a presumptive A1 or B(WW1) use.
Cause Magnitude
Moderate
Status
Continuing
Source
Unknown: Source Unknown
Source Confidence
Low
Cycle Added
2012
Impairment Rationale
Geometric mean criterion exceeded
Data Source
TMDL monitoring: Iowa DNR
TMDL Priority
Tier III
Class BWW2
Aquatic Life - Warm Water Type 2
Partially Supported
Support Level
Partially Supported
Impairment Code
5b-t - Biological - tentative
Cause Magnitude
Moderate
Status
Continuing
Source
Unknown: Source Unknown
Source Confidence
Low
Cycle Added
2004
Impairment Rationale
Low Biotic Index
Data Source
Biological monitoring: Iowa DNR WQMA
TMDL Priority
Tier IV
General Use
General Use water -
Not Assessed
Impairment Delistings
Cycle Added Class Cause Data Source Rationale
2004 Class BWW2 Fish Kill: Caused By Animal Waste Biological monitoring: Iowa DNR fish kill follow-up New data: recovery of fish community from pollutant-caused fish kill
Documentation
Assessment Summary

The presumptive Class A1 primary contact recreation use remains assessed as "not supported" due to violations of the state water quality criteria for indicator bacteria in 2010. The Class BWW2 aquatic life use was assessed as “partially supported” based on 2009, 2011 and 2018 biological sampling data. The previous Category 5b impairment of the presumptive Class BWW1 aquatic life use due to fish kills was de-listed based on fish kill follow up sampling conducted in 2011 and 2018. All other designated uses were "not assessed".

Assessment Explanation

Sources of Data:

Data Source

Data Source ID

Data Type

Data Age

Site ID

Site Name

Site Description

Iowa DNR

6

WQ

CY 2010-2011

11210003

Willow Creek near Royal

Iowa DNR

6

BIO

See Below

205

Willow Creek

Royal

Iowa DNR

6

BIO

See Below

306

Willow Creek

Rossie – REMAP #31


Presumptive Class A1 - Indicator Bacteria:

Site ID

Data Source ID

# Samples / # Years

2010 Geometric Mean

Annual Geometric Mean Violation

# Violations

% Violations

Significantly >10% Violations

Assessment Type

Support Level

11210003

6

12 / 1

1113

Yes

10

77%

Yes

Evaluated

Not


Presumptive Class BWW1 - Conventional Parameters:

Site ID

Data Source ID

Parameter Name

# Samples / # Years

Maximum Value

Mean Value

Median Value

# Acute / Chronic Violations

% Acute/ Chronic Violations

Significantly >10% Violations

Assessment Type

Support Level

11210003

6

Ammonia

37 / 2

0.46

0.06

0.05

0 / 0

0% / 0%

No

Evaluated

Full

11210003

6

Chloride

12 / 2

24

19

20

0 / 0

0% / 0%

No

Evaluated

Full

11210003

6

Dissolved oxygen

19 / 2

12.5

9.2

9.6

NA / 0

NA / 0%

No

Evaluated

Full

11210003

6

pH

19 / 2

8.5

7.9

7.9

0 / NA

0% / NA

No

Evaluated

Full

11210003

6

Sulfate

12 / 2

64

46

47

0 / NA

0% / NA

No

Evaluated

Full

11210003

6

Temperature

19 / 2

26.3

15.8

17.6

0 / 0

0% / 0%

No

Evaluated

Full


Presumptive Class BWW1 - Biological Sampling:

Benthic Macroinvertebrates:

BioNet Site ID

Date

Drainage Area (mi2)

Ecoregion

Major Drainage/ Thermal

BM Sample Gear

BMIBI score

BMIBI Class

47a BMIBI BIT

BMIBI Pass/ Fail

306

8/1/18

51

47a

MO/WW

Hess

22

Poor

54

Fail

205

9/19/11

50

47a

MO/WW

Surb

51

Fair

54

Fail

Fish:

BioNet Site ID

Date

Drainage Area (mi2)

Ecoregion

Major Drainage/ Thermal

Riffle Stream?

FIBI score

FIBI Class

47a FIBI BIT

FIBI Pass/ Fail

306

8/1/18

51

47a

MO/WW

NA

41

Fair

43

Fail

205

9/19/11

50

47a

MO/WW

NA

54

Good

43

Pass

205

9/14/09

50

47a

MO/WW

NA

52

Good

43

Pass

Overall:

Community

Assessment Type

Assessment Result

Support Level

Earned IR Category

Actual IR Category

Reason

Benthic Macroinvertebrates

Evaluated

Fail (0/2)

Partial

Fish

Evaluated

Pass (2/3)

Full

Overall

Evaluated

Fail

Partial

3bc

5bt

Assessment is evaluated because it included samples not collected in the last five years.


Presumptive Class BWW1 – Fish kill Follow-Up Assessment:

BioNet Site ID

Stream Name

Site Type

Ecoregion

Sample Date

Fish per mile

REMAP 25 % fish/mile

>REMAP 25 % fish/mile?

2000 305(b) fish taxa present

2000 305(b) fish taxa present %

205

Willow Creek

Wadeable

47a

9/19/11

7624

524

Yes

9/9

100% (Pass)

306

Willow Creek

Wadeable

47a

8/1/18

1370

524

Yes

7/9

78% (Pass)

The presumptive Class BWW1 aquatic life use previously resided in Category 5b based on 2001, 2002, 2006 fish kills. This segment’s fish community was sampled in 2011 and 2018 as part of the DNR fish kill follow-up sampling program. The results from this follow-up sampling and comparison to ecoregion averages suggest that the fish community of this segment is similar to non-fish kill impacted streams. Based on the results of the fish kill follow-up sampling, the Category for the fish kill assessment was changed from 5b to 3a (water not assessed).


Presumptive Class BWW1 – Continuous Monitoring Data Assessment:

The results of continuous monitoring for dissolved oxygen (DO) and temperature in 2011 also suggest "full support" of the presumptive Class BWW1 aquatic life use. The lowest DO concentration recorded in 34 days of continuous monitoring was 4.9 mg/L. The daily DO minimum concentration failed to meet the 24-hour DO criterion (4 mg/L) and the 16-hour DO criterion (5 mg/L) in 0 of 34 days each. The percentages exceeding the 24-hour and 16-hour DO criteria (0.0% each) were less than (passing) the 10% impairment threshold used to assess conventional water quality parameters. The associated statistical analysis confidence level was high (>90%). The maximum stream temperature recorded during the sensor deployment period was 31.6 degrees (C). The temperature criterion for warmwater interior streams (32 C) was exceeded in 0 of 34 days. The percentage exceeding (0%) was less than (passing) the 10% impairment threshold with high statistical confidence (>90%). Based on these data, the BWW2 aquatic life use is assessed as not impaired due to DO and temperature. The assessment type is “evaluated” because it is based on data collected from a single year within the current data assessment period. In order to meet the requirements for a “monitored” assessment, the DNR’s continuous monitoring assessment methodology requires monitoring data from two or more years within the assessment period.

Monitoring and Methods
Assessment Key Dates
3/9/2010
Fixed Monitoring Start Date
11/1/2011
Fixed Monitoring End Date
9/19/2001
Fish Kill
9/18/2002
Fish Kill
8/1/2006
Fish Kill
9/14/2009
Biological Monitoring
9/19/2011
Biological Monitoring
7/21/2011
Non-fixed Monitoring Start Date
8/23/2011
Non-fixed Monitoring End Date
8/1/2018
Biological Monitoring
Methods
140
Incidence of spills and/or fish kills
150
Monitoring data more than 5 years old
210
Fixed station physical/chemical monitoring (conventional pollutants only)
222
Non-fixed-station monitoring (conventional during key seasons and flows)
315
Regional reference site approach
320
Benthic macroinvertebrate surveys
330
Fish surveys
380
Quantitative physical habitat assessment
420
Indicator bacteria monitoring