Assessment Comments
Assessment remains based on results of fish surveys conducted by staff and students at Lakeside Laboratory in June 1998.
Basis for Assessment
SUMMARY: The Class B(LR) aquatic life uses are assessed (evaluated) as "fully supported" based on results of fish surveys conducted in 1998 by staff and students of Lakeside Laboratory. Due only to a change in IDNR's assessment/listing methodology, the 2004 assessment of the Class B(LW) aquatic life uses ["fully supporting / threatened" (minor impacts)] is changed to "fully supporting". Other than this change in methodology, this new (2006) assessment is the same as that developed for the previous (2004) assessment/listing cycle (not impaired) and does not reflect any known change in water quality.
EXPLANATION: The aquatic life uses remain assessed as "fully supported / threatened" based on results of the biological monitoring conducted on this stream segment in 1998 by students from Lakeside Laboratory (see assessment for the 1998 and 2000 reporting cycles for more information).
At the recommendation of U.S. EPA Region 7, IDNR's 2006 assessment/listing methodology was changed to eliminate use of the "fully supported/threatened" (not impaired) category. Thus, previous assessments identified as "fully supported/threatened" (not impaired) were changed to "fully supported" for the 2006 assessment/listing cycle. This change does not alter the 2004 assessment: this waterbody remains in IR Category 2a.
In addition, because these data are now considered too old (greater than five years) to accurately characterize current water quality conditions, the assessment category is considered “evaluated” (indicating an assessment with relatively lower confidence) as opposed to "monitored" (indicating an assessment with relatively higher confidence). Also, because these data were collected for purposes other than assessing stream health, the assessment type is considered "evaluated."
