Pleasant Lake IA 06-LSR-1649
Dickinson County S7T99NR35W 5 mi. SE of Orleans.
The Class BLW use was assessed (monitored) as "not supported" due to high levels of algae and turbidity at this shallow lake that suggest impairment due to adverse impacts on plant/animal communities. Additionally, the Class BLW use was assessed (monitored) as "not supported" due to violations of the class BLW criteria for pH. All other designated uses were “not assessed.”
Data Sources: Data Source Data Source ID Data Type Data Age Site ID Site
Name Site
Description Iowa DNR 6 WQ CY 2020-2023 22300020 Pleasant
Lake
Class BLW - 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 22300020 6 Chlorophyll a TSI 19 / 4 64 87 79 YES MONITORED NOT The TSI value for Secchi depth
is not used to evaluate the attainment of the aquatic life use in shallow
lakes. Due to the depth of these shallow lakes, TSI values for Secchi depth can
be misleading. In some instances, the Secchi disk remains visible at the bottom
of the lake and the depth of the lake is recorded as the Secchi depth. In these
instances, water clarity may be sufficient to support the Class BLW use, but
the index value is limited by the depth of the lake. Thus, the combination of
total suspended solids and chlorophyll a was used to determine whether or not
the Class BLW use was impaired in these shallow systems. Class BLW - Binomial 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 22300020 6 Dissolved Oxygen 18 / 4 7.89 18.89 11.79 0 NA / NA 4 NO MONITORED FULL 22300020 6 pH 13 / 3 4.83 10.07 8.84 12 NA / NA 4 YES MONITORED NOT 22300020 6 Temperature 18 / 4 13.56 28.36 22.57 0 NA / NA 4 NO MONITORED FULL Class BLW - Protection of Submerged Aquatic Vegetation: Site ID Data Source ID Parameter Name # Samples / # Years Minimum Value Maximum Value Median Value Median Value = SAV Assessment Type Support Level 22300020 6 Total suspended solids 18 / 4 27 130 62 YES MONITORED NOT Guidelines for wetland assessment from the Upper Mississippi
River Conservation Committee’s Water Quality Technical Section (2003) state
that a median total suspended solids concentration during the growing season of
less than 30 mg/L is necessary to provide sufficient water clarity to support
the growth of submersed aquatic vegetation (SAV) in wetlands and shallow lakes.
High levels of total suspended solids impede the growth of SAV. SAV is critical
to the health of wetland and shallow lake ecosystems. The elimination of SAV
can degrade habitat quality such that undesirable aquatic species such as
cyanobacteria, common carp and fathead minnows dominate. As such, the
suppression of SAV constitutes a violation of Iowa’s narrative water quality
criteria protecting against undesirable or nuisance aquatic life. Class BLW - Toxic Parameters: Site ID Data Source ID Parameter Name # Samples / # Years Maximum Value Mean Value Median Value # Acute / Chronic Violations >1 Acute / Chronic Violation Assessment Type Support Level 22300020 6 Ammonia 10 / 3 0.53 0.11 0.02 0 / 1 NO MONITORED FULL
Class HH - No Data