Iowa DNR
Iowa DNR
ADBNet
Water Quality Assessments
Impaired Waters List

East Okoboji Lake IA 06-LSR-1652

Dickinson County S29T99NR36W at E edge of Okoboji

Cycle
2022
Release Status
Final
Overall IR
2 - Some of the designated uses are met but there is insufficient data to determine if remaining designated uses are met.
Trophic
Eutrophic
Trend
Stable
Created
1/4/2022 10:36:23 AM
Updated
1/20/2022 8:57:06 AM
Use Support
Class A1
Recreation - Primary contact
Fully Supported
Class BLW
Aquatic Life - Lakes and wetlands
WINOFI
Impairment Code
3b - Use potentially impaired based on an evaluated assessment.
Cause Magnitude
Slight
Status
Continuing
Source
Other: Exotic Species
Source Confidence
High
Cycle Added
2016
Impairment Rationale
Adverse impacts on plant/animal communities
Data Source
Biological monitoring: Iowa DNR Fisheries
Impairment Code
3b - Use potentially impaired based on an evaluated assessment.
Cause Magnitude
Slight
Status
Continuing
Source
Agriculture
Source Confidence
Low
Cycle Added
2020
Impairment Rationale
Adverse impacts on plant/animal communities
Data Source
Ambient monitoring: Iowa DNR-lakes
Impairment Code
3b - Use potentially impaired based on an evaluated assessment.
Cause Magnitude
Slight
Status
New
Source
Natural
Source Confidence
High
Cycle Added
2022
Impairment Rationale
Non Pollutant-caused fish kill
Data Source
Fish kill investigation: Iowa DNR
Class HH
Human Health -
WINOFI
Impairment Code
3b - Use potentially impaired based on an evaluated assessment.
Cause Magnitude
Moderate
Status
New
Source
Unknown: Source Unknown
Source Confidence
N/A
Cycle Added
2022
Impairment Rationale
Potential fish consumption advisory; additional sampling needed
Data Source
Fish contaminant monitoring: Iowa DNR
Impairment Delistings
No delistings for this assessment cycle.
Documentation
Assessment Summary

The Class A1 use was assessed (monitored) as “fully supported.” The Class BLW use was assessed (evaluated) as “WINOFI” due to an invasive species introduction (Zebra Mussels). The Class BLW use was also assessed (evaluated) as “WINOFI” based on the results of fish kill investigations. In addition, the Class BLW use was assessed (evaluated) as “WINOFI” due to cyanobacteria blooms . The Class HH (fish consumption) use was assessed (evaluated) as “WINOFI” based on fish tissue sampling data. According to DNR’s assessment methodology, the one-time occurrence of a level of mercury above an advisory trigger level does not suggest impairment of the Class HH use. The Iowa DNR/DPH advisory protocol states that two consecutive samplings that show contaminant levels are above the trigger level in edible tissue are needed to justify issuance of an advisory. Additional monitoring will be conducted to better determine levels of mercury in the edible portions of fish in this lake.

Assessment Explanation

Data Sources:

Data Source

Data Source ID

Data Type

Data Age

Site ID

Site Name

Site Description

Iowa DNR

6

WQ

CY 2016-2020

22300008

East Okoboji Lake

Iowa DNR

FT

See Below

84

East Okoboji Lake

Class A1 - Indicator Bacteria: No Data

Class A1 - pH:

Site ID

Data Source ID

# Samples / # Years

Minimum Value

Maximum Value

Mean Value

# Violations

Violations needed for impairment

Violates Significantly >10% Rule?

Assessment Type

Support Level

22300008

6

12 / 4

8

8.6

8.4

0

4

NO

Monitored

Full

Class A1 - 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

22300008

6

Chlorophyll a TSI

15 / 5

31

76

59

NO

Monitored

Full

22300008

6

Secchi TSI

15 / 5

43

73

59

NO

Monitored

Full

22300008

6

Total Phosphorus TSI

15 / 5

48

77

62

NA

NA

NA

22300008

6

Inorganic suspended solids

15 / 5

0.3

8

3

NA

NA

NA

Class BLW - Conventional 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

22300008

6

Ammonia

12 / 4

0.0003

0.032

0.01

NA

0 / 0

4

NO

Monitored

Full

22300008

6

Dissolved Oxygen

13 / 5

6.6

12.9

8.5

0

NA / NA

4

NO

Monitored

Full

22300008

6

pH

12 / 4

8

8.6

8.4

0

NA / NA

4

NO

Monitored

Full

22300008

6

Temperature

13 / 5

15.7

27.4

22.4

0

NA / NA

4

NO

Monitored

Full

Class BLW - Lake Planktonic Cyanobacteria:

Site ID

Data Source ID

# Samples

Maximum Cyanobacteria Wet Mass

Maximum Cyanobacteria % Composition

Median Cyanobacteria Wet Mass

Median Cyanobacteria % Composition

Median Cyanobacteria Concentration = 75th Percentile

Assessment Type

Support Level

22300008

6

6

276.54

99.7%

55.34

97.1%

YES

Evaluated

3b

Class BLW - Fish Kill Assessment:

The Class BLW aquatic life use assessment based on the 2020 fish kill placed this segment in Category 3b. This assessment was “evaluated” because: (1) the cause of the fish kill was not identified or (2) the fish kill was attributed to a non-pollutant cause (e.g., winterkill). Segments assessed using “evaluated” assessments are placed in Category 3b and are added to the state list of Waters In Need Of Further Investigation (WINOFI). If no additional fish kills are reported in this segment for a 10-year period (2030), the Category will be changed from 3b to 3a (not assessed).

Details about the 2020 fish kill can be found here: https://programs.iowadnr.gov/fishkill/Events/995

Class BLW - Additional Information

The Class BLW use was assessed (evaluated) as “WINOFI” based on information from the DNR Fisheries Bureau and results from the ISU lake surveys. Based on information from the DNR Fisheries Bureau, this lake was infested with Zebra mussels in 2012 and the population exploded in 2015. This invasive species will likely cause water quality to degrade in the future. This potential impairment is not appropriate for Iowa’s Section 303(d) list of impaired waters (Integrated Report Category 5) but is appropriate for IR Category 3b of Iowa’s Integrated Report and Iowa’s list of waters in need of further investigation.

Class HH - Fish Tissue Sampling:

Site ID

Biopart

Year

Species

# in sample / # of samples

Avg Length (cm)

(Avg) Hg (ppm)

Chlordane (ppm)

Sum PCBs (ppm)

84

tissue plug

2020

bluegill

10

18.7

0.086

84

fillet

2015

channel catfish

5

50.1

0.05

0.02

0.06

84

tissue plug

2020

crappie spp.

3

21.6

0.101

84

tissue plug

2019

largemouth bass

10

32.8

0.432

84

tissue plug

2017

largemouth bass

3

38.8

0.127

84

tissue plug

2020

muskie

3

93.1

0.568

84

tissue plug

2020

northern pike

18

75.5

0.171

84

tissue plug

2020

walleye

15

47.3

0.396

84

tissue plug

2019

walleye

5

53.2

0.221

84

tissue plug

2020

yellow perch

10

21.1

0.055

Support Level

WINOFI

The Class HH (fish consumption) use was potentially impaired due to single sample above an advisory threshold. Further monitoring is needed to confirm impairment.

Monitoring and Methods
Assessment Key Dates
6/2/2016
Fixed Monitoring Start Date
9/21/2020
Fixed Monitoring End Date
8/2/2017
Fish Tissue Monitoring
9/11/2015
Fish Tissue Monitoring
9/18/2015
Fish Tissue Monitoring
6/1/2019
Fish Tissue Monitoring
6/1/2020
Fish Tissue Monitoring
6/3/2020
Fish Kill
Methods
120
Surveys of fish and game biologists/other professionals
222
Non-fixed-station monitoring (conventional during key seasons and flows)
260
Fish tissue analysis
340
Primary producer surveys (phytoplankton/periphyton/macrophyton)