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
2024
Release Status
Final
Overall IR
5 - Water is impaired or threatened and a TMDL is needed.
Trophic
Eutrophic
Trend
Stable
Created
11/1/2023 8:13:34 AM
Updated
12/27/2023 1:50:34 PM
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
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 -
Not Supported
Support Level
Not Supported
Impairment Code
5a - Pollutant-caused impairment. TMDL needed.
Cause Magnitude
Moderate
Status
New
Source
Unknown: Source Unknown
Source Confidence
N/A
Cycle Added
2024
Impairment Rationale
Fish consumption advisory in effect: no more than 1 meal/week
Data Source
Fish contaminant monitoring: Iowa DNR
TMDL Priority
Tier IV
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. The Class HH (fish consumption) use was assessed (monitored) as “not supported” 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 2018-2022

22300008

East Okoboji Lake

Iowa DNR

6

FT

See Below

1084

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

8.3

0

4

NO

Mon

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

72

59

NO

Mon

Full

22300008

6

Secchi TSI

15 / 5

44

73

60

NO

Mon

Full

22300008

6

Total Phosphorus TSI

15 / 5

53

77

62

NA

NA

NA

22300008

6

Inorganic suspended solids

15 / 5

0.6

8

3

NA

NA

NA

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

22300008

6

Dissolved Oxygen

13 / 5

6.6

12.9

8.3

0

NA / NA

4

NO

Mon

Full

22300008

6

pH

12 / 4

8

8.6

8.3

0

NA / NA

4

NO

Mon

Full

22300008

6

Temperature

13 / 5

15.7

27.4

23

0

NA / NA

4

NO

Mon

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

125.7558783

100%

3.065697552

21%

NO

Evaluated

NA

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

22300008

6

Ammonia

12 / 4

0.021

0.01

0.01

0 / 0

NO

Mon

Full

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)

1084

tissue plug

2020

bluegill

10

18.7

0.086

1084

fillet

2015

channel catfish

5

50.1

0.05

0.02

0.06

1084

tissue plug

2020

crappie spp.

3

21.6

0.101

1084

tissue plug

2019

largemouth bass

10

32.8

0.432

1084

tissue plug

2017

largemouth bass

3

38.8

0.127

1084

tissue plug

2021

muskie

7

0.596

1084

tissue plug

2020

muskie

3

93.1

0.568

1084

tissue plug

2021

northern pike

1

0.297

1084

tissue plug

2020

northern pike

18

75.5

0.171

1084

tissue plug

2020

walleye

15

47.3

0.396

1084

tissue plug

2019

walleye

5

53.2

0.221

1084

tissue plug

2021

yellow bass

9

0.106

1084

tissue plug

2020

yellow perch

10

21.1

0.055

Support Level

Not

A one meal/week mercury consumption advisory for muskie exists on this segment. Walleye and largemouth bass results were also elevated. Based on IR Methodology, the Class HH (fish consumption) use was assessed as “not supported.”


Monitoring and Methods
Assessment Key Dates
5/29/2018
Monitoring Start
9/12/2022
Monitoring End
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
4/4/2021
Fish Tissue Monitoring
4/14/2021
Biological Monitoring
Methods
120
Surveys of fish and game biologists/other professionals
200
Physical/Chemical Monitoring
260
Fish tissue analysis
340
Primary producer surveys (phytoplankton/periphyton/macrophyton)