Forney Lake IA 06-WED-1681

Assessment Comments

Assessment remains based on information from the IDNR Wildlife Bureau.

Basis for Assessment

[NOTE:  For the 2002 report, the waterbody identification number for this wetland was changed from "IA-WETLAND-20" to "IA 06-WED-00015-L."  This wetland is not in the current (2002) version of the Iowa Water Quality Standards and is thus classified only for "general uses."  This wetland has not been proposed for inclusion to the standards as a Class B(LW) waterbody.]

SUMMARY:  The aquatic life uses are assessed (evaluated) as "fully supported” based on information from the IDNR Wildlife Bureau.   Due only to a change in IDNR's assessment/listing methodology, the 2004 assessment of the 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 (2002 and 2004) assessment/listing cycles (not impaired) and does not reflect any known change in water quality.

EXPLANATION:  The aquatic life uses are assessed as "fully supported" based on information from the Iowa DNR Wildlife Bureau.   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 2002 or 2004 assessments:  this waterbody remains in IR Category 2a.   According to the local IDNR biologist (Priebe), the primary threat remains flooding-related siltation from agricultural nonpoint sources and problems with water level fluctuation related to the controlled flows of the nearby Missouri River.