Iowa DNR
Iowa DNR
ADBNet
Water Quality Assessments
Impaired Waters List

Blue Lake IA 06-WEM-1728

Alternate name(s) for this segment: Lewis and Clark Lake

Monona County S35T84NR46W 2 mi. W of Onawa.

Cycle
2024
Release Status
Final
Overall IR
4 - Water is impaired or threatened and a TMDL has been completed or is not needed.
Trophic
Eutrophic
Trend
Stable
Created
11/1/2023 8:13:39 AM
Updated
2/5/2024 1:40:21 PM
Use Support
Class A1
Recreation - Primary contact
Not Supported
Support Level
Not Supported
Impairment Code
4a - Pollutant-caused impairment. TMDL has been completed.
Cause Magnitude
High
Status
Continuing
Source
Other: Sediment Resuspension
Source Confidence
High
Cycle Added
2004
Impairment Rationale
Narrative criteria violation: aesthetically objectionable conditions
Data Source
Ambient monitoring: Iowa DNR-lakes
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
Unknown: Source Unknown
Source Confidence
N/A
Cycle Added
2010
Impairment Rationale
Adverse impacts on plant/animal communities
Data Source
Biological monitoring: Iowa DNR Fisheries
Class HH
Human Health -
Not Assessed
Impairment Delistings
No delistings for this assessment cycle.
Documentation
Assessment Summary

The Class A1 use was assessed (monitored) as “not supported” due to poor water transparency. The Class BLW use was assessed (monitored) as “WINOFI.” All other designated uses were “not assessed.” Note: A TMDL for the algae and turbidity impairments at Blue Lake was prepared by DNR and approved by EPA in January 2009. Because the 2009 TMDL includes all of the impairments identified for the current assessment/listing cycle, this lake will remain in IR Category 4a (impaired; TMDL approved.)

Assessment Explanation

Data Sources:

Data Source

Data Source ID

Data Type

Data Age

Site ID

Site Name

Site Description

Iowa DNR

6

WQ

CY 2020-2022

21670001

Blue Lake Beach

Iowa DNR

6

WQ

CY 2018-2022

22670002

Blue Lake

Class A1 - Indicator Bacteria:

Site ID

Data Source ID

# Samples per Year (2020/ 2021/2022)

2020 Geometric Mean

2021 Geometric Mean

2022 Geometric Mean

Violates Annual Geometric Mean?

# 2020 SSM violations / SSM Violations needed for impairment

# 2021 SSM violations / SSM Violations needed for impairment

# 2022 SSM violations / SSM Violations needed for impairment

Violates Annual SSM Significantly >10% Rule?

Assessment Type

Support Level

21670001

6

15/15/15

39

13

35

NO

1 / 4

0 / 4

2 / 4

NO

Mon

Full

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

22670002

6

12 / 4

8

8.44

8.26

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

22670002

6

Chlorophyll a TSI

16 / 5

44

76

61

NO

Mon

Full

22670002

6

Secchi TSI

15 / 5

53

78

72

YES

Mon

Not

22670002

6

Total Phosphorus TSI

16 / 5

66

79

72

NA

NA

NA

22670002

6

Inorganic suspended solids

15 / 5

1.9

24.7

14.5

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

22670002

6

Dissolved Oxygen

12 / 4

6.4

10.6

8.8

0

NA / NA

4

NO

Mon

Full

22670002

6

pH

12 / 4

8

8.44

8.26

0

NA / NA

4

NO

Mon

Full

22670002

6

Temperature

12 / 4

17.3

29.1

23.8

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

22670002

6

4

5.716854886

46%

0.751302862

2%

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

22670002

6

Ammonia

12 / 4

0.2368

0.08

0.03

0 / 0

NO

Mon

Full

Class BLW - Additional Information: Information from the DNR Fisheries Bureau suggests that Blue Lake has a poor recreational fishery and a large carp population. The Class BLW use was assessed (evaluated) as “WINOFI” based on information from the DNR Fisheries Bureau.

Class HH - No Data

Monitoring and Methods
Assessment Key Dates
5/14/2018
Monitoring Start
8/31/2022
Monitoring End
1/2/2009
TMDL Completed
Methods
200
Physical/Chemical Monitoring
340
Primary producer surveys (phytoplankton/periphyton/macrophyton)
420
Indicator bacteria monitoring