Badger Lake IA 06-WEM-1730
Monona County S29T85NR46W 4 mi. WNW of Whiting.
- Cycle
- 2022
- Release Status
- Final
- Overall IR
- 4 - Water is impaired or threatened and a TMDL has been completed or is not needed.
- Trend
- Unknown
- Created
- 1/6/2022 1:08:57 PM
- Updated
- 2/2/2022 11:13:50 AM
The Class BLW aquatic life use was assessed (evaluated) as "not supported" due to hydrological modifications (flow alterations and channel degradation of the Missouri River) that adversely affect this wetland. This type of impairment is appropriate for Category 4c of Iowa's Integrated Report (i.e., impairment due to a non-pollutant stressor). All other designated uses were “not assessed.”
Class BLW - The Class BLW aquatic life use was assessed (evaluated) as "not supported" due to impacts of hydrological modification of the Missouri River and resultant problems with water level fluctuation in the river's floodplain wetlands (see assessments developed for previous Section 305(b) reporting cycles). The aquatic life uses of this wetland are no longer considered "impaired" by siltation. A site visit by TMDL staff and DNR Wildlife Biologist in 2000 indicates that this oxbow lake is approximately 4 miles from the Missouri River and has only a few feeder streams to supply surface runoff. This wetland has very little non-point source sedimentation potential, and the water level in the wetland reflects that of the groundwater table. It appears the only way to raise the water level in the wetland is to pump water in from another source. In addition to the site visit, watershed modeling on this wetland indicates that sediment delivery to the wetland is very low. Therefore, the aquatic life uses of Badger Lake remained assessed as "impaired" by flow alterations, but the siltation impairment was removed based on the modeling data and the analysis of this data. The assessment category for this wetland is "evaluated."In terms of Section 305(b) reporting, "monitored assessments" are based primarily on recent, site-specific ambient monitoring data and thus have relatively high confidence. DNR considers waterbodies identified as "impaired" based on "monitored assessments" as candidates for the state's Section 303(d) list. "Evaluated assessments" are those based on data older than five years or other than site-specific ambient monitoring data (e.g., desktop models or questionnaire surveys of fish and game biologists [=best professional judgment]) and thus have relatively lower confidence. DNR does not consider waterbodies identified as "impaired" based on "evaluated assessments" as candidates for the state's Section 303(d) list. Class HH - Fish Tissue sampling: No Data In general, Iowa wetlands are not managed for recreational fisheries; thus, fish contaminant monitoring is not typically conducted at these waterbodies. Note: this assessment has not been updated following the severe flooding of the Missouri River during summer 2011 and thus does not reflect flood-related changes that may have occurred at this floodplain wetland.
None listed