2016 assessment for Elk Creek

Elk Creek IA 01-TRK-175

mouth (S36 T92N R4W Clayton Co.) to confluence with Steeles Br. in S26 T91N R4W Clayton Co.

2016
Open Data Collection Period Modal

For purposes of developing stream/river water quality assessments for integrated reporting, three years of water quality data are typically used for both conventional pollutant parameters (e.g., indicator bacteria) and the less frequently monitored toxic parameters (e.g., toxic metals). Since the 2004 IR cycle, DNR has used a three-year data gathering period for streams, rivers, and beaches. For most assessments, the use of three years of data increases the number of samples upon which the decision on use support is based and helps address the problem of weather-related year-to-year fluctuations in water quality.

Due to the lower sampling frequency in Iowa’s ambient lake, biological, fish kill, and fish tissue monitoring programs, five years of data are used for developing IR assessments and for identifying Section 303(d) listings.

Data Type	Data Timeframe
Beach Sampling Data	CY 2012 - 2014
Stream/River Water Quality Data	CY 2012 - 2014
Lake Water Quality Data	CY 2010 - 2014
Biological Sampling Data	CY 2010 - 2014*
Fish Kill Data	CY 2010 - 2014
Fish Tissue Sampling Data	CY 2010 - 2014
Continuous Dissolved Oxygen Sampling Data	CY 2010 - 2014
*Biological sites sampled in both 2009 and 2013 were also assessed.

Open Segment Map
View assessment methodology in new window

Overall IR

5 - Water is impaired or threatened and a TMDL is needed.

Trend

Unknown

Created

4/11/2016 3:47:34 PM by

Updated

9/29/2016 7:52:57 AM by

Use Support

Class A1

Presumptive Use

Recreation - Primary contact

Not Supported

Bacteria: Indicator Bacteria- E. coli

Support Level

Not Supported

Impairment Code

5p - Impairment occurs on a waterbody with a presumptive A1 or B(WW1) use.

Cause Magnitude

Moderate

303(d) Listing Status

Continuing

Source

Unknown: Source Unknown

Source Confidence

N/A

Cycle Added

2014

Impairment Rationale

Geometric mean criterion exceeded

Data Source

Watershed project monitoring

TMDL Priority

Tier III

Class BWW1

Aquatic Life - Warm Water Type 1

Fully Supported

Class HH

Human Health -

Not Assessed

General Use

General Use water -

Not Assessed

303(d) Delistings for this Cycle

No delistings for this assessment cycle.

Documentation

Assessment Summary

The presumptive Class A1 (primary contact recreation) uses are assessed (monitored) as “partially supported” (IR 5p) due to violations of Iowa water quality criteria for indicator bacteria. The Class B(WW1) aquatic life uses are assessed (monitored) as “fully supported” (IR 2a). The Class HH (fish consumption) uses remain "not assessed" due to the lack of fish contaminant monitoring in this stream segment. The source of data for this assessment is the results of monitoring from April 2012 to November 2014 at station ELK10 (at Colesburg Rd/X3c; STORET station 15220012).

Assessment Explanation

The presumptive Class A1 (primary contact recreation) uses are assessed (monitored) as "not supported" based on levels of indicator bacteria that exceeded state water quality criteria. The geometric means of indicator bacteria (E. coli) in the 23 samples collected during the recreational seasons of 2012 through 2014 at monitoring station 15220012 (Site ELK10) were as follows: the 2012 geometric mean was 386 orgs/100 ml, the 2013 geometric mean was 2,480 orgs/100 ml, and the 2014 geometric mean was 239 orgs/100 ml. Twelve of the combined 23 samples (50 %) exceeded Iowa’s single-sample maximum criterion of 235 orgs/100 ml. According to U.S. EPA guidelines for Section 305(b) reporting and IDNR’s assessment/listing methodology, if the geometric mean is greater than 126 orgs/100 ml., the primary contact recreation uses should be assessed as "impaired" (see pgs 3-33 to 3-35 of U.S. EPA 1997b).

Monitoring at station 15220012 (Site ELK10) showed no violations of Class B(WW1) water quality criteria for ammonia (12 samples), dissolved oxygen (23 samples), chloride (16 samples), or temperature (24 samples) during the 2012-2014 monitoring period. One of 23 samples violated the Class B(WW1) criterion for pH. According to U.S. EPA guidelines (U.S. EPA 1997b, page 3-17), a violation frequency of greater than 10% for conventional parameters such as pH suggests impairment of aquatic life uses. Based on IDNR’s assessment methodology, however, the results from station 15220012 suggest that the frequency of pH violations is not significantly greater than 10 percent; thus, these results do not suggest impairment of the Class B(WW1) aquatic life uses. These results suggest “full support” of the Class B(WW1) aquatic life uses.

The Class HH (fish consumption) uses remain "not assessed" due to the lack of fish contaminant monitoring in this stream segment.

Monitoring and Methods

Assessment Key Dates

4/4/2012

Fixed Monitoring Start Date

11/5/2014

Fixed Monitoring End Date

Methods

220

Non-fixed station physical/chemical monitoring (conventional pollutant only)

420

Indicator bacteria monitoring