Assessment Comments
June 1996 SUA: habscr/fshscr: 27/11 (seine). 1996 biocriteria: IBI=38, 23 spp., 6 fams. 1996 Biocriteria: Fish IBI=70 (good), BM-IBI=70 (good).
Basis for Assessment
[NOTE: For the 2002 report, the previous waterbody segment for Prairie Creek (IA 04-UDM-0280-0), which extended 9.4 miles from its mouth to the confluence with Drainage Ditch 29 in Webster County, was split into two subsegments: (1) mouth to road crossing in center, Section 28, T88N, R28W, Webster Co. (IA 04-UDM-0280-1) and (2) from road crossing to confluence with Drainage Ditch 29 (IA 04-UDM-0280-2). This split resulted from the addition of the Class A (primary contact recreation) use designation to the lower reach of Prairie Creek in 2001. See above for previous Section 305(b) assessments for the original 9.4-mile segment of Prairie Creek.]
SUMMARY: The Class A (primary contact recreation) uses are "not assessed." The Class B(LR) aquatic life uses remain assessed as "fully supported / threatened" (minor impacts). The assessment category, however, is changed from "monitored" to "evaluated." EXPLANATION: The Class A designation was added to this segment of Prairie Creek in September 2001; no water quality data or other information are available upon which to base an assessment of support of these uses. Continue to use the assessment developed for the 1998 and 2000 reports (see above) that was based on results of the 1996 IDNR biocriteria assessment. However, because these data are now considered too old (greater than five years) to accurately characterize current water quality conditions, the assessment category is changed from "monitored" (indicating an assessment with relatively high confidence) to "evaluated" (indicating an assessment with relatively low confidence).
