Cedar Creek IA 04-RAC-1819

from confluence with Little Cedar Cr. (S15 T90N R34W Pocahontas Co.) to confluence with Drainage Ditch 21 in S7 T91N R33W Pocahontas Co.

Assessment Cycle

2022

Release Status

Final

Data Collection Period

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 2018 - 2020
Stream/River Water Quality Data	CY 2018 - 2020
Lake Water Quality Data	CY 2016 - 2020
Biological Sampling Data	CY 2016 - 2020*
Fish Kill Data	CY 2016 - 2020
Fish Tissue Sampling Data	CY 2016 - 2020
Continuous Dissolved Oxygen Sampling Data	CY 2016 - 2020
*Biological sites sampled in both 2015 and 2019 were also assessed.

Overall IR Category: 3 - Insufficient data exist to determine whether any designated uses are met.
Trend: Unknown

Created: 1/3/2022 7:25:35 AM
Updated: 1/14/2022 1:01:28 PM

Assessment conducted in accordance with Iowa's 2022 IR methodology

Use Support

Class A1

Recreation

Primary contact

Presumptive Use

Not Assessed

Class BWW1

Aquatic Life

Warm Water Type 1

Presumptive Use

WINOFI

Further Investigation Needed

Support Level

Water in Need of Further Investigation (WINOFI)

Impairment Code

3b-c - Use potentially biologically impaired based on calibrated IBI metrics.

Cause Magnitude

Moderate

Status

Continuing

Source

Unknown: Source Unknown

Source Confidence

Low

Cycle Added

2004

Impairment Rationale

Low Biotic Index

Data Source

Biological monitoring: Iowa DNR WQMA

Support Level

Water in Need of Further Investigation (WINOFI)

Impairment Code

3b - Use potentially impaired based on an evaluated assessment.

Cause Magnitude

High

Status

Continuing

Source

Agriculture: Confined Animal Feeding Operations

Source Confidence

High

Cycle Added

2014

Impairment Rationale

Pollutant-caused fish kill

Data Source

Fish kill investigation: Iowa DNR

Impairment Delistings

No delistings for this assessment cycle.

Documentation

Assessment Summary

The presumptive Class BWW1 use was assessed as "WINOFI" due to a fish kill investigation and also based on biological sampling data. All other designated uses were "not assessed."

Assessment Explanation

Data Sources:

Data Source	Data Source ID	Data Type	Data Age	Site ID	Site Name	Site Description
Iowa DNR	6	BIO	See Below	228	Big Cedar Creek	Fonda

Presumptive Class A1 - No Data

Presumptive Class BWW1 - Biological Sampling:

Benthic Macroinvertebrates:

BioNet Site ID	Date	Drainage Area (mi2)	Ecoregion	Major Drainage	BM Sample Gear	BMIBI score	BMIBI Class	47b BMIBI BIT	BMIBI Pass/Fail
228	9/27/06	81	47b	MS	Hess	38	Fair	62	Fail

Fish:

BioNet Site ID	Date	Drainage Area (mi2)	Ecoregion	Major Drainage	Riffle Stream?	FIBI score	FIBI Class	47b FIBI BIT	FIBI Pass/Fail
228	9/27/06	81	47b	MS	Yes	57	Good	53	Pass

Overall:

Community	Assessment Type	Assessment Result	Support Level	IR Category	Reason
Benthic Macroinvertebrates	Evaluated	Fail (0/1)	Not
Fish	Evaluated	Pass (1/1)	Full		Assessment was evaluated because it was based on samples
Overall	Evaluated	Fail	WINOFI	3bc	not collected in the last five years.

Presumptive Class BWW1 – Fish kill Assessment:

The presumptive Class BWW1 aquatic life use previously resided in Category 4d based on the assessment developed for the 2013 fish kill. Because no additional fish kills were reported in this segment for at least five years post fish kill (2018), the Category for the fish kill assessment was changed from 4d to 3b (potentially impaired). DNR believes that any impact from the fish kill from which the impairment was based has likely dissipated. If no additional fish kills are reported in the segment for an additional five-year period (2023), the Category will be changed from 3b to 3a (not assessed).

Details about the 2013 fish kill can be found here: https://programs.iowadnr.gov/fishkill/Events/871

Monitoring and Methods

Assessment Key Dates

9/27/2006

Biological Monitoring

9/16/2013

Fish Kill

Methods

120

Surveys of fish and game biologists/other professionals

140

Incidence of spills and/or fish kills

150

Monitoring data more than 5 years old

315

Regional reference site approach

320

Benthic macroinvertebrate surveys

330

Fish surveys