Fountain Spring Creek (aka Odell Br.) IA 01-TRK-182

The fish kill occurred on or before May 2, 2003; the kill was attributed to manure-contaminated storm water runoff from an open (cattle) feedlot.  Twenty-nine fish (rainbow trout and brown trout) were killed.  The fish kill occurred in Sections 15 and 16 of T90N, R4W in Delaware County and affected approximately 0.25 miles of stream.  Fountain Springs is one of the state’s most heavily used put-and-take trout streams and also has a naturally-reproducing brown trout population.  Based on the value of the fish killed and the value of the days of angling opportunity lost, an estimated value of the kill was set at $2,325.  The party responsible for the kill was identified; restitution for the fish killed and for costs incurred during the investigation was sought and received by IDNR. 

According to IDNR's assessment methodology for Section 305(b) reporting, occurrence of a single pollution-caused fish kill during an assessment period indicates "partial support" of the aquatic life uses.  If, however, a consent order has been issued to the party responsible for the kill and monetary restitution has been sought for the fish killed, the affected waterbody should be placed in IR Category 4d (impaired but TMDL not required).  Thus, this segment was placed in Category 4d of Iowa’s 2008 Integrated Report.  IDNR considers IR 4d fish kill waters with no subsequent kills reported in at least five year subsequent to the kill as appropriate for movement from IR Category 4d to either categories 2b or 3b (i.e., Iowa’s list of waters in need of further investigation).  Thus, this assessment segment was moved to Category 3b of Iowa’s 2010 Integrated Report and remained in Category 3b of Iowa’s 2012 and 2014 Integrated Reports. 

The assessment of impairment is in contrast to that suggested by a summary of trout reproduction in Iowa's coldwater streams.  Based on the updated summary of trout reproduction in Iowa streams prepared by the IDNR Fisheries Bureau in January 2016, the Class B(CW1) uses of Fountain Spring Creek are assessed as "fully supported".  According to the updated summary, this stream is in the group of Iowa coldwater streams that supports natural reproduction of trout.  In previous IDNR summaries of trout reproduction, this stream was placed in the category of Iowa trout streams that have fairly consistent natural reproduction and that are capable of maintaining a viable population for the target trout species without any stocking.  Based on results of surveys by the IDNR Fisheries Bureau, however, this stream is now placed in the category of Iowa trout streams that exhibit recent, but inconsistent reproductive success and that are generally not capable of maintaining a viable population for the resident trout species at this time.  The influence of the May 2003 fish kill on the ability of this stream to support natural reproduction of trout is not known. 

According to IDNR’s assessment/listing methodology, if no additional kills have been reported for a non-303(d)-impaired stream for over 10 years, any fish kill-related impacts in this segment would have likely dissipated, and the aquatic life uses should be considered “not assessed”.  Thus, according to this methodology, this stream segment should be moved to IR Category 3a (not assessed) for the current (2016) IR cycle.   Because, however, the annual surveys of Iowa trout streams prepared by the IDNR Fisheries Bureau suggested a slight decline in the quality of this stream (from a self-sustaining trout population to one generally not capable of maintaining a viable population), the Class B(CW1) aquatic life uses of this stream will remain assessed as potentially impaired (IR 3b) and will remain on Iowa’s list of waters in need of further investigation.

Fish consumption uses remain "not assessed" due to lack of fish tissue monitoring in this stream reach.