Lotts Creek IA 04-EDM-1836

from confluence with DD79 in T94N R30W Sec 15 SE Kossuth Co. to headwaters in SE1/4 S12 T97N R31W Palo Alto Co.

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 2020 - 2022
Stream/River Water Quality Data	CY 2020 - 2022
Lake Water Quality Data	CY 2018 - 2022
Biological Sampling Data	CY 2018 - 2022*
Fish Kill Data	CY 2018 - 2022
Fish Tissue Sampling Data	CY 2018 - 2022
Continuous Dissolved Oxygen Sampling Data	CY 2018 - 2022
*Biological sites sampled in both 2017 and 2021 were also assessed.

Open Segment Map
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Cycle: 2024
Release Status: Final
Overall IR: 3 - Insufficient data exist to determine whether any designated uses are met.
Trend: Unknown
Created: 11/1/2023 8:13:26 AM
Updated: 1/22/2024 9:58:19 AM

Use Support

Class A1

Presumptive Use

Recreation - Primary contact

Not Assessed

Class BWW1

Presumptive Use

Aquatic Life - Warm Water Type 1

WINOFI

Biological: low aquatic macroinvertebrate IBI

Support Level

Further Investigation Needed

Impairment Code

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

Cause Magnitude

Slight

Status

Continuing

Source

Unknown: Source Unknown

Source Confidence

Low

Cycle Added

2004

Impairment Rationale

Potential Impairment

Data Source

Biological monitoring: Iowa DNR WQMA

Fish Kill: Caused By Animal Waste

Support Level

Further Investigation Needed

Impairment Code

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

Cause Magnitude

High

Status

New

Source

Spills/Dumping: Accidental release/spill

Source Confidence

Low

Cycle Added

2024

Impairment Rationale

Potential Impairment

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” based on biological sampling data and the occurrence of a single fish kill in this segment. 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	319	Lotts Creek	West Bend – REMAP #2

Presumptive Class A1 - No Data

Presumptive Class BWW1 - Biological Sampling:

Benthic Macroinvertebrates:

BioNet Site ID	Date	Drainage Area (mi2)	Ecoregion	Major Drainage/Thermal	BM Sample Gear	BMIBI score	BMIBI Class	47b BMIBI BIT	BMIBI Pass/Fail
319	9/11/17	63	47b	MS/WW	Surber	46	Fair	62	Fail

Fish:

BioNet Site ID	Date	Drainage Area (mi2)	Ecoregion	Major Drainage/Thermal	Riffle Stream?	FIBI score	FIBI Class	47b FIBI BIT	FIBI Pass/Fail
319	9/11/17	63	47b	MS/WW	No	48	Fair	32	Pass

Overall:

Community	Assessment Type	Assessment Result	Support Level	IR Category	Reason
Benthic Macroinvertebrates	Evaluated	Fail (0/1)	WINOFI
Fish	Evaluated	Pass (1/1)	Full
Overall	Evaluated	Fail	WINOFI	3bc	Assessment was evaluated because it was based on a single sample.

Presumptive Class BWW1 - Continuous DO Monitoring:

Site ID	Data Source ID	# Days Monitoring (2017)	DO Criteria Type	# 2017 violations / Violations needed for impairment	Violates Annual Significantly >10% Rule?	Assessment Type	Support Level
			24 hr	0/5	No
319	6	19	16 hr	0/5	No	Evaluated	Full

Presumptive Class BWW1 – Fish kill Assessment:

The Presumptive Class BWW1 aquatic life use assessment based on the 2021 fish kill placed this segment in Category 3b. This assessment was “evaluated” because there was a single fish kill on this segment in the last five years. Segments assessed using “evaluated” assessments are placed in Category 3b and are added to the state list of Waters In Need Of Further Investigation (WINOFI). If no additional fish kills are reported in this segment for a 5-year period (2026), the Category will be changed from 3b to 3a (not assessed). In addition, restitution for the fish killed in this fish kill was received in 2021 but the presumptive Class BWW1 use will remain placed in Category 3b. DNR feels that (1) TMDLs should not be required for a fish kill caused by a one-time illegal or unauthorized release of a pollutant where enforcement action was taken and (2) enforcement action is more appropriate and effective for addressing a spill-related impairment than the TMDL process.

Details about the 2021 fish kill can be found here: https://programs.iowadnr.gov/fishkill/Events/1008

Monitoring and Methods

Assessment Key Dates

9/11/2017

Biological Monitoring

4/14/2021

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

200

Physical/Chemical Monitoring

315

Regional reference site approach

320

Benthic macroinvertebrate surveys

330

Fish surveys