Point Hollow Creek (aka White Pine Cr) IA 01-TRK-1888
confluence with unnamed tributary (T90N R2W Sec8 Dubuque Co.) to headwaters (T91N R2W Sec33 Clayton Co.)
- Cycle
- 2016
- Release Status
- Final
- Overall IR
- 3 - Insufficient data exist to determine whether any designated uses are met.
- Trend
- Unknown
- Created
- 4/8/2016 2:14:07 PM
- Updated
- 4/8/2016 2:14:07 PM
SUMMARY: The presumptive Class A1 (primary contact recreation) and Class A2 (secondary contact recreation) uses remain "not assessed" (IR 3a) due to the lack of information upon which to base an assessment. The assessment of the presumptive Class B(CW1) aquatic life uses of this stream is changed from potentially impaired (IR 3b) due to a fish kill in August 2004 to “not assessed” (IR 3a). The kill was caused by animal waste from an open feedlot. The party responsible for the kill was identified and IDNR sought restitution for the value of the fish killed and costs incurred by DNR during the investigation of the kill. Due to the age of the kill (greater than ten years), however, this assessment is moved from IR Category 3b to IR Category 3a ("not assessed") for the current (2016) Integrated Report. Fish consumption uses remain not assessed due to the lack of fish contaminant monitoring upon which to base an assessment.
[Note: Prior to the 2008 Section 305(b) cycle, this stream segment was classified only for Class B(CW1) coldwater aquatic life uses. Due to changes in Iowa’s surface water classification that were approved by U.S. EPA in February 2008, this segment is now presumptively designated for Class A1 (primary contact recreation) uses and for Class A2 (secondary contact recreation) uses. Thus, for the current assessment, perennial flow is presumed, and the available water quality monitoring data will be compared to the applicable Class A1, Class A2, and Class B(CW1) water quality criteria.]
EXPLANATION: Regarding support of aquatic life uses, the fish kill occurred on or before August 3, 2004, and occurred two miles north of Luxemburg on Highway 52 in Section 9 of T90N, R2W, Dubuque County; approximately 0.8 miles of stream was affected by the kill. The kill was attributed to animal wastes from an open (swine) feedlot. An estimated 6,574 fish were killed with an estimated value of $628. Fish killed were non-game species, primarily minnows (including creek chubs, stonerollers, blacknose dace, and southern redbelly dace). The party responsible for the kill was identified and restitution has been sought.
According to DNR'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. Thus, this fish kill resulted in a Section 303(d) listing for the 2006 and 2008 IR cycles. Because, however, a consent order was issued to the party responsible for the kill and monetary restitution was sought for the value of the fish killed and the costs incurred by IDNR during the fish kill investigation, the affected waterbody was placed in IR Category 4d (impaired but TMDL not required) for the 2010 IR cycle. This impairment remained in IR Category 4d through the 2012 IR cycle. Because no additional fish kills had occurred in this stream segment over at least a five-year period, the impairment was moved from IR Category 4d to IR Category 3b (list of waters in need of further investigation) for the 2014 IR cycle. Because no additional kills have been reported for this non-303(d)-impaired stream for over 10 years, any fish kill-related impacts in this segment have likely dissipated, and the aquatic life uses are considered “not assessed”; thus, this segment is moved to IR Category 3a (not assessed) for the current (2016) cycle.