Elk Creek IA 06-BOY-2073

mouth (T80N R43W Sec11 Harrison Co.) to headwaters (T81N R42W Sec7) Harrison 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 2014 - 2016
Stream/River Water Quality Data	CY 2014 - 2016
Lake Water Quality Data	CY 2012 - 2016
Biological Sampling Data	CY 2012 - 2016*
Fish Kill Data	CY 2012 - 2016
Fish Tissue Sampling Data	CY 2012 - 2016
Continuous Dissolved Oxygen Sampling Data	CY 2012 - 2016
*Biological sites sampled in both 2011 and 2015 were also assessed.

Open Segment Map
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Cycle: 2018
Release Status: Final
Overall IR: 3 - Insufficient data exist to determine whether any designated uses are met.
Trend: Unknown
Created: 7/26/2019 8:07:18 AM
Updated: 7/26/2019 8:12:00 AM

Use Support

Class A1

Presumptive Use

Recreation - Primary contact

Not Assessed

Class BWW1

Presumptive Use

Aquatic Life - Warm Water Type 1

WINOFI

Fish Kill: Caused By Animal Waste

Support Level

Further Investigation Needed

Impairment Code

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

Cause Magnitude

Moderate

Status

Continuing

Source

Spills/Dumping: Spills

Source Confidence

Moderate

Cycle Added

2008

Impairment Rationale

Pollutant-caused fish kill

Data Source

Fish kill investigation: Iowa DNR

General Use

General Use water -

Not Assessed

Impairment Delistings

No delistings for this assessment cycle.

Documentation

Assessment Summary

The presumptive Class A1 (primary contact recreation) uses remain "not assessed" due to a lack of water quality information upon which to base an assessment. The presumptive Class B(WW1) aquatic life uses remain assessed as "partially supported" due to a fish kill in March 2007.

Assessment Explanation

The fish kill occurred on or before March 21, 2007 and was attributed to a spill of hog manure into the stream. The spill occurred when an underground pipe broke causing manure from a 20,080 head swine finishing confinement to enter Elk Creek. The kill affected 3.1 miles of the stream near Woodbine. Approximately 378 fish were killed. The estimated value of the fish was $42. The party responsible for the kill was identified, and restitution was sought. NOTE:This assessment was placed in Category 5b of the 2008 Integrated Report due to a lack of information on whether or not restitution was sought for this fish kill. Due to updated information regarding legal action this assessment was placed in Category 4d of Iowa's 2010 Integrated Report (IR).

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. 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 assessment segment was moved from Category 5b of Iowa's 2008 Integrated Report to Category 4d of Iowa’s 2010 Integrated Report based on updated information regarding restitution for this fish kill. DNR considers IR 4d fish kill waters with no subsequent kills in at least the five years subsequent to the kill as appropriate for movement to IR categories 2b or 3b (i.e., Iowa’s list of waters in need of further investigation). Thus, for the current IR cycle, this assessment was moved to Category 3b of Iowa's 2018 IR.

Monitoring and Methods

Assessment Key Dates

3/21/2007

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