North Bear Creek IA 01-UIA-255

mouth (S25 T100N R6W Winneshiek Co.) to IA/MN state line (Winneshiek 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
View assessment methodology in new window

Cycle: 2024
Release Status: Final
Overall IR: 5 - Water is impaired or threatened and a TMDL is needed.
Trend: Unknown
Created: 11/1/2023 8:12:36 AM
Updated: 12/14/2023 9:56:36 AM

Use Support

Class A1

Presumptive Use

Recreation - Primary contact

Not Supported

Bacteria: Indicator Bacteria- E. coli

Support Level

Not Supported

Impairment Code

5p - Impairment occurs on a waterbody with a presumptive A1 or B(WW1) use.

Cause Magnitude

Slight

Status

Continuing

Source

Unknown: Source Unknown

Source Confidence

N/A

Cycle Added

2008

Impairment Rationale

Geometric mean criterion exceeded

Data Source

Watershed project monitoring

TMDL Priority

Tier III

Class A2

Recreation - Secondary contact

Fully Supported

Class BCW1

Aquatic Life - Cold Water Type 1

Fully Supported

Class HH

Human Health -

Not Assessed

Impairment Delistings

No delistings for this assessment cycle.

Documentation

Assessment Summary

The presumptive Class A1 use was assessed as “not supported” based on levels of indicator bacteria (E. coli) that exceeded state water quality criteria. The Class A2 use was assessed as “fully supported” based on historic indicator bacteria (E. coli) monitoring. The Class BCW1 use was assessed as "fully supported" based on water quality monitoring data and on the trout reproduction in Iowa streams summary prepared by the DNR Fisheries Bureau. 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
NEIARCD	19	WQ	CY 2012-2014	191910015	North Bear Creek	Site 24

Presumptive Class A1 - Indicator Bacteria:

Site ID	Data Source ID	# Samples / # Years	2012 Geometric Mean	2013 Geometric Mean	2014 Geometric Mean	Annual Geometric Mean Violation	# Violations	% Violations	Significantly >10% Violations	Assessment Type	Support Level
191910015	19	20 / 3	35	149	81	Yes	4	20%	No	Evaluated	Not

Class A2 - Indicator Bacteria:

Site ID	Data Source ID	# Samples / # Years	2012 Geometric Mean	2013 Geometric Mean	2014 Geometric Mean	Annual Geometric Mean Violation	# Violations	% Violations	Significantly >10% Violations	Assessment Type	Support Level
191910015	19	20 / 3	35	149	81	No	1	5%	No	Evaluated	Full

Class A - pH:

Site ID	Data Source ID	# Samples / # Years	Maximum Value	Mean Value	Median Value	# Violations	% Violations	Significantly >10% Violations	Assessment Type	Support Level
191910015	19	14 / 3	8	8.65	8.74	0	0%	No	Evaluated	Full

Class BCW1 - Binomial Parameters:

Site ID	Data Source ID	Parameter Name	# Samples / # Years	Maximum Value	Mean Value	Median Value	# Acute / Chronic Violations	% Acute/ Chronic Violations	Significantly >10% Violations	Assessment Type	Support Level
191910015	19	Ammonia	14 / 3	0.07	0.05	0.05	0 / 0	0% / 0%	No	Evaluated	Full
191910015	19	pH	14 / 3	8	8.65	8.74	0 / 0	0% / 0%	No	Evaluated	Full
191910015	19	Temperature	14 / 3	19.1	14	14.3	NA / 0	NA / 0%	No	Evaluated	Full

Class BCW1 – Trout Natural Reproduction:

Based on the January 2024 trout reproduction in Iowa streams summary prepared by the DNR Fisheries Bureau, the Class BCW1 coldwater aquatic life use of North Bear Creek was assessed as "fully supported." According to the updated summary, this stream was placed in Category I: streams that exhibit consistent natural reproduction and maintain a wild population of one or more trout species without any stocking.

Class HH - No Data

Monitoring and Methods

Assessment Key Dates

4/3/2012

Monitoring Start

10/7/2014

Monitoring End

1/1/2024

Biological Monitoring

Methods

120

Surveys of fish and game biologists/other professionals

150

Monitoring data more than 5 years old

200

Physical/Chemical Monitoring

330

Fish surveys

420

Indicator bacteria monitoring