Paint Creek (aka Pine Cr.) IA 01-UIA-257
mouth (S9 T99N R6W Allamakee Co.) to confluence with unnamed tributary in SE 1/4 S11 T99N R7W Winneshiek Co.
- Cycle
- 2016
- Release Status
- Final
- Overall IR
- 5 - Water is impaired or threatened and a TMDL is needed.
- Trend
- Unknown
- Created
- 5/24/2016 9:22:00 AM
- Updated
- 10/5/2016 2:13:02 PM
The presumptive Class A1 (primary contact recreation) uses are assessed (monitored) as “partially supported” (IR 5p) due to levels of indicator bacteria that exceed state water quality criteria. The presumptive Class A2 (secondary contact recreation) uses, however, are assessed (monitored) as “fully supported” (IR 2a). The Class B(CW1) coldwater aquatic life uses remain assessed as "fully supported" (IR 2a). The fish consumption uses remain “not assessed” (IR 3a) due to the lack of information upon which to base an assessment. The sources of data for this assessment are (1) the results of monitoring for indicator bacteria conducted at Site 22 of the Upper Iowa River Watershed (UIRW) project (STORET No. NEIARCD 190050001) from April 2012 through October 2014 and (2) an updated summary of trout reproduction in Iowa streams prepared by the DNR Fisheries Bureau in January 2016.
The Class A1 (primary contact recreation) uses are assessed (monitored) as "partially supported" based on levels of indicator bacteria that exceeded state water quality criteria while the Class A2 (secondary contact recreation) uses are assessed as "fully supported". The geometric means of indicator bacteria (E. coli) in the 21 samples collected during the recreational seasons of 2012 through 2014 at UIRW Site 22 were as follows: the 2012 geometric mean was 193 orgs/100 ml, the 2013 geometric mean was 427 orgs/100 ml and the 2014 geometric mean was 150 orgs/100 ml. All three geometric means slightly exceeded the Class A1 criterion of 126 orgs/100 ml. All three geometric means, however, are well below the Class A2 geometric mean criterion of 630 orgs/100 ml. Eight of the 21 samples (38%) exceeded the Class A1 single-sample maximum criterion of 235 orgs/100 ml; one of the 21 samples (5%) exceeded the Class A2 single-sample maximum criterion of 2,880 orgs/100 ml. According to U.S. EPA guidelines for Section 305(b) reporting and IDNR’s assessment/listing methodology, if a recreation season geometric mean exceeds the respective water quality criterion, the contact recreation uses should be assessed as "impaired" (see pgs 3-33 to 3-35 of U.S. EPA 1997b). This impairment, however, is of a very slight magnitude. Because none of the 2012-2014 geometric means exceeded the Class A2 criterion, and because less than 10% of the samples exceeded the Class A2 single-sample maximum criterion, the Class A2 uses are assessed as “fully supported”.
Based on an updated summary of trout reproduction in Iowa streams prepared by the IDNR Fisheries Bureau in January 2016, the Class B(CW1) uses are assessed as "fully supported". According to the updated summary, Paint Creek (aka Pine Cr.) is in the group of Iowa coldwater streams that supports natural reproduction of trout. Based on results of surveys by the IDNR Fisheries Bureau, this stream is 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 (Category II stream).
Monitoring from 2012 to 2014 at Upper Iowa River Watershed Site 22 included analysis for ammonia, pH and temperature. Twelve of the 14 samples analyzed for ammonia contained levels of ammonia less than the limit of detection (0.05 mg/l). The samples with a detectable levels contained 0.26 and 0.09 mg/l of ammonia; these levels are well below Iowa's temperature/pH-dependent chronic aquatic life criteria. One of the 14 samples analyzed (7%) violated the Class B(CW1) criterion for pH. According to U.S. EPA guidelines for Section 305(b) reporting, if more than 10% of samples exceed state criteria for conventional parameters such as pH, the aquatic life uses should be assessed as "impaired" (see pgs 3-33 to 3-35 of U.S. EPA 1997b). According to IDNR’s assessment/listing methodology, however, the results from Site 22 do not indicate that significantly greater than 10% of the samples exceed the Class B(WW1) criterion for pH. Water temperatures in all of the 14 samples analyzed were below the Class B(CW1) criterion. Thus, these results do not suggest impairment of the Class B(CW1) aquatic life uses.
Fish consumption uses remain “not assessed” due to the lack of information upon which to base an assessment.