Brush Creek IA 01-MAQ-30

Assessment Comments

1991 stream use assessment in Jackson County.

Basis for Assessment

Used a review of the field sheet from the October 1991 DNR stream use assessment in Jackson County to continue to assess support of the Class B(LR) aquatic life uses as FST due to (1) presence of a moderately diverse fish community (10 species from 3 families) for streams in the Souther Iowa Rolling Loess Prairies subecoregion (47f) (despite difficulty of seining fish from coarse substrates), (2) presence of a majority of the expected fish taxa (5 of 9) for streams in this subecoregion, and (3) indications of above average habitat quality, including very diverse substrates and presence of several pool/riffle sequences.  Frequent pasturing of the riparian zone was identified as the most significant impact to the physical characteristics of this stream at the site assessed.  The fish community of this stream reach contained several species (e.g.  southern redbelly dace, blacknose dace, and hornyhead chub) that are more typical of streams in the adjacent and more specious Iowan Surface subregion.  The presence of these somewhat environmentally intolerant species suggest that this reach of Brush Creek has good water quality and relatively stable aquatic habitat conditions.  The data upon which this assessment is based are more than 5 years old.  Additional monitoring is needed to update this assessment.