Iowa DNR
ADBNet

Water Quality Assessments

Impaired Waters List

Ballard Creek IA 03-SSK-3053

unnamed tributary (T82N R24W Sec15 Story County) to headwaters (T82N R25W Sec13 Boone County)

Assessment Cycle
2018
Release Status
Final
Data Collection Period
Overall IR Category
5 - Water is impaired or threatened and a TMDL is needed.
Trend
Unknown
Created
5/14/2019 12:59:20 PM
Updated
5/14/2019 1:00:03 PM
Assessment conducted in accordance with Iowa's 2018 IR methodology
Use Support
Class A1
Not Assessed
Class BWW1
Partially Supported
Fish Kill: Caused By Animal Waste
Support Level
Partially Supported
Impairment Code
5b - Biological impairment or pollutant-caused fish kill - unknown source. No administrative action.
Cause Magnitude
Slight
Status
New
Source
Unknown: Source Unknown
Source Confidence
N/A
Cycle Added
2018
Impairment Rationale
Pollutant-caused fish kill
Data Source
Fish kill investigation: Iowa DNR
TMDL Priority
Tier IV
General Use
Not Assessed
Impairment Delistings
No delistings for this assessment cycle.
Documentation
Assessment Summary

The presumptive Class A1 (primary contact recreation) uses are “not assessed” due to the lack of information upon which to base an assessment. The presumptive Class B(WW1) aquatic life uses are assessed (evaluated) as “partially supporting” based on the occurrence of a 2002 fish kill in this segment.

Assessment Explanation

From the DNR fish kill database:

Off intersection of 355th [Believe this to be a typo, think they meant 535th Ave] Ave and 310th St, Section 15 of Palestine Twsp. The kill was localized as far as could be determined along an approx. 40 meter stretch. No dead fish were observed downstream from this vicinity. Live minnows, apparently under some stress as observed by their surfacing actions, were swimming in a deeper pool just upstream of the location of the dead fish. Cause believed due to manure.

According to DNR’s assessment/listing methodology, the occurrence of a single pollutant-caused fish kill, or a fish kill of unknown origin, on a waterbody or waterbody reach during the most recent assessment period indicates a severe stress to the aquatic community and suggests that the aquatic life uses should be assessed as “impaired.” If a cause of the kill is identified, and the cause is either known, or suspected, to be a “pollutant”, the assessment type is considered “monitored” and the affected waterbody is a candidate for Section 303(d) listing. Fish kills attributed to a pollutant, but where a source of the pollutant was not identified and/or where enforcement actions were not taken against the responsible party, will be placed into Integrated Report subcategory 5b. The intent of placing these waterbodies into Category 5 is not to necessarily require a TMDL but to keep the impairment highlighted due to the potential for similar future kills from the unaddressed causes and/or sources. DNR records show no evidence that restitution was sought by DNR for the value of the fish killed or costs of investigation. Thus, this assessment will be placed in IR Category 5b for the 2018 IR Cycle.

Monitoring and Methods
Assessment Key Dates
8/24/2002 Fish Kill
Methods
120 Surveys of fish and game biologists/other professionals
140 Incidence of spills and/or fish kills