Iowa DNR
Iowa DNR
ADBNet
Water Quality Assessments
Impaired Waters List

Thorpe Park Wetland IA 02-IOW-3126

5 miles west of Forest City (T98N R25W S35 Winnebago County)

Cycle
2022
Release Status
Final
Overall IR
3 - Insufficient data exist to determine whether any designated uses are met.
Trend
Unknown
Created
12/22/2021 9:53:58 AM
Updated
2/1/2022 6:39:03 AM
Use Support
Class BLW
Aquatic Life - Lakes and wetlands
WINOFI
Impairment Code
3b - Use potentially impaired based on an evaluated assessment.
Cause Magnitude
Slight
Status
New
Source
Agriculture
Source Confidence
Moderate
Cycle Added
2022
Impairment Rationale
Adverse impacts on plant/animal communities
Data Source
Ambient monitoring: Iowa DNR-shallow lakes & wetlands
Impairment Code
3b - Use potentially impaired based on an evaluated assessment.
Cause Magnitude
Moderate
Status
New
Source
Other: Sediment Resuspension
Source Confidence
Moderate
Cycle Added
2022
Impairment Rationale
Adverse impacts on plant/animal communities
Data Source
Ambient monitoring: Iowa DNR-shallow lakes & wetlands
Impairment Code
3b - Use potentially impaired based on an evaluated assessment.
Cause Magnitude
Slight
Status
New
Source
Unknown: Source Unknown
Source Confidence
N/A
Cycle Added
2022
Impairment Rationale
Adverse impacts on plant/animal communities
Data Source
Ambient monitoring: Iowa DNR-shallow lakes & wetlands
Class HH
Human Health -
Not Assessed
General Use
General Use water -
Not Assessed
Impairment Delistings
No delistings for this assessment cycle.
Documentation
Assessment Summary

The Class BLW use was assessed (evaluated) as "WINOFI" due to dissolved oxygen standard violations and due to high levels of total suspended solids that lead to an impairment of the narrative criteria protecting against undesirable or nuisance aquatic life. High levels of chlorophyll a (algae) at this wetland also suggest potential impairment "WINOFI" due to aesthetically objectionable conditions that lead to adverse impacts on plant/animal communities.

Assessment Explanation

Data Sources:

Data Source

Data Source ID

Data Type

Data Age

Site ID

Site Name

Site Description

Iowa DNR

6

WQ

CY 2016-2019

23950019

Wetland 201

Class BLW - TSI's

Site ID

Data Source ID

Parameter Name

# Samples / # Years

Minimum Value

Maximum Value

Median Value

Median TSI Violation?

Assessment Type

Support Level

23950019

6

Chlorophyll a TSI

6 / 2

67

93

83

YES

Evaluated

WINOFI

The TSI value for Secchi depth is not used to evaluate the attainment of the aquatic life use in shallow lakes. Due to the depth of these shallow lakes, TSI values for Secchi depth can be misleading. In some instances, the Secchi disk remains visible at the bottom of the lake and the depth of the lake is recorded as the Secchi depth. In these instances, water clarity may be sufficient to support the Class BLW use, but the index value is limited by the depth of the lake. Thus the combination of total suspended solids and chlorophyll a will be used to determine whether or not the Class BLW use is impaired in these shallow systems.

Class BLW - Conventional Parameters:

Site ID

Data Source ID

Parameter Name

# Samples / # Years

Minimum Value

Maximum Value

Mean Value

# Violations

# Acute / Chronic Violations

Violations needed for impairment

Violates Significantly >10% Rule?

Assessment Type

Support Level

23950019

6

Ammonia

5 / 2

0.0003

0.06

0.03

NA

0 / 0

2

NO

Evaluated

Full

23950019

6

Dissolved Oxygen

5 / 2

1.26

12.36

6.64

2

NA / NA

2

YES

Evaluated

WINOFI

23950019

6

pH

5 / 2

7.33

8.36

7.77

0

NA / NA

2

NO

Evaluated

Full

23950019

6

Temperature

5 / 2

15.4

27.6

22.2

0

NA / NA

2

NO

Evaluated

Full

Class BLW - Protection of Submerged Aquatic Vegetation:

Site ID

Data Source ID

Parameter Name

# Samples / # Years

Minimum Value

Maximum Value

Median Value

Median Value = SAV

Assessment Type

Support Level

23950019

6

Total suspended solids

6 / 2

25.5

318.5

121

Yes

Evaluated

WINOFI

Guidelines for wetland assessment from the Upper Mississippi River Conservation Committee’s Water Quality Technical Section (2003) state that an average total suspended solids concentration during the growing season of less than 30 mg/L is necessary to provide sufficient water clarity to support the growth of submersed aquatic vegetation (SAV) in wetlands and shallow lakes. High levels of total suspended solids impede the growth of SAV. SAV is critical to the health of wetland and shallow lake ecosystems. The elimination of SAV can degrade habitat quality such that undesirable aquatic species such as cyanobacteria, common carp, and fathead minnows dominate. As such, the suppression of SAV constitutes a violation of Iowa’s narrative water quality criteria protecting against undesirable or nuisance aquatic life.

Class HH - No Data

In general, Iowa wetlands are not managed for recreational fisheries; thus, fish contaminant monitoring is not typically conducted at these waterbodies.

Monitoring and Methods
Assessment Key Dates
6/2/2016
Non-fixed Monitoring Start Date
8/5/2019
Non-fixed Monitoring End Date
Methods
120
Surveys of fish and game biologists/other professionals
220
Non-fixed station physical/chemical monitoring (conventional pollutant only)