Iowa DNR
Iowa DNR
ADBNet
Water Quality Assessments
Impaired Waters List

North Branch Volga River IA 01-VOL-330

mouth (S33 T93N R9W Fayette Co.) to confluence with unnamed tributary in S8 T93N R9W Fayette Co.

Cycle
2020
Release Status
Final
Overall IR
5 - Water is impaired or threatened and a TMDL is needed.
Trend
Unknown
Created
8/25/2020 10:39:53 AM
Updated
10/14/2020 11:02:07 AM
Use Support
Class A1
Recreation - Primary contact
Partially Supported
Support Level
Partially Supported
Impairment Code
5p - Impairment occurs on a waterbody with a presumptive A1 or B(WW1) use.
Cause Magnitude
Moderate
Status
Continuing
Source
Unknown: Source Unknown
Source Confidence
N/A
Cycle Added
2014
Impairment Rationale
Geometric mean criterion exceeded
Data Source
Watershed project monitoring
TMDL Priority
Tier III
Class BWW2
Aquatic Life - Warm Water Type 2
Fully Supported
Class HH
Human Health -
Partially Supported
Support Level
Partially Supported
Impairment Code
5a - Pollutant-caused impairment. TMDL needed.
Cause Magnitude
Slight
Status
Continuing
Source
Unknown: Source Unknown
Source Confidence
N/A
Cycle Added
2014
Impairment Rationale
Fish consumption advisory in effect: no more than 1 meal/week
Data Source
Fish contaminant monitoring: Iowa DNR
TMDL Priority
Tier IV
General Use
General Use water -
Not Assessed
Impairment Delistings
No delistings for this assessment cycle.
Documentation
Assessment Summary

The presumptive Class A1 use remains assessed as “partially supported” due to violations of Iowa water quality criteria for indicator bacteria (E. coli). The Class BWW2 use was assessed as "fully supported" based on biological sampling data and water quality monitoring data. The Class HH use remains assessed as “partially supported" due to existence of a one meal/week mercury consumption advisory for smallmouth bass in this segment.

Assessment Explanation

Sources of Data:

Data Source

Data Source ID

Data Type

Data Age

Site ID

Site Name

Site Description

Iowa DNR

6

WQ

CY2012-2014

15330014

Volga River, North Branch at HWY 93

VRN-10

Iowa DNR

6

BIO

See Below

264

North Branch Volga River

Randalia – NV001


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

15330014

6

24 / 3

723

964

345

Yes

21

88%

Yes

Evaluated

Partial


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

15330014

6

24 / 3

8.9

8.11

8

0

0%

No

Evaluated

Full


Class BWW2 - Conventional 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

15330014

6

Ammonia

15 / 2

0.25

0.08

0.06

0 / 0

0% / 0%

No

Evaluated

Full

15330014

6

Chloride

19 / 3

48

32

30

0 / 0

0% / 0%

No

Evaluated

Full

15330014

6

Dissolved Oxygen

24 / 3

12

8

8

0 / 0

0% / 0%

No

Evaluated

Full

15330014

6

pH

24 / 3

8.9

8.11

8

0 / 0

0% / 0%

No

Evaluated

Full

15330014

6

Temperature

23 / 3

24.5

13.8

13.4

NA / 0

NA / 0%

Yes

Evaluated

Full


Class BWW2 - Biological Sampling:

Fish:

BioNet Site ID

Date

Drainage Area (mi2)

Ecoregion

Major Drainage/ Thermal

Riffle Site?

FIBI score

FIBI Class

47c FIBI BIT

FIBI Pass/ Fail

264

8/23/18

25

47c

MS/WW

No

72

Excellent

44

Pass

264

8/25/17

25

47c

MS/WW

No

64

Good

44

Pass

264

8/26/16

25

47c

MS/WW

No

60

Good

44

Pass

264

8/12/15

25

47c

MS/WW

No

64

Good

44

Pass

264

8/14/14

25

47c

MS/WW

No

76

Excellent

44

Pass

Overall Assessment:

Community

Assessment Type

Assessment Result

Support Level

Earned IR Category

Actual IR Category

Reason

Overall (Fish only)

Monitored

Pass (5/5)

Full

1

1

Assessment is monitored because the assessment used two or more samples collected in the last five years.


Class HH- Consumption Advisory:

This segment is included in the Volga River fish tissue consumption advisory – see https://www.iowadnr.gov/Environmental-Protection/Water-Quality/Water-Monitoring/Fish-Tissue. This advisory recommends consumption of no more than one meal per week of smallmouth bass from this river segment. This advisory extends from the town of Volga upriver to the headwaters of the Volga River near Hawkeye in Fayette County and includes the Little Volga River and North Branch Volga River. The existence of a one-meal-per-week consumption advisory indicates that fish consumption uses should be assessed as “partially supported.”


Monitoring and Methods
Assessment Key Dates
4/4/2014
Fixed Monitoring Start Date
11/5/2014
Fixed Monitoring End Date
8/12/2015
Biological Monitoring
8/26/2016
Biological Monitoring
8/14/2014
Biological Monitoring
8/25/2017
Biological Monitoring
8/23/2018
Biological Monitoring
Methods
150
Monitoring data more than 5 years old
220
Non-fixed station physical/chemical monitoring (conventional pollutant only)
260
Fish tissue analysis
315
Regional reference site approach
330
Fish surveys
420
Indicator bacteria monitoring