Wapsipinicon River IA 01-WPS-340

Assessment Comments

Station 443704 (21IOWA) at Independence, Buchanan County. Also infromation from Iowa Conservationist.

Basis for Assessment

Used monitoring data from the DNR quarterly monitoring station near Independence (443704) to assess support of aquatic life and primary contact recreation uses as FST.  Monitoring data for 9 samplings show no violations of Class B water quality criteria; sampling for fecal coliform bacteria on six occasions in summers of 1994 and 1995 show only one minor violation (230 orgs./100ml) of the Class A WQ criterion (200 orgs./100ml) (three of the six samples were affected by surface runoff).   Thus, assess support of primary contact recreation as FST.   The 1996 Fishing Forecast in the March/April "Iowa Conservationist" describes the Wapsipinicon in Buchanan Co.  as providing good fishing for channel catfish, smallmouth bass, and walleye.   Fishing for northern pike upstream from Independence through Black Hawk and Bremer counties is reported as "excellent."