Wapsipinicon River IA 01-WPS-340

from Buffalo Cr. (S10 T84N R4W Jones Co.) to confluence with Walton Cr. in S20 T86N R6W Linn Co.

Open Data Collection Period Modal

For purposes of developing stream/river water quality assessments for integrated reporting, three years of water quality data are typically used for both conventional pollutant parameters (e.g., indicator bacteria) and the less frequently monitored toxic parameters (e.g., toxic metals). Since the 2004 IR cycle, DNR has used a three-year data gathering period for streams, rivers, and beaches. For most assessments, the use of three years of data increases the number of samples upon which the decision on use support is based and helps address the problem of weather-related year-to-year fluctuations in water quality.

Due to the lower sampling frequency in Iowa’s ambient lake, biological, fish kill, and fish tissue monitoring programs, five years of data are used for developing IR assessments and for identifying Section 303(d) listings.

Data Type	Data Timeframe
Beach Sampling Data	CY 2020 - 2022
Stream/River Water Quality Data	CY 2020 - 2022
Lake Water Quality Data	CY 2018 - 2022
Biological Sampling Data	CY 2018 - 2022*
Fish Kill Data	CY 2018 - 2022
Fish Tissue Sampling Data	CY 2018 - 2022
Continuous Dissolved Oxygen Sampling Data	CY 2018 - 2022
*Biological sites sampled in both 2017 and 2021 were also assessed.

Open Segment Map
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Cycle: 2024
Release Status: Final
Overall IR: 5 - Water is impaired or threatened and a TMDL is needed.
Trend: Unknown
Created: 11/1/2023 8:12:25 AM
Updated: 2/1/2024 10:17:31 AM

Use Support

Class A1

Recreation - Primary contact

Not Supported

Bacteria: Indicator Bacteria- E. coli

Support Level

Not Supported

Impairment Code

5a - Pollutant-caused impairment. TMDL needed.

Cause Magnitude

Slight

Status

Continuing

Source

Unknown: Source Unknown

Source Confidence

N/A

Cycle Added

2010

Impairment Rationale

Geometric mean criterion exceeded

Data Source

Beach monitoring: Iowa DNR city/county

TMDL Priority

Tier III

Class BWW1

Aquatic Life - Warm Water Type 1

Not Assessed

Class HH

Human Health -

Fully Supported

Impairment Delistings

No delistings for this assessment cycle.

Documentation

Assessment Summary

The Class A1 use was assessed as “not supported” based on levels of indicator bacteria (E. coli) that violated state water quality criteria. The Class HH (fish consumption) use was assessed as "fully supported" based on fish tissue sampling data. All other designated uses were "not assessed."

Assessment Explanation

Data Sources:

Data Source	Data Source ID	Data Type	Data Age	Site ID	Site Name	Site Description
Iowa DNR	6	WQ	CY 2012-2013	15530001	Wapsipinicon River at Stone City Boat Ramp	City/County Beach Monitoring Program
Iowa DNR	6	FT	See Below	219	Wapsipinicon River	N of Viola

Class A1 - Indicator Bacteria:

Site ID	Data Source ID	# Samples / # Years	2012 Geometric Mean	2013 Geometric Mean	Annual Geometric Mean Violation	# Violations	% Violations	Significantly >10% Violations	Assessment Type	Support Level
15530001	6	16 / 2	153	153	Yes	5	32%	Yes	Evaluated	Not

Class BWW1 - No Data

Class HH - Fish Tissue Sampling:

Site ID	Biopart	Year	Species	# in sample / # of samples	Avg Length (cm)	(Avg) Hg (ppm)	Chlordane (ppm)	Sum PCBs (ppm)
219	fillet	2015	channel catfish	5	41.5	0.12	0.02	0.06
Support Level	Full

Monitoring and Methods

Assessment Key Dates

7/30/2015

Fish Tissue Monitoring

5/21/2012

Monitoring Start

8/26/2013

Monitoring End

Methods

150

Monitoring data more than 5 years old

260

Fish tissue analysis

420

Indicator bacteria monitoring