Wapsipinicon River IA 01-WPS-342

from Pine Cr. (S28 T88N R8W Buchanan Co.) to confluence with Harter Cr. at Independence in NW 1/4 S34 T89N R9W Buchanan Co.

Assessment Cycle

2018

Release Status

Final

Data Collection Period

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 2014 - 2016
Stream/River Water Quality Data	CY 2014 - 2016
Lake Water Quality Data	CY 2012 - 2016
Biological Sampling Data	CY 2012 - 2016*
Fish Kill Data	CY 2012 - 2016
Fish Tissue Sampling Data	CY 2012 - 2016
Continuous Dissolved Oxygen Sampling Data	CY 2012 - 2016
*Biological sites sampled in both 2011 and 2015 were also assessed.

Overall IR Category: 2 - Some of the designated uses are met but there is insufficient data to determine if remaining designated uses are met.
Trend: Unknown

Created: 5/20/2019 10:29:00 AM
Updated: 8/1/2019 1:50:15 PM

Assessment conducted in accordance with Iowa's 2018 IR methodology

Use Support

Class A1

Recreation

Primary contact

Not Assessed

Class BWW1

Aquatic Life

Warm Water Type 1

Not Assessed

Class HH

Human Health

Fully Supported

General Use

General Use water

Not Assessed

Impairment Delistings

No delistings for this assessment cycle.

Documentation

Assessment Summary

The Class A1 (primary contact recreation) uses are changed to not assessed based on the age of the data. The Class B(WW1) aquatic life uses are changed to not assessed based on the age of the data. Fish consumption uses are assessed (monitored) as "fully supported" based on results of U.S. EPA/DNR fish contaminant monitoring in 2011. The sources of data for this assessment include (1) results of EPA/DNR fish tissue (RAFT) monitoring in 2011 approximately 1 mile southeast of Independence. (Note: routine ambient monitoring at DNR/SHL station 10100002 downstream from Independence was discontinued in 2006.)

Assessment Explanation

The Class A1 (primary contact recreation) uses is changed to not assessed based on the age of the data.

The Class B(WW1) aquatic life uses are changed to not assessed based on the age of the data.

The occurrence of a fish kill in this river segment late August 2005, however, suggests that the Class B(WW1) uses of this river segment should be assessed (evaluated) as potentially impaired.However, according to DNR’s assessment/listing methodology, any IR 2b or 3b fish kills that occurred more than 10 years ago will be moved to IR Category 3a (not assessed). Because the 2005 fish kill on this segment is now more than 10 years old, the potential (3b) impairment is removed for the current (2018) IR cycle.

Fish consumption uses are assessed (monitored) as “fully supported” based on results of U.S.EPA/DNR fish contaminant (RAFT) monitoring downstream from Independence in 2011. The composite samples of fillets from channel catfish and smallmouth bass had low levels of contaminants. The composite sample of fillets from channel catfish and the tissue plug samples from smallmouth bass had low levels of contaminants. Levels of primary contaminants in the composite sample of fillets from channel catfish were as follows: mercury: 0.067 ppm; total PCBs: <0.09 ppm; and technical chlordane: <0.031 ppm. The average level of mercury in the tissue plug samples from five smallmouth bass was 0.245 ppm (standard deviation = 0.024 ppm; maximum =0.281 ppm). The existence of, or potential for, a fish consumption advisory is the basis for Section 305(b) assessments of the degree to which Iowa’s lakes and rivers support their fish consumption uses. The levels of contaminants in the samples from this assessment segment analyzed for the 2011 RAFT program do not exceed any of Iowa’s consumption advisory trigger levels, thus indicating no justification for issuance of a consumption advisory for this waterbody and “full support” of fish consumption uses.

Monitoring and Methods

Assessment Key Dates

9/1/2011

Fish Tissue Monitoring

Methods

260

Fish tissue analysis