Yellow River IA 01-YEL-434

mouth (S34 T96N R3W Allamakee Co.) to County Road X-26 bridge in S24 T96N R5W Allamakee Co.

Assessment Cycle

2020

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 2016 - 2018
Stream/River Water Quality Data	CY 2016 - 2018
Lake Water Quality Data	CY 2014 - 2018
Biological Sampling Data	CY 2014 - 2018*
Fish Kill Data	CY 2014 - 2018
Fish Tissue Sampling Data	CY 2014 - 2018
Continuous Dissolved Oxygen Sampling Data	CY 2014 - 2018
*Biological sites sampled in both 2013 and 2017 were also assessed.

Overall IR Category: 4 - Water is impaired or threatened and a TMDL has been completed or is not needed.
Trend: Unknown

Created: 8/27/2020 12:41:25 PM
Updated: 10/16/2020 6:51:46 AM

Assessment conducted in accordance with Iowa's 2020 IR methodology

Use Support

Class A1

Recreation

Primary contact

Partially Supported

Impairments

Support Level

Partially Supported

Impairment Code

4a - Pollutant-caused impairment. TMDL has been completed.

Cause Magnitude

Slight

Status

Continuing

Source

Unknown: Source Unknown

Source Confidence

N/A

Cycle Added

2002

Impairment Rationale

Geometric mean criterion exceeded

Data Source

Ambient monitoring: Iowa DNR-rivers

Class BWW1

Aquatic Life

Warm Water Type 1

Fully Supported

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 use was assessed as "partially supported" due to levels of indicator bacteria (E. coli) that exceeded state water quality criteria. The Class BWW1 use was assessed as "fully supported" based on biological sampling data, water quality monitoring data, and on the trout reproduction in Iowa streams summary prepared by the DNR Fisheries Bureau. The Class HH use was assessed as "fully supported" based on water quality monitoring data. Note: A TMDL for the bacterial impairment for Yellow River basin streams was prepared by Iowa DNR in 2012 and approved by U.S. EPA in 2013. Due to the TMDL completion, the Integrated Report category for the Class A1 primary contact recreation use was changed from 5a to 4a.

Assessment Explanation

Sources of Data:

Data Source	Data Source ID	Data Type	Data Age	Site ID	Site Name	Site Description
Iowa DNR	6	WQ	CY 2016-2018	10030002	Yellow River near Volney
Iowa DNR	6	BIO	See Below	141	Yellow River	Yellow River Forest – Yellow River Unit - Ion
Iowa DNR	6	BIO	See Below	1149	Yellow River	County Rd X36 bridge 3 mi south of HWY 76 at Ion

Class A1 - Indicator Bacteria:

Site ID	Data Source ID	# Samples / # Years	2016 Geometric Mean	2017 Geometric Mean	2018 Geometric Mean	Annual Geometric Mean Violation	# Violations	% Violations	Significantly >10% Violations	Assessment Type	Support Level
10030002	6	21 / 3	496.29	225.2	592.22	Yes	14	67%	Yes	Monitored	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
10030002	6	36 / 3	8.4	8.1	8.2	0	0%	No	Monitored	Full

Class BWW1 - 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
10030002	6	Ammonia	36 / 3	0.07	0.03	0.02	0 / 0	0% / 0%	No	Monitored	Full
10030002	6	Chloride	36 / 3	26	20	20	0 / 0	0% / 0%	No	Monitored	Full
10030002	6	Dissolved oxygen	36 / 3	14.7	11.2	10.6	NA / 0	NA / 0%	No	Monitored	Full
10030002	6	pH	36 / 3	8.4	8.1	8.2	0 / NA	0% / NA	No	Monitored	Full
10030002	6	Sulfate	36 / 3	22	15.6	16	0 / NA	0% / NA	No	Monitored	Full
10030002	6	Temperature	36 / 3	20.1	10.3	11.5	0 / 0	0% / 0%	No	Monitored	Full

Class BWW1 - Toxic Parameters:

Site ID	Data Source ID	Parameter Name	# Samples / # Years	Maximum Value	Mean Value	Median Value	# Acute / Chronic Violations	% Acute/ Chronic Violations	>1 Acute / Chronic Violation	Assessment Type	Support Level
10030002	6	Aluminum	9 / 2	4.8	1.073	0.35	0 / 0	0% / 0%	No	Evaluated	Full
10030002	6	Arsenic	9 / 2	0.86	0.64	0.63	0 / 0	0% / 0%	No	Evaluated	Full
10030002	6	Cadmium	9 / 2	0.07	0.03	0.025	0 / 0	0% / 0%	No	Evaluated	Full
10030002	6	Chromium	9 / 2	2.1	1.29	1.3	0 / 0	0% / 0%	No	Evaluated	Full
10030002	6	Copper	9 / 2	1.1	0.62	0.56	0 / 0	0% / 0%	No	Evaluated	Full
10030002	6	Lead	9 / 2	0.26	0.091	0.1	0 / 0	0% / 0%	No	Evaluated	Full
10030002	6	Nickel	9 / 2	2.9	2.1	2	0 / 0	0% / 0%	No	Evaluated	Full
10030002	6	Selenium	9 / 2	1.3	0.87	0.91	0 / 0	0% / 0%	No	Evaluated	Full
10030002	6	Zinc	9 / 2	2.5	1.13	0.95	0 / 0	0% / 0%	No	Evaluated	Full

Class BWW1 - Biological Sampling:

Benthic Macroinvertebrates:

BioNet Site ID	Date	Drainage Area (mi2)	Ecoregion	Major Drainage/ Thermal	BM Sample Gear	BMIBI score	BMIBI Class	52b BMIBI BIT	BMIBI Pass/ Fail
1149	8/29/17	221	52b	MS/WW	Hess	63	Good	61	Pass
141	8/19/15	224	52b	MS/WW	Hess	64	Good	61	Pass

Fish:

BioNet Site ID	Date	Drainage Area (mi2)	Ecoregion	Major Drainage/ Thermal	Riffle Site?	FIBI score	FIBI Class	52b FIBI BIT	FIBI Pass/ Fail
141	8/19/15	224	52b	MS/WW	NA	59	Good	52	Pass
141	9/6/12	224	52b	MS/WW	NA	68	Good	52	Pass

Overall Assessment:

Community	Assessment Type	Assessment Result	Support Level	Earned IR Category	Actual IR Category	Reason
Benthic Macroinvertebrates	Evaluated	Pass (2/2)	Full
Fish	Evaluated	Pass (2/2)	Full
Overall	Evaluated	Pass	Full	1	1	Assessment is evaluated because the (fish) assessment included samples older than five years.

Class BWW1 - Trout Natural Reproduction:

Even though Yellow River is classified as a BWW1 stream, based on the January 2020 trout reproduction in Iowa streams summary prepared by the DNR Fisheries Bureau, the Class BWW1 aquatic life use of Yellow River was assessed as "fully supported". According to the updated summary, this stream was placed in Category I: streams that exhibit consistent natural reproduction and maintain a wild population of one or more trout species without any stocking.

Class HH-F - Toxic Parameters:

Site ID	Data Source ID	Parameter Name	# Samples / # Years	Maximum Value	Mean Value	Median Value	Number of Non - Detects	Mean Value > Criterion or MCL	Assessment Type	Support Level
10030002	6	Cadmium	9 / 2	0.07	0.03	0.025	8	No	Evaluated	Full
10030002	6	Chromium	9 / 2	2.1	1.29	1.3	0	No	Evaluated	Full
10030002	6	Copper	9 / 2	1.1	0.62	0.56	0	No	Evaluated	Full
10030002	6	Nickel	9 / 2	2.9	2.1	2	0	No	Evaluated	Full
10030002	6	Selenium	9 / 2	1.3	0.87	0.91	1	No	Evaluated	Full
10030002	6	Zinc	9 / 2	2.5	1.13	0.95	0	No	Evaluated	Full

Monitoring and Methods

Assessment Key Dates

1/11/2016

Fixed Monitoring Start Date

12/5/2018

Fixed Monitoring End Date

8/19/2015

Biological Monitoring

9/6/2012

Biological Monitoring

8/29/2017

Biological Monitoring

2/1/2013

TMDL Completed

1/1/2020

Biological Monitoring

Methods

120

Surveys of fish and game biologists/other professionals

230

Fixed station physical/chemical (conventional plus toxic pollutants)

315

Regional reference site approach

320

Benthic macroinvertebrate surveys

330

Fish surveys

420

Indicator bacteria monitoring