Iowa DNR
Iowa DNR
ADBNet
Water Quality Assessments
Impaired Waters List

Hecker Creek IA 01-YEL-447

mouth (T96N R06W Sec17 Allamakee Co.) to headwaters (Allamakee Co.)

Cycle
2020
Release Status
Final
Overall IR
5 - Water is impaired or threatened and a TMDL is needed.
Trend
Unknown
Created
6/10/2020 1:09:21 PM
Updated
10/16/2020 7:21:32 AM
Use Support
Class A1
Recreation - Primary contact
Not Supported
Support Level
Not Supported
Impairment Code
4a - Pollutant-caused impairment. TMDL has been completed.
Cause Magnitude
High
Status
Continuing
Source
Unknown: Source Unknown
Source Confidence
N/A
Cycle Added
2008
Impairment Rationale
Geometric mean criterion exceeded
Data Source
Watershed project monitoring
Class BWW1
Aquatic Life - Warm Water Type 1
Not Supported
Support Level
Not Supported
Impairment Code
5p - Impairment occurs on a waterbody with a presumptive A1 or B(WW1) use.
Cause Magnitude
Moderate
Status
Continuing
Source
Industrial
Source Confidence
Moderate
Cycle Added
2012
Impairment Rationale
Violations of acute criterion
Data Source
Watershed project monitoring
TMDL Priority
Tier IV
Support Level
Not Supported
Impairment Code
5b-t - Biological - tentative
Cause Magnitude
Slight
Status
Continuing
Source
Unknown: Source Unknown
Source Confidence
Low
Cycle Added
2004
Impairment Rationale
Low Biotic Index
Data Source
Biological monitoring: Iowa DNR WQMA
TMDL Priority
Tier IV
Support Level
Not Supported
Impairment Code
5b - Biological impairment or pollutant-caused fish kill - unknown source. No administrative action.
Cause Magnitude
Moderate
Status
Continuing
Source
Unknown: Source Unknown
Source Confidence
N/A
Cycle Added
2004
Impairment Rationale
Pollutant-caused fish kill
Data Source
Fish kill investigation: 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 “not supported” due to levels of indicator bacteria (E. coli) that exceeded state water quality criteria. The presumptive Class BWW1 use remains assessed as “not supported” based on violations of Iowa’s aquatic life criteria for chloride, on multiple fish kill investigations, and based on biological sampling data. Note: A TMDL for the bacterial impairment for Yellow River basin streams was prepared by DNR in 2012 and was approved by U.S. EPA in February 2013. Due to TMDL completion, the Integrated Report category for the Class A1 recreational use was changed from 5p to 4a.

Assessment Explanation

Data Sources:

Data Source

Data Source ID

Data Type

Data Age

Site ID

Site Name

Site Description

Iowa DNR

6

WQ

CY2006-2008

15030010

Hecker Creek at Co Rd W48

YRWP

Iowa DNR

6

BIO

See Below

158

Hecker Creek Postville Receiving Stream – W43 Bridge

Presumptive Class A1 - Indicator Bacteria:

Site ID

Data Source ID

# Samples / # Years

2006-2008 Geometric Mean

Annual Geometric Mean Violation

# Violations

% Violations

Significantly >10% Violations

Assessment Type

Support Level

15030010

6

49 / 3

2335

Yes

43

88%

Yes

Evaluated

Not

Presumptive Class BWW1 - Chloride:

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

15030010

6

Chloride

54 / 3

1500

437

340

16 / 24

30% / 44%

Yes

Evaluated

Not

Presumptive Class BWW1 - Biological Sampling:

Benthic Macroinvertebrates:

BioNet Site ID

Date

Drainage Area (mi2)

Ecoregion

Major Drainage

BM Sample Gear

BMIBI score

BMIBI Class

52b BMIBI BIT

BMIBI Pass/ Fail

158

7/24/07

5

52b

MS/WW

Hess

70

Good

61

Pass

158

7/31/06

5

52b

MS/WW

Surb

61

Good

61

Pass

Fish:

BioNet Site ID

Date

Drainage Area (mi2)

Ecoregion

Major Drainage

Riffle Stream?

FIBI score

FIBI Class

52b FIBI BIT

FIBI Pass/ Fail

158

7/24/07

5

52b

MS/WW

NA

30

Fair

52

Fail

158

7/31/06

5

52b

MS/WW

NA

54

Good

52

Pass

Overall:

Community

Assessment Type

Assessment Result

Support Level

Earned IR Category

Actual IR Category

Reason

Benthic Macroinvertebrates

Evaluated

Pass (2/2)

Full

Fish

Evaluated

Fail (1/2)

Partial

Overall

Evaluated

Fail

Partial

3bc

5bt

Assessment is evaluated because the samples included in the assessment weren’t collected in the last five years.

Presumptive Class BWW1 – Fishkill Assessment:

The presumptive Class BWW1 use assessment based on the 2000 fish kill placed this segment in Category 5b. The fish kill was caused by a “pollutant” or was suspected to be caused by a “pollutant”; therefore, the presumptive Class BWW1 use was considered impaired. Because the source of the pollutant was not identified and/or the enforcement actions taken against the responsible party have not been resolved, the presumptive Class BWW1 use was placed in Category 5b. Due to uncertainty regarding the recovery of the aquatic life following the fish kill, any existing fish kill 5b impairment will remain in Category 5b until more recent sampling has shown recovery of the aquatic community or the responsible party has paid restitution.

Details about the 2000 fish kill can be found here:https://programs.iowadnr.gov/fishkill/Events/462

Monitoring and Methods
Assessment Key Dates
3/17/2000
Fish Kill
5/20/2006
Non-fixed Monitoring Start Date
7/31/2006
Biological Monitoring
7/24/2007
Biological Monitoring
9/4/2008
Non-fixed Monitoring End Date
2/1/2013
TMDL Completed
Methods
120
Surveys of fish and game biologists/other professionals
140
Incidence of spills and/or fish kills
150
Monitoring data more than 5 years old
220
Non-fixed station physical/chemical monitoring (conventional pollutant only)
315
Regional reference site approach
320
Benthic macroinvertebrate surveys
330
Fish surveys
420
Indicator bacteria monitoring