Cedar River IA 02-CED-450

Assessment Comments

Assessment is based on results of fish tissue (RAFT) monitoring near Cedar Rapids in 1996. See attached document for details.

Basis for Assessment

[Note:  For the 2002 report, the previous waterbody segment IA 02-CED-0020-0, which extended 52 miles from Mud Creek (aka Sugar Creek) to its confluence with Prairie Creek at Cedar Rapids, was split into three subsegments:  (1) Mud Creek to Rock Run Creek in Cedar Co.  (IA 02-CED-0020-1), (2) Rock Run Creek to Highway 30 at Cedar Rapids (IA 02-CED-0020-2), and (3) Highway 30 to Prairie Creek at Cedar Rapids (IA 02-CED-0020-3).   See assessment information above for previous Section 305(b) assessments for this river reach.]

SUMMARY:  The Class A (primary contact recreation) and the Class B(WW) aquatic life uses remain "not assessed."  Fish consumption uses remain "fully supported."  EXPLANATION:  The Class A and Class B(WW) uses remain "not assessed" due to the lack of water quality data or information upon which to base an assessment (see assessment for the 2000 report above).   Fish consumption uses remain assessed as "fully supported" based on results of the U.S.  EPA/IDNR fish tissue (RAFT) monitoring near Cedar Rapids in 1996.   However, because these data are now considered too old (greater than five years) to accurately characterize current water quality conditions, the assessment category is changed from "monitored" (indicating an assessment with relatively high confidence) to "evaluated" (indicating an assessment with relatively low confidence).