Meyers Lake IA 02-CED-463

Black Hawk County S6T88NR12W at Waterloo.

This is a DRAFT assessment

Draft assessments may change without notice

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 2022 - 2024
Stream/River Water Quality Data	CY 2022 - 2024
Lake Water Quality Data	CY 2020 - 2024
Biological Sampling Data	CY 2020 - 2024*
Fish Kill Data	CY 2020 - 2024
Fish Tissue Sampling Data	CY 2020 - 2024
Continuous Dissolved Oxygen Sampling Data	CY 2020 - 2024
*Biological sites sampled in both 2019 and 2023 were also assessed.

Open Segment Map
View 2026 assessment summary page

Cycle: 2026
Current Phase: Public Comment
Overall IR: 5 - Water is impaired or threatened and a TMDL is needed.
Trophic: Hypereutrophic
Trend: Stable
Created: 10/27/2025 3:09:30 PM
Updated: 1/12/2026 11:03:38 AM

Use Support

Class A1

Recreation - Primary contact

Not Supported

Algal Growth: Chlorophyll a

Support Level

Not Supported

Impairment Code

5a - Pollutant-caused impairment. TMDL needed.

Cause Magnitude

Moderate

Status

Continuing

Source

Agriculture

Source Confidence

Moderate

Cycle Added

2008

Impairment Rationale

Narrative criteria violation: aesthetically objectionable conditions

Data Source

Ambient monitoring: Iowa DNR-lakes

TMDL Priority

Tier I

Class BLW

Aquatic Life - Lakes and wetlands

WINOFI

Algal Growth: Cyanobacteria

Support Level

Further Investigation Needed

Impairment Code

3b - Use potentially impaired based on an evaluated assessment.

Cause Magnitude

Slight

Status

Continuing

Source

Unknown: Source Unknown

Source Confidence

Low

Cycle Added

2024

Impairment Rationale

Adverse impacts on plant/animal communities

Data Source

Ambient monitoring: Iowa DNR-lakes

Fish Kill: Due To Natural Causes

Support Level

Further Investigation Needed

Impairment Code

3b - Use potentially impaired based on an evaluated assessment.

Cause Magnitude

Slight

Status

New

Source

Natural

Source Confidence

N/A

Cycle Added

2026

Impairment Rationale

Potential Impairment

Data Source

Fish kill investigation: Iowa DNR

Class HH

Human Health -

Not Assessed

Impairment Delistings

No delistings for this assessment cycle.

Documentation

Assessment Summary

The Class A1 use was assessed as "not supported" due to aesthetically objectionable conditions caused by algae blooms. The level of inorganic suspended solids was low and does not suggest that non-algal turbidity may contribute to the impairment at this lake. The Class BLW use was assessed (evaluated) as “WINOFI” due to cyanobacteria blooms and due to a fish kill. 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 2020-2024	22070003	Meyers Lake

Class A - Indicator Bacteria: No Data

Class A1 - pH

Site ID	Data Source ID	# Samples / # Years	Minimum Value	Maximum Value	Mean Value	# Violations	Violations needed for impairment	Violates Significantly >10% Rule?	Assessment Type	Support Level
22070003	6	18 / 5	7.4	8.8	8.2	0	4	NO	MONITORED	FULL

Class A1 - Lake TSI's

Site ID	Data Source ID	Parameter Name	# Samples / # Years	Minimum Value	Maximum Value	Median Value	Median TSI Violation?	Assessment Type	Support Level
22070003	6	Chlorophyll a TSI	18 / 5	69	86	78	YES	MONITORED	NOT
22070003	6	Secchi TSI	18 / 5	47	90	76	YES	MONITORED	NOT
22070003	6	Total Phosphorus TSI	18 / 5	72	83	78	NA	NA	NA
22070003	6	Fixed suspended solids	18 / 5	1.9	30	5	NA	NA	NA

Class BLW - Binomial Parameters:

Site ID	Data Source ID	Parameter Name	# Samples / # Years	Minimum Value	Maximum Value	Mean Value	# Violations	# Acute / Chronic Violations	Violations needed for impairment	Violates Significantly >10% Rule?	Assessment Type	Support Level
22070003	6	Dissolved Oxygen	18 / 5	4.8	10.9	7.4	1	NA / NA	4	NO	MONITORED	FULL
22070003	6	pH	18 / 5	7.4	8.8	8.2	0	NA / NA	4	NO	MONITORED	FULL
22070003	6	Temperature	18 / 5	14.3	27.1	22.3	0	NA / NA	4	NO	MONITORED	FULL

Class BLW - Lake Planktonic Cyanobacteria:

Site ID	Data Source ID	# Samples	Maximum Cyanobacteria Wet Mass	Maximum Cyanobacteria % Composition	Median Cyanobacteria Wet Mass	Median Cyanobacteria % Composition	Median Cyanobacteria Concentration = 75th Percentile	Assessment Type	Support Level
22070003	6	3	70.9751	90.87%	29.0314	65.05%	YES	EVALUATED	WINOFI

Class BLW - Toxic Parameters:

Site ID	Data Source ID	Parameter Name	# Samples / # Years	Maximum Value	Mean Value	Median Value	# Acute / Chronic Violations	>1 Acute / Chronic Violation	Assessment Type	Support Level
22070003	6	Ammonia	18 / 5	0.583	0.12	0.04	0 / 0	NO	MONITORED	FULL

Class BLW - Fish Kill:

The Class BLW use was assessed (evaluated) as “WINOFI” due to fish kill that occurred in July 2024. Because the cause of the fish kill was not identified, or the fish kill was attributed to a non-pollutant cause (e.g., winterkill), the assessment type is “evaluated.” Segments assessed using “evaluated” assessments are placed in Category 3b and are added to the state list of waters in need of further investigation. If no additional fish kills are reported in the segment for a 5 year period, the Category will be changed from 3b to 3a (water not assessed).

Details about the 2024 fish kill can be found here:https://programs.iowadnr.gov/fishkill/events/1057

Class HH - No Data

Monitoring and Methods

Assessment Key Dates

6/3/2020

Monitoring Start

10/23/2024

Monitoring End

Methods

140

Incidence of spills and/or fish kills

200

Physical/Chemical Monitoring

340

Primary producer surveys (phytoplankton/periphyton/macrophyton)