ADBNet

Assessment Comments

Sampled as part of the Iowa RAFT program in 1988, 1990, 1992, and 1994.

Basis for Assessment

Lake has a history of fish contaminant monitoring begining in 1985 with study by UHL (Kennedy and Splinter 1985) and continuing with fish contaminant monitoring conducted as part of the DNR/U.S.  EPA "Regional Ambient Fish Tissue (RAFT) monitoring program in 1986, 1988, 1990, 1992 and 1994 (for a more detailed summary of fish contaminant monitoring at Cedar Lake, see pages 4-6 of the report for the 1990 RAFT program in Iowa (DNR 1992)).   Levels of chlordane that exceeded FDA action level for chlordane led to a fish consumption advisory for all species in March 1986.   Levels of PCBs first exceeded the FDA action level in the 1988 RAFT sample.   Levels of chlordane and PCBs remained above FDA action levels until the 1994 sample, when levels of both chlordane and PCBs were below FDA action levels (chlordane:  0.28 mg/kg; total PCBs:  0.29 mg/kg) in a composite sample of carp fillets.   Addtional years of monitoring will be necessary to determine whether contaminant levels have dropped and whether the consumption advisory can be modified.  The fish consumption advisory issued in March 1986 remains in effect; thus, the assessment of support of the fish consumption uses = NS.