Little Cedar River IA 02-CED-574

Assessment Comments

Assessment is based on results of IDNR/UHL monitoring in support of TMDL development.

Basis for Assessment

[Note:  For the 2002 report, the previous waterbody segment for the Little Cedar River (IA 02-CED-0470-0), which extended 40 miles from its mouth to the confluence with Burr Oak Creek near Brownville (Mitchell Co.), was split into four subsegments:  (1) mouth to the Floyd/Chickasaw county line (IA 02-CED-0470-1), (2) Floyd/Chickasaw county line to unnamed tributary approximately 4 miles NE of Charles City (IA 02-CED-0470-2), (3) unnamed tributary NE of Charles City to the Floyd/Mitchell county line (IA 02-CED-0470-3), and (4) Floyd/Mitchell county line to Burr Oak Creek (IA 02-CED-0470-4).   See prior assessments for segment IA 02-CED-0470-1 for assessments of the original 40-mile river reach.]

SUMMARY:  The Class B(WW) aquatic life uses were assessed as "fully supported."  Fish consumption uses were not assessed.   The source of data for this assessment is the results of monthly monitoring conducted by IDNR and UHL at one location near Ionia from March to November 2001 as part of monitoring in support of TMDL development.   EXPLANATION:  The previous assessment of support for the general beneficial uses of this stream ("fully supported") was based on data collected in 1995 as part of the DNR/UHL stream biocriteria project (see assessment developed for the 2000 report above).   These data are now considered too old (greater than five years) for accurately characterizing current water quality conditions.   The assessment of the Class B(WW) uses for the current (2000-2001) biennial period ("fully supported") is based on results of TMDL-related monitoring near Ionia in 2001 that showed no violations of Class B(WW) criteria for dissolved oxygen, pH, or ammonia-nitrogen in the eight samples collected between March and November 2001.   Because less than 10 samples were available for this assessment, the assessment type is considered "evaluated."  Fish consumption uses were not assessed due to the lack of recent fish tissue monitoring in this river segment.