Iowa DNR
Iowa DNR
ADBNet
Water Quality Assessments
Impaired Waters List

Iowa River IA 02-IOW-627

from confluence with English R. (Washington Co.) to Burlington Street Dam in Iowa City (Johnson Co.)

Cycle
2024
Release Status
Final
Overall IR
4 - Water is impaired or threatened and a TMDL has been completed or is not needed.
Trend
Unknown
Created
11/1/2023 8:12:47 AM
Updated
2/2/2024 10:26:47 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
Slight
Status
Continuing
Source
Unknown: Source Unknown
Source Confidence
N/A
Cycle Added
2010
Impairment Rationale
Geometric mean criterion exceeded
Data Source
Ambient monitoring: Iowa DNR-rivers
Class BWW1
Aquatic Life - Warm Water Type 1
WINOFI
Impairment Code
3b-u - Use potentially biologically impaired based on uncalibrated IBI metrics.
Cause Magnitude
Moderate
Status
Continuing
Source
Unknown: Source Unknown
Source Confidence
Low
Cycle Added
2014
Impairment Rationale
Potential Impairment
Data Source
Biological monitoring: Iowa DNR WQMA
Class HH
Human Health -
Fully Supported
Impairment Delistings
No delistings for this assessment cycle.
Documentation
Assessment Summary

The Class A1 use was assessed as "not supported" based on indicator bacteria monitoring data. The Class BWW1 use was assessed as “WINOFI” based on biological sampling data. The Class HH use was assessed as "fully supported" based on fish tissue sampling data. Note: A TMDL covering the bacteria impairments for all segments, with the segment code prefix "IA 02-IOW" in the Iowa River Basin, was approved by EPA in 2018. Due to the completion of the TMDL, the IR category for the Class A1 use was changed from 5a (impaired; TMDL needed) to 4a (impaired; TMDL approved).

Assessment Explanation

Data Sources:

Data Source

Data Source ID

Data Type

Data Age

Site ID

Site Name

Site Description

Iowa DNR

6

WQ

CY 2010-2012, CY 2012-2014

10520003

Iowa River Downstream of Iowa City (DS1)

County Road F62 bridge E of Hills

Iowa DNR

6

BIO

See Below

940

Iowa River

Iowa City – DS1

Iowa DNR

6

FT

See Below

1370

Iowa River

Below Coralville Dam


Class A1 - Indicator Bacteria: 2010-2012

Site ID

Data Source ID

# Samples / # Years

2010 Geometric Mean

2011 Geometric Mean

2012 Geometric Mean

Annual Geometric Mean Violation

# Violations

% Violations

Significantly >10% Violations

Assessment Type

Support Level

10520003

6

24 / 3

117

132

75

Yes

4

17%

No

Evaluated

Not


Class A1 - pH: 2012-2014

Site ID

Data Source ID

# Samples / # Years

Maximum Value

Mean Value

Median Value

# Violations

% Violations

Significantly >10% Violations

Assessment Type

Support Level

10520003

6

33 / 3

8.4

8.02

8

0

0%

No

Evaluated

Full


Class BWW1 - Binomial Parameters: 2012-2014

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

10520003

6

Ammonia

33 / 3

1.4

0.27

0.1

0 / 0

0% / 0%

No

Evaluated

Full

10520003

6

Chloride

33 / 3

100

39

28

0 / 0

0% / 0%

No

Evaluated

Full

10520003

6

Dissolved oxygen

33 / 3

16.5

10.2

10.1

NA / 0

NA / 0%

No

Evaluated

Full

10520003

6

pH

33 / 3

8.4

8.02

8

0 / NA

0% / NA

No

Evaluated

Full

10520003

6

Sulfate

33 / 3

66

39

35

0 / NA

0% / NA

No

Evaluated

Full

10520003

6

Temperature

33 / 3

28.6

13.8

13.8

0 / 0

0% / 0%

No

Evaluated

Full


Class BWW1 - Biological Sampling:


Benthic Macroinvertebrates:

BioNet Site ID

Date

Drainage Area (mi2)

Ecoregion

Major Drainage

BM Sample Gear

BMIBI score

BMIBI Class

72d BMIBI BIT

BMIBI Pass/Fail

942

9/18/13

3323

72d

MS

Art Sub

15

Poor

51

Fail

942

9/14/12

3323

72d

MS

Art Sub

30

Poor

51

Fail


Overall:

Community

Assessment Type

Assessment Result

Support Level

IR Category

Reason

Benthic Macroinvertebrates

Evaluated

Fail (0/2)

WINOFI

Assessment was evaluated because the drainage area of

Overall

Evaluated

Fail

WINOFI

3bu

the sample site was greater than the calibrated range.


Class HH - Fish Tissue Sampling:

Site ID

Biopart

Year

Species

# in sample / # of samples

Avg Length (cm)

(Avg) Hg (ppm)

Chlordane (ppm)

Sum PCBs (ppm)

1370

tissue plug

2021

channel catfish

5

45.3

0.107

1370

tissue plug

2021

smallmouth bass

9

26.4

0.124

Support Level

Full

Monitoring and Methods
Assessment Key Dates
1/5/2010
Monitoring Start
12/4/2012
Monitoring End
9/12/2014
Monitoring End
9/18/2013
Biological Monitoring
3/9/2018
TMDL Completed
7/1/2021
Fish Tissue Monitoring
7/6/2021
Fish Tissue Monitoring
1/3/2012
Monitoring Start
9/14/2014
Monitoring End
Methods
150
Monitoring data more than 5 years old
200
Physical/Chemical Monitoring
260
Fish tissue analysis
315
Regional reference site approach
320
Benthic macroinvertebrate surveys
420
Indicator bacteria monitoring