Unnamed Tributary to Wapsipinicon River IA 01-WPS-6415

The evaluated biological assessment of the presumptive Class B(WW1) aquatic life uses was based on data collected in 2010 as part of the DNR/SHL headwater stream IBI development project. A series of biological metrics that reflect stream water quality and habitat integrity were calculated from the biocriteria sampling data. The biological metrics are based on the numbers and types of benthic macroinvertebrate taxa collected in the stream sampling reach. The biological metrics were combined to make a benthic macroinvertebrate index (BMIBI). The index ranks the biological integrity of a stream sampling reach on a rising scale from 0 (minimum) to 100 (maximum). The 2010 BMIBI score was 37 (fair). The aquatic life use support was assessed (evaluated) as partially supporting (=PS), based on a comparison of the BMIBI score with biological impairment criteria (BIC) established from a statistical analysis of data collected at stream ecoregion reference sites from 1994-2004. The natural substrate BMIBI BIC for this ecoregion is 70. Even though this site failed the BMIBI BIC, it is uncertain as to whether or not this segment is meeting the aquatic life criteria because it is a small headwater stream and doesn’t fall in the calibrated watershed size and because the data from the 2010 biological sampling are now older than five years and are thus less able to accurately characterize current water quality conditions than are more recent data.

This biological assessment is considered “evaluated” (of lower confidence) due to the lack of a biological assessment protocol for headwater streams. Prior to the changes in Iowa’s surface water classification that were approved by U.S.EPA in February 2008, this stream was classified only for general uses due to the inability of the stream to support a viable aquatic community at low-flow conditions. DNR’s existing biological assessment protocol, however, was calibrated to aquatic life reference conditions in larger wadeable streams with perennial flow. The aquatic environment of most headwater streams is one of extremes in water quality.Consequently, intermittent headwater streams tend to have biological diversity that is low relative to more stable aquatic environments of larger streams with perennial flow. Thus, the use of biological assessment methods developed for the ecologically more stable and diverse streams will likely overstate the existence of impairment in headwater streams. For these reasons, headwater stream reaches that show a failure to meet regional expectations for aquatic biota (fish or aquatic macroinvertebrates) will not be added to Iowa’s Section 303(d) list of impaired waters (Category 5 of the Integrated Report). The assessment type for these assessed waters will be considered "evaluated" (indicating an assessment with relatively lower confidence) as opposed to “monitored" (indicating an assessment with relatively high confidence). Such waters are typically placed in either Category 2b or 3b of the IR and are added to the state’s list of “waters in need of further investigation”.