Iowa DNR
Iowa DNR
ADBNet
Water Quality Assessments
Impaired Waters List

Wapsipinicon River IA 01-WPS-6416

from north line of S20 T100N R15W Mitchell Co to Minnesota border(T100N R15W Sec7 NW)

Cycle
2022
Release Status
Final
Overall IR
5 - Water is impaired or threatened and a TMDL is needed.
Trend
Unknown
Created
12/28/2021 8:46:54 AM
Updated
1/18/2022 3:14:34 PM
Use Support
Class A1
Recreation - Primary contact
Not Supported
Support Level
Not Supported
Impairment Code
5p - Impairment occurs on a waterbody with a presumptive A1 or B(WW1) use.
Cause Magnitude
Moderate
Status
New
Source
Unknown: Source Unknown
Source Confidence
N/A
Cycle Added
2022
Impairment Rationale
Geometric mean criterion exceeded
Data Source
Ambient monitoring: adjacent state
TMDL Priority
Tier IV
Class BWW1
Aquatic Life - Warm Water Type 1
WINOFI
Impairment Code
3b - Use potentially impaired based on an evaluated assessment.
Cause Magnitude
Slight
Status
Continuing
Source
Unknown: Source Unknown
Source Confidence
N/A
Cycle Added
2018
Impairment Rationale
Potential Impairment
Data Source
Fish kill investigation: Iowa DNR
Impairment Delistings
No delistings for this assessment cycle.
Documentation
Assessment Summary

The presumptive Class A1 use was assessed as “not supported” due to levels of indicator bacteria (E. coli) that exceeded state water quality criteria. The presumptive Class BWW1 use was assessed as “WINOFI” due to a fish kill investigation.

Assessment Explanation

Data Sources:

Data Source

Data Source ID

Data Type

Data Age

Site ID

Site Name

Site Description

MNPCA

15

WQ

CY 2019-2020

99990107

Wapsipinicon River

Presumptive Class A1 - Indicator Bacteria:

Site ID

Data Source ID

# Samples per Year (2018/ 2019/2020)

2018 Geometric Mean

2019 Geometric Mean

2020 Geometric Mean

Violates Annual Geometric Mean?

# 2018 SSM violations / SSM Violations needed for impairment

# 2019 SSM violations / SSM Violations needed for impairment

# 2020 SSM violations / SSM Violations needed for impairment

Violates Annual SSM Significantly >10% Rule?

Assessment Type

Support Level

99990107

15

0/9/6

NA

1288

947

YES

NA

7 / 3

6 / NA

YES

Monitored

Not

Presumptive 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

99990107

15

25 / 2

6.7

8.6

7.8

0

5

NO

Monitored

Full

Presumptive Class BWW1 - Conventional 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

99990107

15

Dissolved Oxygen

25 / 2

7.93

17.67

11.75

0

NA / NA

5

NO

Monitored

Full

99990107

15

pH

25 / 2

6.7

8.6

7.8

0

NA / NA

5

NO

Monitored

Full

99990107

15

Temperature

25 / 2

10.4

25.8

18.4

0

NA / NA

5

NO

Monitored

Full


Presumptive Class BWW1 – Fish kill Assessment:

The presumptive Class BWW1 aquatic life use assessment based on the 2016 fish kill placed this segment in Category 3b. 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 Waters In Need Of Further Investigation (WINOFI) 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 10 year period (2026), the Category will be changed from 3b to 3a (water not assessed).

Details about the 2016 fish kill can be found here: https://programs.iowadnr.gov/fishkill/Events/917

Monitoring and Methods
Assessment Key Dates
4/28/2016
Fish Kill
5/13/2019
Fixed Monitoring Start Date
9/29/2020
Fixed Monitoring End Date
Methods
120
Surveys of fish and game biologists/other professionals
140
Incidence of spills and/or fish kills
210
Fixed station physical/chemical monitoring (conventional pollutants only)
420
Indicator bacteria monitoring