Lake Odessa IA 01-NEM-65

Assessment Comments

Assessment remains based on surveys by IDNR Wildlife Bureau.

Basis for Assessment

SUMMARY:  The aquatic life uses are assessed (evaluated) as "fully supported / threatened" (minor impacts) based on information from the IDNR Wildlife Bureau.   The primary contact recreation and fish consumption uses remain "not assessed" due to the lack of water quality information upon which to base an assessment.   Due only to a change in IDNR's assessment/listing methodology, assessment of the Class B(LW) aquatic life uses of this segment is changed from "fully supporting / threatened" (minor impacts) to "fully supporting".   This assessment is the same as that developed for the previous (2004) assessment/listing cycle and does not reflect any known change in water quality.

EXPLANATION:  The aquatic life uses remain assessed as "fully supported" based on information from the Iowa DNR Wildlife Bureau.   At the recommendation of U.S.  EPA Region 7, IDNR's 2006 assessment/listing methodology was changed to eliminate use of the "fully supported/threatened" (not impaired) category.   Thus, previous assessments identified as "fully supported/threatened" (not impaired) were changed to "fully supported" for the 2006 assessment/listing cycle.   This change does not alter the 2004 assessment:  this waterbody remains in IR Category 2a.

The primary contact recreation uses remain "not assessed" due to a lack of water quality information upon which to base an assessment.   In general, Iowa wetlands are not managed to support primary contact recreation.  

Fish consumption uses remain "not assessed."  In general, Iowa wetlands are not managed for recreational fisheries; thus, fish contaminant monitoring is not typically conducted at these waterbodies.