Long Creek IA 02-IOW-660

Assessment Comments

Assessment based on 2010 and 2013 IDNR/SHL biological sampling data: FIBI = 60, 54 (good), BMIBI = 56, 61 (good). FIBI BIC = 36, BMIBI BIC = 51.

Basis for Assessment

[Note:  Prior to the 2008 Section 305(b) cycle, this river segment was designated only for Class B(LR) aquatic life uses.   Due to changes in Iowa’s surface water classification that were approved by U.S.   EPA in February 2008 and due to the completion of a Use Attainability Analysis, this segment is also now designated for Class A1 (primary contact recreation) uses.   This segment remains designated for warmwater aquatic life use (now termed Class B(WW2) uses).]

SUMMARY:  The Class A1 (primary contact recreation) uses remain "not assessed" (IR 3a) due to the lack of information upon which to base an assessment.   The Class B(WW-2) aquatic life uses are assessed (monitored) as "fully supported" (IR 2a) based on results of IDNR/SHL biocriteria monitoring in 2010 and 2013.  

EXPLANATION:  The Class B(WW2) aquatic life uses are assessed (monitored) as "fully supporting" based on biological data collected in 2010 and 2013 as part of the IDNR/SHL stream biocriteria project.   A series of biological metrics which 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 and fish species collected in the stream sampling reach.   The biological metrics were combined to make a fish community index of biotic integrity (FIBI) and a benthic macroinvertebrate index (BMIBI).   The indexes rank the biological integrity of a stream sampling reach on a rising scale from 0 (minimum) to 100 (maximum).   The 2013 FIBI score was 54 (good) and the BMIBI score was 56 (good).   The 2010 FIBI score was 60 (good) and the BMIBI score was 61 (good).   The aquatic life use support was assessed (evaluated) as fully supporting (=FS), based on a comparison of the FIBI and BMIBI scores with biological impairment criteria (BIC) established for previous Section 305(b) reports.   The biological impairment criteria were determined from a statistical analysis of data collected at stream ecoregion reference sites from 1994-2008.   The FIBI BIC for this ecoregion is 36 and the BMIBI BIC for this ecoregion is 51.   This segment passed the FIBI BIC 2/2 times and passed the BMIBI BIC 2/2 times in the past five years.  

This aquatic life assessment is now considered "monitoredd" based on a change in the 2010 IDNR assessment methodology.   IDNR now requires a segment have two or more biological samples collected from the segment in multiple years between over a five-year period to be considered “monitored”.