Burnett Creek IA 02-IOW-734

Assessment Comments

Assessment based on 2000 biocriteria data: Fish IBI= 56 (good), BM-IBI= 47 (fair).

Basis for Assessment

Used a review of the field sheet from the June 1992 DNR stream use assessment north of Marshalltown to continue to assess support of the Class B(LR) aquatic life uses as PS due to (1) relatively low fish community diversity (especially for a June sampling with an electrofisher) (9 species from 3 families) for streams in the Southern Iowa Rolling Loess Prairies subecoregion (47f), (2) presence of less than a majority of the exptected fish taxa (4 of 8) for streams in this region, (3) notes on field sheet that "few fish were seen," and (4) indications on field sheet of siltation problems in the stream channel ("knee deep silt very common").  Follow-up monitoring is needed to determine the status of the aquatic communities and habitats and to determine the degree to which the Class B(LR) uses may be impaired.