Lower Pine Lake IA 02-IOW-758

Hardin County S4T87NR19W 0.5 mi E of Eldora.

Open Data Collection Period Modal

For purposes of developing stream/river water quality assessments for integrated reporting, three years of water quality data are typically used for both conventional pollutant parameters (e.g., indicator bacteria) and the less frequently monitored toxic parameters (e.g., toxic metals). Since the 2004 IR cycle, DNR has used a three-year data gathering period for streams, rivers, and beaches. For most assessments, the use of three years of data increases the number of samples upon which the decision on use support is based and helps address the problem of weather-related year-to-year fluctuations in water quality.

Due to the lower sampling frequency in Iowa’s ambient lake, biological, fish kill, and fish tissue monitoring programs, five years of data are used for developing IR assessments and for identifying Section 303(d) listings.

Data Type	Data Timeframe
Beach Sampling Data	CY 2016 - 2018
Stream/River Water Quality Data	CY 2016 - 2018
Lake Water Quality Data	CY 2014 - 2018
Biological Sampling Data	CY 2014 - 2018*
Fish Kill Data	CY 2014 - 2018
Fish Tissue Sampling Data	CY 2014 - 2018
Continuous Dissolved Oxygen Sampling Data	CY 2014 - 2018
*Biological sites sampled in both 2013 and 2017 were also assessed.

Open Segment Map
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Cycle: 2020
Release Status: Final
Overall IR: 5 - Water is impaired or threatened and a TMDL is needed.
Trophic: Hypereutrophic
Trend: Stable
Created: 7/24/2020 3:01:01 PM
Updated: 10/14/2020 9:50:30 AM

Use Support

Class A1

Recreation - Primary contact

Not Supported

Bacteria: Indicator Bacteria- E. coli

Support Level

Not Supported

Impairment Code

5a - Pollutant-caused impairment. TMDL needed.

Cause Magnitude

Moderate

Status

Continuing

Source

Unknown: Source Unknown

Source Confidence

Moderate

Cycle Added

2006

Impairment Rationale

Geometric mean criterion exceeded

Data Source

Beach monitoring: Iowa DNR WQMA

TMDL Priority

Tier II

Algal Growth: Chlorophyll a

Support Level

Not Supported

Impairment Code

4a - Pollutant-caused impairment. TMDL has been completed.

Cause Magnitude

Moderate

Status

Continuing

Source

Agriculture

Source Confidence

Moderate

Cycle Added

1998

Impairment Rationale

Narrative criteria violation: aesthetically objectionable conditions

Data Source

Ambient monitoring: Iowa DNR-lakes

Algal Growth: Noxious Aquatic Plants - Algae

Support Level

Not Supported

Impairment Code

4a - Pollutant-caused impairment. TMDL has been completed.

Cause Magnitude

Moderate

Status

Continuing

Source

Agriculture

Source Confidence

Moderate

Cycle Added

2008

Impairment Rationale

Narrative criteria violation: aesthetically objectionable conditions

Data Source

Biological monitoring: Iowa DNR Fisheries

Class BWW1

Aquatic Life - Warm Water Type 1

WINOFI

Fish Kill: Due To Natural Causes

Support Level

Further Investigation Needed

Impairment Code

3b - Use potentially impaired based on an evaluated assessment.

Cause Magnitude

Slight

Status

Continuing

Source

Unknown: Source Unknown

Source Confidence

Low

Cycle Added

2010

Impairment Rationale

Non Pollutant-caused fish kill

Data Source

Fish kill investigation: Iowa DNR

Class HH

Human Health -

Not Assessed

General Use

General Use water -

Not Assessed

Impairment Delistings

No delistings for this assessment cycle.

Documentation

Assessment Summary

The Class A1 use is assessed (monitored) as “partially supported” due to high levels of indicator bacteria that exceed Iowa’s water quality standards, and aesthetically objectionable conditions caused by algae blooms and turbidity. The Class BWW1 use is assessed (evaluated) as “partially supported” due to high levels of nutrients that contribute to nuisance algae blooms and results of a fish kill investigation in April 2009. Class HH use is considered (monitored) “fully supporting” was based on fish tissue monitoring. Note: A TMDL for organic enrichment at Lower Pine Lake was prepared by DNR and approved by EPA in 2002; thus, this lake was placed into IR Category 4a (TMDL approved) for the 2004 assessment/listing cycle. Because the Section 303(d) impairment due to indicator bacteria (aka, "pathogens") was not addressed in the TMDL, this waterbody was moved from IR Category 4a to Category 5a (impaired; TMDL required) for the 2006 assessment/listing cycle and remains in Category 5a for the current assessment/listing cycle.

Assessment Explanation

Sources of Data:

Data Source	Data Source ID	Data Type	Data Age	Site ID	Site Name	Site Description
Iowa DNR	6	WQ	CY 2016-2018	21420001	Pine Lake South Beach (Pine Lake State Park)
Iowa DNR	6	WQ	CY 2014-2018	22420001	Lower Pine Lake
Iowa DNR		FT	See Below	193	Lower Pine Lake

Class A1 - Indicator Bacteria:

Site ID	Data Source ID	# Samples / # Years	2016 Geometric Mean	2017 Geometric Mean	2018 Geometric Mean	Annual Geometric Mean Violation	# Violations	% Violations	Significantly >10% Violations	Assessment Type	Support Level
21420001	6	36 / 3	147.64	80.15	231.35	YES	11	31%	YES	Monitored	Partial

Class A1 - pH:

Site ID	Data Source ID	# Samples / # Years	Maximum Value	Mean Value	Median Value	# Violations	% Violations	Significantly >10% Violations	Assessment Type	Support Level
22420001	6	15 / 5	9	8.6	8.7	0	0%	NO	Monitored	Full

Class A1 - Lake TSI's

Site ID	Data Source ID	Parameter Name	# Samples / # Years	Minimum Value	Maximum Value	Median Value	Median TSI Violation	Assessment Type	Support Level
22420001	6	Chlorophyll a TSI	15 / 5	41	77	66	YES	Monitored	Not
22420001	6	Secchi TSI	14 / 5	42	73	62	NO	Monitored	Full
22420001	6	Total Phosphorus TSI	15 / 5	47	78	69	NA	NA	NA
22420001	6	Inorganic suspended solids	15 / 5	0.3	9	2.6	NA	NA	NA

Class BWW1 - Conventional Parameters:

Site ID	Data Source ID	Parameter Name	# Samples / # Years	Maximum Value	Mean Value	Median Value	# Acute / Chronic Violations	% Acute/ Chronic Violations	Significantly >10% Violations	Assessment Type	Support Level
22420001	6	Ammonia	15 / 5	0.109	0.04	0.03	0 / 0	0% / 0%	NO	Monitored	Full
22420001	6	Dissolved oxygen	15 / 5	16.4	11.4	10.6	NA / 1	NA / 7%	NO	Monitored	Full
22420001	6	pH	15 / 5	9	8.6	8.7	0 / NA	0% / NA	NO	Monitored	Full
22420001	6	Temperature	15 / 5	28	24.7	24.8	0 / 0	0% / 0%	NO	Monitored	Full

Class BWW1 - Lake Planktonic Cyanobacteria:

Site ID	Data Source ID	# Samples	Maximum Cyanobacteria Wet Mass	Maximum Cyanobacteria % Composition	Median Cyanobacteria Wet Mass	Median Cyanobacteria % Composition	Median Cyanobacteria Wet Mass = 75th Percentile	Assessment Type	Support Level
22420001	6	11	128.437	86.1 %	6.267	43.9 %	NO	Evaluated	NA

Class BWW1 - Fish Kill:

The Class BWW1 uses are assessed (evaluated) as “partially supported” due to a fish kill that occurred in April of 2009.According to DNR's assessment methodology, the occurrence of a single pollutant-caused fish kill, or a fish kill of unknown origin, on a waterbody or waterbody reach during the most recent assessment period indicates a severe stress to the aquatic community and suggests that the aquatic life uses should be assessed as “impaired.” If a cause of the kill was not identified during the DNR investigation, or if the kill was attributed to non-pollutant causes (e.g., winterkill), the assessment type will be considered “evaluated” and will be placed in IR subcategories 3b and will be added to the state list of waters in need of further investigation.

https://programs.iowadnr.gov/fishkill/Events/799

Class HH – Fish Tissue Monitoring

Site ID

Date

Species Name

Biopart

# in sample

chlordane result

chlordane violation?

PCBs result

PCBs violation?

Hg result

Hg violation?

Assessment Type

Support Level

193

7/12/17

largemouth bass

plug

0.093

Monitored

Full

Monitoring and Methods

Assessment Key Dates

6/9/2014

Fixed Monitoring Start Date

9/16/2018

Fixed Monitoring End Date

4/27/2009

Fish Kill

8/11/2003

Fish Tissue Monitoring

5/13/2003

TMDL Completed

Methods

120

Surveys of fish and game biologists/other professionals

140

Incidence of spills and/or fish kills

222

Non-fixed-station monitoring (conventional during key seasons and flows)

340

Primary producer surveys (phytoplankton/periphyton/macrophyton)

420

Indicator bacteria monitoring