East Branch Iowa River IA 02-IOW-769

Assessment Comments

4 stream use assessments.

Basis for Assessment

Created an upstream and downstream subsegment for this waterbody due to the excessive length of the previous Class B(LR) waterbody segment (over 35 miles).  Used a review of the field sheet from the October 1992 DNR stream use assessment in Wright and Hancock counties, and the field notes from a 1984 fish survey conducted by Iowa State University (JRO-4-1984), to assess support of the Class B(LR) aquatic life uses as FST due to results of the 1984 survey which show (1) presence of a relatively diverse fish community (19 species from 6 families) for streams in the Des Moines Lobe subecoregion (47b), (2) presence of nearly all of the expected fish taxa (10 of 11) for streams in this subregion, and (3) indications on field notes of good habitat quality.   The data upon which this assessment are over 10 years old and thus are of marginal use for determining the use support status of this stream reach.   However, due to the lack of more recent chemical or biological sampling, these data serve as the best information available.   Results of the DNR stream use assessments in the upstream portion of this waterbody show very low fish community diversity with few of the expected fish taxa present, and the October 1992 DNR habitat assessment in the downstream portion suggest very poor habitat conditions.  Thus, the possiblity exists of a decline in both the integrity of the aquatic communities and habitats of this stream reach since the mid-1980s.   Additional monitoring is needed to update this assessment and to determine the status of the aquatic communities and habitats.