Iowa DNR
Iowa DNR
ADBNet
Water Quality Assessments
Impaired Waters List

Shell Rock River IA 02-SHL-787

from confluence with Rose Cr. (NW 1/4 S8 T97N R19W Cerro Gordo Co.) to the Iowa/Minnesota state line.

This is a DRAFT assessment
Draft assessments may change without notice
Cycle
2026
Current Phase
Public Comment
Overall IR
5 - Water is impaired or threatened and a TMDL is needed.
Trend
Stable
Created
10/27/2025 3:09:55 PM
Updated
1/13/2026 6:57:12 AM
Use Support
Class A1
Recreation - Primary contact
Not Supported
Support Level
Not Supported
Impairment Code
5a - Pollutant-caused impairment. TMDL needed.
Cause Magnitude
Slight
Status
Continuing
Source
Unknown: Source Unknown
Source Confidence
N/A
Cycle Added
2010
Impairment Rationale
Geometric mean criterion exceeded
Data Source
Ambient monitoring: adjacent state
TMDL Priority
Tier III
Class BWW1
Aquatic Life - Warm Water Type 1
WINOFI
Impairment Code
3b - Use potentially impaired based on an evaluated assessment.
Cause Magnitude
Slight
Status
New
Source
Unknown: Source Unknown
Source Confidence
Low
Cycle Added
2026
Impairment Rationale
Potential Impairment
Data Source
Special project/study: Iowa DNR
Class HH
Human Health -
Fully Supported
Impairment Delistings
No delistings for this assessment cycle.
Documentation
Assessment Summary

The Class A1 use remains assessed as “not supported” based on indicator bacteria monitoring. The Class BWW1 use was assessed as “WINOFI” based on continuous dissolved oxygen monitoring data. The Class HH (fish consumption) use was assessed as "fully supported" based on fish tissue sampling data.  Note: A TMDL for the bacteria impairment in the Cedar River basin was prepared and was approved by EPA in February 2010. However, this segment was not included in the TMDL; therefore, the bacteria impairment of the Class A1 primary contact recreation use for this segment remains in IR Category 5a (TMDL needed).

Assessment Explanation

Data Sources:

Data Source

Data Source ID

Data Type

Data Age

Site ID

Site Name

Site Description

Iowa DNR

6

WQ

CY 2022

14000351

Shell Rock River

Iowa DNR

6

BIO

See Below

331

Shell Rock River

Kensett – REMAP #23

Iowa DNR

6

FT

See Below

1109

Shell Rock River

S of Northwood


Class A1 - Indicator Bacteria:

Site ID

Data Source ID

# Samples per Year (2022)

2022 Geometric Mean

Violates Annual Geometric Mean?

# 2022 SSM violations / SSM Violations needed for impairment

Violates Annual SSM Significantly >10% Rule?

Assessment Type

Support Level

14000351

6

6

118

NO

1 / NA

NO

EVALUATED

FULL

Even though the indicator bacteria sampling data shows full support, a "fully supported" monitored assessment is needed to de-list the impairment.

Class A1 – pH:

Site ID

Data Source ID

# Samples / # Years

Minimum Value

Maximum Value

Mean Value

# Violations

Violations needed for impairment

Violates Significantly >10% Rule?

Assessment Type

Support Level

14000351

6

6 / 1

7.81

8.45

8.14

0

3

NO

EVALUATED

FULL


Class BWW1 - Binomial Parameters:

Site ID

Data Source ID

Parameter Name

# Samples / # Years

Minimum Value

Maximum Value

Mean Value

# Violations

# Acute / Chronic Violations

Violations needed for impairment

Violates Significantly >10% Rule?

Assessment Type

Support Level

14000351

6

Dissolved Oxygen

6 / 1

9.64

11.37

10.46

0

NA / NA

3

NO

EVALUATED

FULL

14000351

6

pH

6 / 1

7.81

8.45

8.14

0

NA / NA

3

NO

EVALUATED

FULL

14000351

6

Temperature

6 / 1

4.969

25.381

18.82

0

NA / NA

3

NO

EVALUATED

FULL


Benthic Macroinvertebrates:

Site ID

Date

Drainage Area (mi2)

Ecoregion

Major Drainage

BM Sample Gear

BMIBI score

BMIBI Class

47c BMIBI BIT

BMIBI Pass/Fail

331

9/17/20

306.4

47c

MS

Floating Art Sub

50

Fair

52

Pass*


Fish:

Site ID

Date

Drainage Area (mi2)

Ecoregion

Major Drainage

Riffle Stream?

FIBI score

FIBI Class

47c FIBI BIT

FIBI Pass/Fail

331

9/17/20

306.4

47c

MS

Yes

68

Good

65

Pass


Overall:

Community

Assessment Type

Assessment Result

Support Level

IR Category

Reason

Benthic Macroinvertebrates

Evaluated

Pass (1/1)

Full

*BMIBI passed using 8 pt. BMIBI UAV applied to single samples.

Fish

Evaluated

Pass (1/1)

Full

Overall

Evaluated

Pass

Full

1

Assessment was evaluated because it was based on a single sample.


Class BWW1- Continuous DO Monitoring:

Site ID

Data Source ID

# Days Monitoring (2020)

DO Criteria Type

# 2020 violations / Violations needed for impairment

Violates Annual Significantly >10% Rule?

Assessment Type

Support Level

24 hr

6/5

Yes

331

6

21

16 hr

1/5

No

Evaluated

WINOFI


Class HH - Fish Tissue Sampling:

Site ID

Biopart

Year

Species

# in sample / # of samples

Avg Length (cm)

(Avg) Hg (ppm)

Chlordane (ppm)

Sum PCBs (ppm)

1109

fillet

2015

common carp

5

46.6

0.19

0.02

0.06

1109

tissue plug

2015

walleye

5

44.5

0.218

Support Level

Full

Monitoring and Methods
Assessment Key Dates
8/14/2015
Fish Tissue Monitoring
4/21/2022
Monitoring Start
9/14/2022
Monitoring End
8/25/2015
Fish Tissue Monitoring
9/17/2020
Biological Monitoring
8/27/2020
Monitoring Start
9/17/2020
Monitoring End
Methods
150
Monitoring data more than 5 years old
200
Physical/Chemical Monitoring
260
Fish tissue analysis
315
Regional reference site approach
320
Benthic macroinvertebrate surveys
330
Fish surveys
420
Indicator bacteria monitoring