2020 Final assessment for West Fork Cedar River

West Fork Cedar River IA 02-WFC-801

from confluence with Shell Rock R. (S4 T90N R14W Black Hawk Co.) to confluence with Maynes Cr. in S7 T91N R17W Butler Co.

Assessment Cycle

2020

Release Status

Final

Data Collection Period

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.

Overall IR Category: 5 - Water is impaired or threatened and a TMDL is needed.
Trend: Unknown

Created: 9/8/2020 9:28:39 AM
Updated: 10/16/2020 10:00:00 AM

Assessment conducted in accordance with Iowa's 2020 IR methodology

Use Support

Class A1

Partially Supported

Bacteria: Indicator Bacteria- E. coli

Support Level

Partially Supported

Impairment Code

5a - Pollutant-caused impairment. TMDL needed.

Cause Magnitude

Slight

Status

Continuing

Source

Unknown: Source Unknown

Source Confidence

N/A

Cycle Added

2008

Impairment Rationale

Geometric mean criterion exceeded

Data Source

Ambient monitoring: Iowa DNR-rivers

TMDL Priority

Tier III

Class BWW1

WINOFI

Biological: low fish IBI

Support Level

Water in Need of Further Investigation (WINOFI)

Impairment Code

3b-u - Use potentially biologically impaired based on uncalibrated IBI metrics.

Cause Magnitude

Slight

Status

Continuing

Source

Unknown: Source Unknown

Source Confidence

Low

Cycle Added

2006

Impairment Rationale

Low Biotic Index

Data Source

Biological monitoring: Iowa DNR Fisheries

Class HH

Fully Supported

General Use

Not Assessed

Impairment Delistings

No delistings for this assessment cycle.

Documentation

Assessment Summary

The Class A1 use was assessed as "partially supported" due to levels of indicator bacteria (E. coli) that violated state water quality criteria. The Class BWW1 use was assessed as "partially supported" based on biological sampling data. The Class HH use was assessed as “fully supported” based on fish tissue sampling data and on water quality monitoring data. All other designated uses were "not assessed".

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	10070003	West Fork Cedar River at Finchford
Iowa DNR	6	BIO	See Below	280	West Fork Cedar River	Finchford
Iowa DNR	6	BIO	See Below	1062	West Fork Cedar River	N of New Hartford – WC001
Iowa DNR	6	FT	See Below	117	West Fork Cedar River	S of Allison

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
10070003	6	22 / 3	146.06	227.1	322.57	Yes	11	50%	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
10070003	6	36 / 3	8.9	8.1	8.2	0	0%	No	Monitored	Full

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
10070003	6	Ammonia	36 / 3	0.59	0.05	0.02	0 / 0	0% / 0%	No	Monitored	Full
10070003	6	Chloride	36 / 3	21	16	16	0 / 0	0% / 0%	No	Monitored	Full
10070003	6	Dissolved oxygen	36 / 3	14.2	10.1	9.6	NA / 0	NA / 0%	No	Monitored	Full
10070003	6	pH	36 / 3	8.9	8.1	8.2	0 / NA	0% / NA	No	Monitored	Full
10070003	6	Sulfate	36 / 3	45	25	23	0 / NA	0% / NA	No	Monitored	Full
10070003	6	Temperature	36 / 3	24.7	11.5	11.2	0 / 0	0% / 0%	No	Monitored	Full

Class BWW1 - Toxic Parameters:

Site ID	Data Source ID	Parameter Name	# Samples / # Years	Maximum Value	Mean Value	Median Value	# Acute / Chronic Violations	% Acute/ Chronic Violations	>1 Acute / Chronic Violation	Assessment Type	Support Level
10070003	6	Aluminum	9 / 2	1.9	0.73	0.36	0 / 0	0% / 0%	No	Evaluated	Full
10070003	6	Arsenic	9 / 2	1.8	1.34	1.5	0 / 0	0% / 0%	No	Evaluated	Full
10070003	6	Cadmium	9 / 2	0.025	0.025	0.025	0 / 0	0% / 0%	No	Evaluated	Full
10070003	6	Chromium	9 / 2	1.1	0.81	0.82	0 / 0	0% / 0%	No	Evaluated	Full
10070003	6	Copper	9 / 2	2.1	0.89	0.9	0 / 0	0% / 0%	No	Evaluated	Full
10070003	6	Lead	9 / 2	0.31	0.081	0.07	0 / 0	0% / 0%	No	Evaluated	Full
10070003	6	Nickel	9 / 2	2.9	2.3	2.2	0 / 0	0% / 0%	No	Evaluated	Full
10070003	6	Selenium	9 / 2	1.2	0.92	0.95	0 / 0	0% / 0%	No	Evaluated	Full
10070003	6	Zinc	9 / 2	8	2.2	1.2	0 / 0	0% / 0%	No	Evaluated	Full

Class BWW1 - Biological Sampling:

Benthic Macroinvertebrates:

BioNet Site ID	Date	Drainage Area (mi2)	Ecoregion	Major Drainage/Thermal	BM Sample Gear	BMIBI score	BMIBI Class	47c BMIBI BIT	BMIBI Pass/ Fail
280	8/15/18	850	47c	MS/WW	Float ArtSub	79	Excellent	52	Pass
280	9/9/14	850	47c	MS/WW	Float ArtSub	72	Good	52	Pass

Fish:

BioNet Site ID	Date	Drainage Area (mi2)	Ecoregion	Major Drainage/Thermal	Riffle Stream?	FIBI score	FIBI Class	47c FIBI BIT	FIBI Pass/ Fail
1062	9/21/05	824	47c	MS/WW	Und	35	Fair	44	Fail

Overall:

Community	Assessment Type	Assessment Result	Support Level	Earned IR Category	Actual IR Category	Reason
Benthic Macroinvertebrates	Monitored	Pass (2/2)	Full
Fish	Evaluated	Fail (0/1)	Partial
Overall	Evaluated	Fail	Partial	3bu	3bu	Assessment is evaluated because it included samples not collected in the last five years.

Class HH-F - Toxic Parameters:

Site ID	Data Source ID	Parameter Name	# Samples / # Years	Maximum Value	Mean Value	Median Value	Number of Non - Detects	Mean Value > Criterion or MCL	Assessment Type	Support Level
10070003	6	Cadmium	9 / 2	0.025	0.025	0.025	9	No	All Non-Detect	Full
10070003	6	Chromium	9 / 2	1.1	0.81	0.82	0	No	Evaluated	Full
10070003	6	Copper	9 / 2	2.1	0.89	0.9	0	No	Evaluated	Full
10070003	6	Nickel	9 / 2	2.9	2.3	2.2	0	No	Evaluated	Full
10070003	6	Selenium	9 / 2	1.2	0.92	0.95	0	No	Evaluated	Full
10070003	6	Zinc	9 / 2	8	2.2	1.2	0	No	Evaluated	Full

Class HH – Fish Tissue Sampling:

Site ID

Date

Species Name

Biopart

# in sample

chlordane result

chlordane violation (>0.6)?

PCBs result

PCBs violation (>0.2)?

Hg result

Hg violation (>0.3)?

Assessment Type

Support Level

117

9/20/2012

smallmouth bass

plug

0.182

Evaluated

Full

117

9/16/2011

smallmouth bass

plug

0.415

Yes

Evaluated

Partial

117

9/16/2011

channel catfish

fillet

<0.03

0.091

0.136

Evaluated

Full

Monitoring and Methods

Assessment Key Dates

9/21/2005	Biological Monitoring
9/3/2013	Biological Monitoring
9/16/2011	Fish Tissue Monitoring
9/20/2012	Fish Tissue Monitoring
1/7/2016	Fixed Monitoring Start Date
12/11/2018	Fixed Monitoring End Date
9/9/2014	Biological Monitoring
8/15/2018	Biological Monitoring

Methods

150	Monitoring data more than 5 years old
230	Fixed station physical/chemical (conventional plus toxic pollutants)
260	Fish tissue analysis
315	Regional reference site approach
320	Benthic macroinvertebrate surveys
330	Fish surveys
420	Indicator bacteria monitoring

Water Quality Assessments

Impaired Waters List

West Fork Cedar River IA 02-WFC-801

Assessment Summary

Assessment Explanation

Assessment Key Dates

Methods