Iowa DNR
Iowa DNR
ADBNet
Water Quality Assessments
Impaired Waters List

Winnebago River IA 02-WIN-826

mouth (Floyd Co.) to confluence with Calmus Cr. at Mason City in S34 T97N R20W Cerro Gordo Co.

Cycle
2020
Release Status
Final
Overall IR
5 - Water is impaired or threatened and a TMDL is needed.
Trend
Unknown
Created
9/8/2020 3:08:53 PM
Updated
10/16/2020 10:07:14 AM
Use Support
Class A1
Recreation - Primary contact
Partially Supported
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
Aquatic Life - Warm Water Type 1
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
2016
Impairment Rationale
Low Biotic Index
Data Source
Biological monitoring: Iowa DNR WQMA
Class HH
Human Health -
Fully Supported
General Use
General Use water -
Not Assessed
Impairment Delistings
No delistings for this assessment cycle.
Documentation
Assessment Summary

The Class A1 use remains 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 remains assessed as "fully supported" based on fish tissue sampling data.

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 2012-2014

10170003

Winnebago River Downstream of Mason City (DS1)

Iowa DNR

6

BIO

See Below

954

Winnebago River

Mason City – DS1

Iowa DNR

6

BIO

See Below

1035

Winnebago River near Fossil Rock Park

WN002

Iowa DNR

6

FT

See Below

135

Winnebago River

E of Mason City


Presumptive Class A1 - Indicator Bacteria:

Site ID

Data Source ID

# Samples / # Years

2012 Geometric Mean

2013 Geometric Mean

2014 Geometric Mean

Annual Geometric Mean Violation

# Violations

% Violations

Significantly >10% Violations

Assessment Type

Support Level

10170003

6

22 / 3

387

222

371

Yes

13

59%

Yes

Evaluated

Partial


Presumptive 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

10170003

6

33 / 3

8.5

8.1

8.2

0

0%

No

Evaluated

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

10170003

6

Ammonia

33 / 3

0.49

0.11

0.05

0 / 0

0% / 0%

No

Evaluated

Full

10170003

6

Chloride

33 / 3

150

50

41

0 / 0

0% / 0%

No

Evaluated

Full

10170003

6

Dissolved oxygen

33 / 3

15.4

10.8

11.1

NA / 0

NA / 0%

No

Evaluated

Full

10170003

6

pH

33 / 3

8.5

8.1

8.2

0 / NA

0% / NA

No

Evaluated

Full

10170003

6

Sulfate

33 / 3

110

70

74

0 / NA

0% / NA

No

Evaluated

Full

10170003

6

Temperature

33 / 3

26.8

11.5

14.7

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

954

9/8/14

654

47c

MS/WW

Float ArtSub

56

Good

52

Pass

954

9/8/14

654

47c

MS/WW

Hess

66

Good

70

Fail

954

9/4/13

654

47c

MS/WW

Hess

69

Good

70

Fail

954

9/4/13

654

47c

MS/WW

ArtSub

48

Fair

52

Fail

954

8/7/12

654

47c

MS/WW

Hess

70

Good

70

Pass

954

8/7/12

654

47c

MS/WW

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

1035

8/13/18

695

47c

MS/WW

Und

54

Good

44

Pass

1035

7/12/17

695

47c

MS/WW

Und

44

Fair

44

Pass

1035

7/20/15

695

47c

MS/WW

Und

44

Fair

44

Pass

1035

7/21/14

695

47c

MS/WW

Und

42

Fair

44

Fail

Overall:

Community

Assessment Type

Assessment Result

Support Level

Earned IR Category

Actual IR Category

Reason

Benthic Macroinvertebrates

Evaluated

Fail (3/6)

Partial

Fish

Evaluated

Pass (3/4)

Full

Overall

Evaluated

Fail

Partial

3bu

3bu

Assessment is evaluated because the drainage areas of the sample sites were larger than the calibrated range.


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

135

8/21/2015

walleye

plug

5

0.092

No

Monitored

Full

135

8/28/2012

walleye

plug

5

0.218

No

Evaluated

Full

135

8/28/2012

common carp

fillet

5

<0.03

No

<0.09

No

0.122

No

Evaluated

Full

Monitoring and Methods
Assessment Key Dates
8/7/2012
Biological Monitoring
8/28/2012
Fish Tissue Monitoring
1/3/2012
Fixed Monitoring Start Date
9/8/2014
Fixed Monitoring End Date
7/21/2014
Biological Monitoring
9/4/2013
Biological Monitoring
9/8/2014
Biological Monitoring
7/20/2015
Biological Monitoring
8/21/2015
Fish Tissue Monitoring
7/12/2017
Biological Monitoring
8/13/2018
Biological Monitoring
Methods
150
Monitoring data more than 5 years old
210
Fixed station physical/chemical monitoring (conventional pollutants only)
260
Fish tissue analysis
315
Regional reference site approach
320
Benthic macroinvertebrate surveys
330
Fish surveys
420
Indicator bacteria monitoring