Fin And Feather Lake IA 02-WIN-840

Cerro Gordo County S27T96NR20W SW edge of Mason City.

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 2018 - 2020
Stream/River Water Quality Data	CY 2018 - 2020
Lake Water Quality Data	CY 2016 - 2020
Biological Sampling Data	CY 2016 - 2020*
Fish Kill Data	CY 2016 - 2020
Fish Tissue Sampling Data	CY 2016 - 2020
Continuous Dissolved Oxygen Sampling Data	CY 2016 - 2020
*Biological sites sampled in both 2015 and 2019 were also assessed.

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Cycle: 2022
Release Status: Final
Overall IR: 3 - Insufficient data exist to determine whether any designated uses are met.
Trophic: Unknown
Trend: Unknown
Created: 12/22/2021 1:11:49 PM
Updated: 1/28/2022 12:42:44 PM

Use Support

Class BLW

Aquatic Life - Lakes and wetlands

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

Natural

Source Confidence

Low

Cycle Added

2018

Impairment Rationale

Potential Impairment

Data Source

Fish kill investigation: Iowa DNR

Support Level

Further Investigation Needed

Impairment Code

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

Cause Magnitude

Slight

Status

New

Source

Unknown: Source Unknown

Source Confidence

N/A

Cycle Added

2022

Impairment Rationale

Significantly > 10% of samples fail to meet criterion

Data Source

Ambient monitoring: Iowa DNR-lakes

Class HH

Human Health -

Not Assessed

Impairment Delistings

No delistings for this assessment cycle.

Documentation

Assessment Summary

The Class BLW use was assessed (evaluated) as “WINOFI” based on results of a fish kill investigation and due to violations of the Class BLW criterion for pH. All other designated uses were “not assessed.”

Assessment Explanation

Data Sources:

Data Source	Data Source ID	Data Type	Data Age	Site ID	Site Name	Site Description
Iowa DNR	6	WQ	CY 2018-2020	22170005	Fin and Feather Lake

Class BLW - 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
22170005	6	Chlorophyll a TSI	9 / 3	26	67	61	NO	Monitored	Full
22170005	6	Inorganic suspended solids	9 / 3	0.6	5	3	NA	NA	NA

Class BLW - Conventional 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
22170005	6	Ammonia	9 / 3	0.0024	0.6367	0.12	NA	0 / 0	3	NO	Evaluated	Full
22170005	6	Dissolved Oxygen	9 / 3	4	10.8	8.4	1	NA / NA	3	NO	Evaluated	Full
22170005	6	pH	9 / 3	7.6	9.4	8.7	3	NA / NA	3	YES	Evaluated	WINOFI
22170005	6	Temperature	9 / 3	16.9	25.8	22.8	0	NA / NA	3	NO	Evaluated	Full

Class BLW - Fish Kill:

The Class BLW use for Fin And Feather Lake was assessed (evaluated) as “WINOFI” due to a 2012 fish kill. Because the cause of the fish kill was not identified, or the fish kill was attributed to a non-pollutant cause (e.g., winterkill), the assessment type is “evaluated.” Segments assessed using “evaluated” assessments are placed in Category 3b and are added to the state list of waters in need of further investigation. If no additional fish kills are reported in the segment for a 10 year period (2022), the Category will be changed from 3b to 3a (water not assessed).

Details about the 2012 fish kill can be found here: https://programs.iowadnr.gov/fishkill/Events/852

Class BLW - Protection of Submerged Aquatic Vegetation:

Site ID	Data Source ID	Parameter Name	# Samples / # Years	Minimum Value	Maximum Value	Median Value	Median Value = SAV	Assessment Type	Support Level
22170005	6	Total suspended solids	9 / 3	0.6	20	6	NO	Evaluated	Full

Class HH: No Data

Monitoring and Methods

Assessment Key Dates

3/21/2012

Fish Kill

6/4/2018

Non-fixed Monitoring Start Date

9/14/2020

Non-fixed Monitoring End Date

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)