Iowa DNR
Iowa DNR
ADBNet
Water Quality Assessments
Impaired Waters List

Rock Creek Lake IA 03-NSK-865

Jasper County S17T80NR17W 4 mi. ENE of Kellogg.

This is a DRAFT assessment
Draft assessments may change without notice
Cycle
2026
Current Phase
Public Comment
Overall IR
4 - Water is impaired or threatened and a TMDL has been completed or is not needed.
Trophic
Hypereutrophic
Trend
Stable
Created
10/27/2025 3:09:42 PM
Updated
11/24/2025 2:24:42 PM
Use Support
Class A1
Recreation - Primary contact
Not Supported
Support Level
Not Supported
Impairment Code
4a - Pollutant-caused impairment. TMDL has been completed.
Cause Magnitude
Moderate
Status
Continuing
Source
Other: Sediment Resuspension
Source Confidence
Moderate
Cycle Added
2014
Impairment Rationale
Narrative criteria violation: aesthetically objectionable conditions
Data Source
Ambient monitoring: Iowa DNR-lakes
Support Level
Not Supported
Impairment Code
4a - Pollutant-caused impairment. TMDL has been completed.
Cause Magnitude
Slight
Status
Continuing
Source
Agriculture
Source Confidence
Moderate
Cycle Added
2024
Impairment Rationale
Narrative criteria violation: aesthetically objectionable conditions
Data Source
Ambient monitoring: Iowa DNR-lakes
Class BLW
Aquatic Life - Lakes and wetlands
Not Supported
Support Level
Not Supported
Impairment Code
4a - Pollutant-caused impairment. TMDL has been completed.
Cause Magnitude
Moderate
Status
Continuing
Source
Agriculture
Source Confidence
Moderate
Cycle Added
2010
Impairment Rationale
Adverse impacts on plant/animal communities
Data Source
Biological monitoring: Iowa DNR Fisheries
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
2026
Impairment Rationale
Potential Impairment
Data Source
Ambient monitoring: Iowa DNR-lakes
Class C
Drinking Water -
Fully Supported
Class HH
Human Health -
Fully Supported
Impairment Delistings
No delistings for this assessment cycle.
Documentation
Assessment Summary

The Class A1 use was assessed (monitored) as “not supported” due to aesthetically objectionable conditions due to low water clarity and algae blooms also caused an impairment at this lake. The Class BLW use was assessed (evaluated) as “not supported” based on information from the DNR Fisheries Bureau that suggested that siltation remains a problem at Rock Creek Lake. The Class C (drinking water) use was assessed as "fully supported" based on water quality monitoring data. All other designated uses are “not assessed.” Note: A TMDL for siltation and nutrients at Rock Creek Lake was prepared by DNR and approved by EPA in 2001. Because all of the Section 303(d) impairment were addressed in the TMDL, this waterbody was will move form Category 5a (impaired; TMDL required) to 4a (TMDL has been completed) for this assessment/listing cycles.

Assessment Explanation

Data Sources:

Data Source

Data Source ID

Data Type

Data Age

Site ID

Site Name

Site Description

Iowa DNR

6

WQ

CY 2022-2024

21500001

Rock Creek Beach

Iowa DNR

6

WQ

CY 2020-2024

22500001

Rock Creek Max Depth

Class A1 - Indicator Bacteria:

Site ID

Data Source ID

# Samples per Year (2022/ 2023/2024)

2022 Geometric Mean

2023 Geometric Mean

2024 Geometric Mean

Violates Annual Geometric Mean?

# 2022 SSM violations / SSM Violations needed for impairment

# 2023 SSM violations / SSM Violations needed for impairment

# 2024 SSM violations / SSM Violations needed for impairment

Violates Annual SSM Significantly >10% Rule?

Assessment Type

Support Level

21500001

6

14/15/11

16

21

31

NO

0 / 4

1 / 4

1 / 3

NO

MONITORED

FULL

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

22500001

6

23 / 5

7.6

9.1

8.6

2

5

NO

MONITORED

FULL

Class A1 - 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

22500001

6

Chlorophyll a TSI

14 / 5

51

80

76

YES

MONITORED

NOT

22500001

6

Secchi TSI

25 / 5

66

77

76

YES

MONITORED

NOT

22500001

6

Total Phosphorus TSI

14 / 5

37

89

78

NA

NA

NA

22500001

6

Fixed suspended solids

14 / 5

1.9

30

8.8

NA

NA

NA

Class BLW - 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

22500001

6

Dissolved Oxygen

23 / 5

7.1

15.3

9.7

0

NA / NA

5

NO

MONITORED

FULL

22500001

6

pH

23 / 5

7.6

9.1

8.6

2

NA / NA

5

NO

MONITORED

FULL

22500001

6

Temperature

23 / 5

17.1

27.6

24.3

0

NA / NA

5

NO

MONITORED

FULL

Class BLW - Lake Planktonic Cyanobacteria:

Site ID

Data Source ID

# Samples

Maximum Cyanobacteria Wet Mass

Maximum Cyanobacteria % Composition

Median Cyanobacteria Wet Mass

Median Cyanobacteria % Composition

Median Cyanobacteria Concentration = 75th Percentile

Assessment Type

Support Level

22500001

6

4

45.5586

84.11%

18.7279

66.84%

YES

EVALUATED

WINOFI

Class BLW - Toxic Parameters:

Site ID

Data Source ID

Parameter Name

# Samples / # Years

Maximum Value

Mean Value

Median Value

# Acute / Chronic Violations

>1 Acute / Chronic Violation

Assessment Type

Support Level

22500001

6

Ammonia

14 / 5

0.8183

0.11

0.04

0 / 0

NO

MONITORED

FULL

Class C - Binomial Parameters:

Site ID

Data Source ID

Parameter Name

# Samples / # Years

Minimum Value

Maximum Value

Mean Value

Median Value

# Violations

Violates Significantly >10% Rule?

Assessment Type

Support Level

22500001

6

Inorganic nitrogen (nitrate and nitrite)

13 / 5

0.03

4.46

0.81

0.22

0

NO

MONITORED

FULL

22500001

6

pH

23 / 5

7.6

9.1

8.6

8.6

2

NO

MONITORED

FULL

Class HH - Previous results from fish tissue results were removed based on the age of the data.

Monitoring and Methods
Assessment Key Dates
6/15/2020
Monitoring Start
9/5/2024
Monitoring End
1/28/2002
TMDL Completed
Methods
150
Monitoring data more than 5 years old
200
Physical/Chemical Monitoring
260
Fish tissue analysis
340
Primary producer surveys (phytoplankton/periphyton/macrophyton)
420
Indicator bacteria monitoring