Iowa DNR
Iowa DNR
ADBNet
Water Quality Assessments
Impaired Waters List

Mariposa Lake IA 03-NSK-867

Jasper County S32T81NR18W 6 mi. NE of Newton.

Assessment Cycle
1994
Result Period
1990 - 1992
Designations
Assessment Type
Monitored
Integrated Report
Category 0
Legacy ADBCode
IA 03-NSK-00350-L_0
Overall Use Support
Partial
Aquatic Life Use Support
Partial
Fish Consumption
Not assessed
Primary Contact Recreation
Not assessed
Documentation
Assessment Comments

Assessment is based on results of water quality monitoring and surveys by IDNR Fisheries Bureau.

Basis for Assessment

Fishable uses were assessed as PS for the following reasons:  (1) BPJ of DNR Fisheries; (2) results of monitoring in 1990 show that averages levels of secchi depth, chl-a, total-P, and TSS are worse than overall averages of the 116 SPOLs sampled in 1990 and 1992; averages of total-P and TSS both approach the overall average +/- 1 SD; (3) Bachmann et al.  (1994) report a relatively high sedimentation rate (4.2 cm/yr) and a relatively short life expectancy (53 years); they also report no swimming activity for the lake.   Thus, lake appears to be impaired by sediment and nutrients eroded from agricultural land.   Due to lack of use for swimming, swimmable uses not assessed.

Monitoring and Methods
Assessment Key Dates
Methods
340 Primary producer surveys (phytoplankton/periphyton/macrophyton)
120 Surveys of fish and game biologists/other professionals
222 Non-fixed-station monitoring (conventional during key seasons and flows)
Monitoring Levels
Biological 0
Habitat 0
Physical Chemistry 2
Toxic 0
Pathogen Indicators 0
Other Health Indicators 0
Other Aquatic Life Indicators 0
# of Bio Sites 0
BioIntegrity N/A
Causes and Sources of Impairment
Causes Use Support Cause Magnitude Sources Source Magnitude
Algal Grwth/Chlorophyll a Overall Use Support Moderate
  • Internal nutrient cycling (primarily lakes)
  • Moderate
Algal Grwth/Chlorophyll a Aquatic Life Support Moderate
  • Internal nutrient cycling (primarily lakes)
  • Moderate
Algal Grwth/Chlorophyll a Primary Contact Recreation Moderate
  • Internal nutrient cycling (primarily lakes)
  • Moderate
Siltation Overall Use Support Moderate
  • Agriculture
  • Natural Sources
  • Moderate
  • Slight
Siltation Aquatic Life Support Moderate
  • Agriculture
  • Natural Sources
  • Moderate
  • Slight
Nutrients Overall Use Support Slight
  • Agriculture
  • Internal nutrient cycling (primarily lakes)
  • Natural Sources
  • Moderate
  • Moderate
  • Slight
Nutrients Aquatic Life Support Slight
  • Agriculture
  • Internal nutrient cycling (primarily lakes)
  • Natural Sources
  • Moderate
  • Moderate
  • Slight
Nutrients Primary Contact Recreation Slight
  • Agriculture
  • Internal nutrient cycling (primarily lakes)
  • Natural Sources
  • Moderate
  • Moderate
  • Slight