Skunk River IA 03-SKU-889

Assessment Comments

Assessment is based on results of (1) USGS/NAWQA monitoring (fish tissue and water) at August from 1995 to 1998 .

Basis for Assessment

Continued to use assessment of support of the Class B(WW) aquatic life uses developed for the 1996 report.   The USGS NASQAN station near Wever was discontinued after the 1995 water year.   Also use assessment of support of fish consumption uses developed for the 1996 report (=FS).  RAFT (fish tissue) trend sampling was again conducted in 1997; results from this sampling are not yet available.*  This site was also sampled for fish contaminants in September 1995 as part of the USGS National Water Quality Assessment (NAWQA) program.   The composite sample of whole-fish carp was analyzed for several organochlorine contamiants, including chlordane, dieldrin, DDT, and PCBs.   Levels of all these contaminants were well below 1/2 the FDA action level.   These results are consistent with results of similar monitoring conducted in 1995 for the RAFT program, and the USGS results support the assessment fish consumption uses as fully supported (FS).   For more information on the USGS fish tissue study, see USGS Fact Sheet FS-027-97 (March 1997).   *Results of the 1997 RAFT fish contaminant program were received in August 1998.   Similar to other recent monitoring at this location, the levels of all contaminants in the composite sample of whole-fish carp were less than 1/2 of the respective FDA action levels.   Thus, continue to assess support of the fish consumption uses as FS.