2020 Final assessment for Skunk River

Skunk River IA 03-SKU-889

mouth to confluence with Big Cr. southeast of Mt. Pleasant in S19 T70N R5W in Henry Co.

Assessment Cycle

2020

Release Status

Final

Data Collection Period

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 2016 - 2018
Stream/River Water Quality Data	CY 2016 - 2018
Lake Water Quality Data	CY 2014 - 2018
Biological Sampling Data	CY 2014 - 2018*
Fish Kill Data	CY 2014 - 2018
Fish Tissue Sampling Data	CY 2014 - 2018
Continuous Dissolved Oxygen Sampling Data	CY 2014 - 2018
*Biological sites sampled in both 2013 and 2017 were also assessed.

Overall IR Category: 5 - Water is impaired or threatened and a TMDL is needed.
Trend: Unknown

Created: 9/9/2020 10:35:21 AM
Updated: 10/16/2020 10:30:29 AM

Assessment conducted in accordance with Iowa's 2020 IR methodology

Use Support

Class A1

Partially Supported

Bacteria: Indicator Bacteria- E. coli

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

2012

Impairment Rationale

Geometric mean criterion exceeded

Data Source

Ambient monitoring: Iowa DNR-rivers

TMDL Priority

Tier III

Class BWW1

Fully Supported

Class HH

Fully Supported

General Use

Not Assessed

Impairment Delistings

No delistings for this assessment cycle.

Documentation

Assessment Summary

The Class A1 use was assessed as “partially supported” due to levels of indicator bacteria (E. coli) that exceeded state water quality criteria. The Class BWW1 use was assessed as "fully supported" based on biological sampling data and water quality monitoring data. The Class HH use was assessed as "fully supported" based on fish tissue sampling data and water quality monitoring 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 2016-2018	10560002	Skunk River near Augusta
Iowa DNR	6	BIO	See Below	889	Skunk River	Augusta
Iowa DNR	6	FT	See Below	171	Skunk River	NE of Wever

Class A1 - Indicator Bacteria:

Site ID	Data Source ID	# Samples / # Years	2016 Geometric Mean	2017 Geometric Mean	2018 Geometric Mean	Annual Geometric Mean Violation	# Violations	% Violations	Significantly >10% Violations	Assessment Type	Support Level
10560002	6	24 / 3	324.48	255.81	93.55	Yes	8	33%	Yes	Monitored	Partial

Class A - pH:

Site ID	Data Source ID	# Samples / # Years	Maximum Value	Mean Value	Median Value	# Violations	% Violations	Significantly >10% Violations	Assessment Type	Support Level
10560002	6	36 / 3	9	8.3	8.3	0	0%	No	Monitored	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
10560002	6	Ammonia	36 / 3	1.2	0.11	0.02	0 / 0	0% / 0%	No	Monitored	Full
10560002	6	Chloride	36 / 3	48	23.6	21	0 / 0	0% / 0%	No	Monitored	Full
10560002	6	Dissolved oxygen	36 / 3	16.3	10.6	11	NA / 0	NA / 0%	No	Monitored	Full
10560002	6	pH	36 / 3	9	8.3	8.3	0 / NA	0% / NA	No	Monitored	Full
10560002	6	Sulfate	36 / 3	85	32	30.5	0 / NA	0% / NA	No	Monitored	Full
10560002	6	Temperature	36 / 3	27	13	14	0 / 0	0% / 0%	No	Monitored	Full
5474000	11	Temperature	597 / 3	33	15	16	1 / 0	0% / 0%	No	Monitored	Full

Class BWW1 - Toxic Parameters:

Site ID	Data Source ID	Parameter Name	# Samples / # Years	Maximum Value	Mean Value	Median Value	# Acute / Chronic Violations	% Acute/ Chronic Violations	>1 Acute / Chronic Violation	Assessment Type	Support Level
10560002	6	Aluminum	9 / 2	19	3.391	1.4	0 / 0	0% / 0%	No	Evaluated	Full
10560002	6	Arsenic	9 / 2	3	1.9	2	0 / 0	0% / 0%	No	Evaluated	Full
10560002	6	Cadmium	9 / 2	0.06	0.029	0.025	0 / 0	0% / 0%	No	Evaluated	Full
10560002	6	Chromium	9 / 2	1.1	0.7	0.72	0 / 0	0% / 0%	No	Evaluated	Full
10560002	6	Copper	9 / 2	4.6	1.89	1.5	0 / 0	0% / 0%	No	Evaluated	Full
10560002	6	Lead	9 / 2	0.18	0.102	0.1	0 / 0	0% / 0%	No	Evaluated	Full
10560002	6	Nickel	9 / 2	5.5	3.1	2.9	0 / 0	0% / 0%	No	Evaluated	Full
10560002	6	Selenium	9 / 2	2.7	1.35	1.2	0 / 0	0% / 0%	No	Evaluated	Full
10560002	6	Zinc	9 / 2	3.8	1.43	1.1	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	40a BMIBI BIT	BMIBI Pass/ Fail
943	10/6/15	4303	40a	MS/WW	Hess	63	Good	41	Pass
943	10/8/13	4303	40a	MS/WW	Hess	45	Fair	41	Pass
943	10/8/13	4303	40a	MS/WW	ArtSub	36	Fair	41	Fail

Overall:

Community	Assessment Type	Assessment Result	Support Level	Earned IR Category	Actual IR Category	Reason
Benthic Macroinvertebrates	Evaluated	Pass (2/3)	Full	1	1	Assessment is evaluated because it included samples not collected in the last five years and the drainage area of the sample site was larger than the calibrated range.

Class HH-F - Toxic Parameters:

Site ID	Data Source ID	Parameter Name	# Samples / # Years	Maximum Value	Mean Value	Median Value	Number of Non - Detects	Mean Value > Criterion or MCL	Assessment Type	Support Level
10560002	6	Cadmium	9 / 2	0.06	0.029	0.025	8	No	Evaluated	Full
10560002	6	Chromium	9 / 2	1.1	0.7	0.72	0	No	Evaluated	Full
10560002	6	Copper	9 / 2	4.6	1.89	1.5	0	No	Evaluated	Full
10560002	6	Nickel	9 / 2	5.5	3.1	2.9	0	No	Evaluated	Full
10560002	6	Selenium	9 / 2	2.7	1.35	1.2	0	No	Evaluated	Full
10560002	6	Zinc	9 / 2	3.8	1.43	1.1	0	No	Evaluated	Full

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

171

9/14/2016

common carp

whole

0.05

<0.06

0.08

Monitored

Full

171

9/8/2014

common carp

whole

<0.05

<0.24

0.12

Monitored

Full

Monitoring and Methods

Assessment Key Dates

10/8/2013	Biological Monitoring
1/4/2016	Fixed Monitoring Start Date
12/31/2018	Fixed Monitoring End Date
10/6/2015	Biological Monitoring
9/8/2014	Fish Tissue Monitoring
9/14/2016	Fish Tissue Monitoring

Methods

150	Monitoring data more than 5 years old
230	Fixed station physical/chemical (conventional plus toxic pollutants)
315	Regional reference site approach
320	Benthic macroinvertebrate surveys
420	Indicator bacteria monitoring

Water Quality Assessments

Impaired Waters List

Skunk River IA 03-SKU-889

Assessment Summary

Assessment Explanation

Assessment Key Dates

Methods