Iowa DNR
Iowa DNR
ADBNet
Water Quality Assessments
Impaired Waters List

Geode Lake IA 03-SKU-896

Henry County S36T70NR5W 4 mi. SW of Danville.

This is a DRAFT assessment
Draft assessments may change without notice
Cycle
2026
Current Phase
Public Comment
Overall IR
5 - Water is impaired or threatened and a TMDL is needed.
Trophic
Eutrophic
Trend
Stable
Created
10/27/2025 3:09:43 PM
Updated
11/24/2025 2:25:01 PM
Use Support
Class A1
Recreation - Primary contact
Not Supported
Support Level
Not Supported
Impairment Code
5a - Pollutant-caused impairment. TMDL needed.
Cause Magnitude
Slight
Status
New
Source
Unknown: Source Unknown
Source Confidence
N/A
Cycle Added
2026
Impairment Rationale
Narrative criteria violation: aesthetically objectionable conditions
Data Source
Ambient monitoring: Iowa DNR-lakes
TMDL Priority
Tier IV
Class BLW
Aquatic Life - Lakes and wetlands
WINOFI
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 -
Not Supported
Support Level
Not Supported
Impairment Code
5a - Pollutant-caused impairment. TMDL needed.
Cause Magnitude
High
Status
Continuing
Source
Agriculture
Source Confidence
N/A
Cycle Added
2010
Impairment Rationale
Fish consumption advisory in effect: no more than 1 meal/week
Data Source
Fish contaminant monitoring: Iowa DNR
TMDL Priority
Tier IV
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 caused by non-algal turbidity. The Class BLW use was assessed (evaluated) as “WINOFI” due to cyanobacteria blooms. The Class HH (fish consumption) use remains assessed (monitored) as “not supported” (IR 5a) based on fish tissue sampling data and due to the issuance of a fish consumption advisory at this lake. Note: A TMDL for bacteria and pH at Geode Lake was prepared by DNR and approved by EPA in 2009. Because not all of the Section 303(d) impairments identified for this assessment/listing cycle (mercury and turbidity) are addressed by the TMDL, this waterbody remains in IR Category 5a (impaired; TMDL required) for the current 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

21440001

Geode Lake Beach

Iowa DNR

6

WQ

CY 2021-2024

22290001

Lake Geode

Iowa DNR

6

FT

See Below

1070

Lake Geode

E of Lowell

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

21440001

6

15/0/15

21

NA

26

NO

1 / 4

NA

0 / 4

NO

MONITORED

FULL

Lake Geode was assessed as "not supported" for the 2006 assessment/listing cycle due to frequent violations of the state Class A1 criterion for pH. Based on DNR’s assessment methodology the current assessment/listing cycles must have fewer violations of the criterion based on the minimum required by the 10% Rule to propose removal from category 4 pH. There were less than 10% of the samples exceeding the single-sample maximum criterion for the 2026assessment/listing cycle. Therefore, the impairment for pH is suggested for removal from category 4 for the 2026 assessment/listing cycle.

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

22290001

6

12 / 4

7.66

9.99

8.51

2

4

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

22290001

6

Chlorophyll a TSI

12 / 4

30

78

63

NO

MONITORED

FULL

22290001

6

Secchi TSI

12 / 4

52

73

66

YES

MONITORED

NOT

22290001

6

Total Phosphorus TSI

12 / 4

49

81

62

NA

NA

NA

22290001

6

Fixed suspended solids

12 / 4

1.7

9

3

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

22290001

6

Dissolved Oxygen

12 / 4

3.6

11.6

8.1

1

NA / NA

4

NO

MONITORED

FULL

22290001

6

pH

12 / 4

7.66

9.99

8.51

2

NA / NA

4

NO

MONITORED

FULL

22290001

6

Temperature

12 / 4

21.9

28.1

24.4

0

NA / NA

4

NO

MONITORED

FULL

Lake Geode was assessed as "not supported" for the 2006 assessment/listing cycle due to frequent violations of the state Class BLW criterion for pH. Based on DNR’s assessment methodology the current assessment/listing cycles must have fewer violations of the criterion based on the minimum required by the 10% Rule to propose removal from category 4 pH There were less than 10% of the samples exceeding the single-sample maximum criterion for the 2026assessment/listing cycle. Therefore, the impairment for pH is suggested for removal from category 4 for the 2026 assessment/listing cycle.

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

22290001

6

5

26.3211

99.96%

20.0533

98.34%

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

22290001

6

Ammonia

12 / 4

0.213

0.05

0.03

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

22290001

6

Inorganic nitrogen (nitrate and nitrite)

11 / 4

0.05

4.41

1.34

0.24

0

NO

MONITORED

FULL

22290001

6

pH

12 / 4

7.66

9.99

8.51

8.58

2

NO

MONITORED

FULL

Class HH - Fish Tissue Sampling:

Site ID

Biopart

Year

Species

# in sample / # of samples

Avg Length (cm)

(Avg) Hg (ppm)

Chlordane (ppm)

Sum PCBs (ppm)

1070

fillet

2009

largemouth bass

5

NA

0.437

1070

shoulder

2009

snapping turtle

2

NA

0.284

0.03

0.09

Support Level

Not

A one meal/week mercury consumption advisory for largemouth bass exists on this segment. Based on IR Methodology, the Class HH (fish consumption) use was assessed as “not supported.”

Monitoring and Methods
Assessment Key Dates
9/7/2022
Monitoring Event
5/24/2021
Monitoring Start
9/16/2009
Fish Tissue Monitoring
8/13/2009
Fish Tissue Monitoring
9/25/2009
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