Iowa DNR
Iowa DNR
ADBNet
Water Quality Assessments
Impaired Waters List

Saunders Branch IA 03-SKU-902

mouth (SW 1/4 S17 T71N R6W Henry Co.) to headwaters

Assessment Cycle
2002
Result Period
1998 - 2000
Designations
Assessment Methodology
Assessment Type
Monitored
Integrated Report
Category 0
Legacy ADBCode
IA 03-SKU-0085_0
Overall Use Support
Not supporting
Aquatic Life Use Support
Not supporting
Documentation
Assessment Comments

1998 Biocriteria: Fish IBI (4 sites upstream to downstream) = 6(very poor), 5(very poor), 34(fair), 18(poor)

Basis for Assessment

The assessment was based on the 1998 biological assessment data (see 2000 assessment comments), and the aquatic life use support continued to be assessed as not supporting (=NS), based on a comparison of the F-IBI and BM-IBI scores with biological assessment criteria established specifically for the 2002 Section 305(b) report.  The biological assessment criteria were determined from a statistical analysis of data collected at stream ecoregion reference sites from 1994-2001.

Monitoring and Methods
Assessment Key Dates
10/13/1998 Biological Monitoring
Methods
320 Benthic macroinvertebrate surveys
330 Fish surveys
380 Quan. measurements of instream parms-- channel morphology-- floodplain-- 1-2 seasons-- by prof
220 Non-fixed station physical/chemical monitoring (conventional pollutant only)
315 Regional reference site approach
Monitoring Levels
Biological 3
Habitat 4
Physical Chemistry 1
Toxic 0
Pathogen Indicators 0
Other Health Indicators 0
Other Aquatic Life Indicators 0
# of Bio Sites 4
BioIntegrity Poor
Causes and Sources of Impairment
Causes Use Support Cause Magnitude Sources Source Magnitude
Priority organics Overall Use Support High
  • Hazardous Waste
  • Land Disposal
  • High
  • High
Priority organics Aquatic Life Support High
  • Hazardous Waste
  • Land Disposal
  • High
  • High
Unionized Ammonia Overall Use Support High
  • Municipal Point Sources
  • High
Unionized Ammonia Aquatic Life Support High
  • Municipal Point Sources
  • High
Organic enrichment/Low DO Overall Use Support Moderate
  • Municipal Point Sources
  • High
Organic enrichment/Low DO Aquatic Life Support Moderate
  • Municipal Point Sources
  • High