Saunders Branch IA 03-SKU-902

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

Open Data Collection Period Modal

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.

Open Segment Map
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Cycle: 2020
Release Status: Final
Overall IR: 5 - Water is impaired or threatened and a TMDL is needed.
Trend: Unknown
Created: 9/9/2020 12:45:57 PM
Updated: 10/16/2020 10:35:49 AM

Use Support

Class A1

Presumptive Use

Recreation - Primary contact

Not Assessed

Class BWW1

Presumptive Use

Aquatic Life - Warm Water Type 1

Partially Supported

Toxic Inorganics: Ammonia

Support Level

Partially Supported

Impairment Code

5b-t - Biological - tentative

Cause Magnitude

Slight

Status

Continuing

Source

Municipal Wastewater Treatment Plant

Source Confidence

Low

Cycle Added

2004

Impairment Rationale

Low Biotic Index

Data Source

Biological monitoring: Iowa DNR WQMA

TMDL Priority

Tier IV

Toxic Organics: Coal Tar

Support Level

Partially Supported

Impairment Code

5b-t - Biological - tentative

Cause Magnitude

Slight

Status

Continuing

Source

Municipal Wastewater Treatment Plant

Source Confidence

Low

Cycle Added

2004

Impairment Rationale

Low Biotic Index

Data Source

Biological monitoring: Iowa DNR WQMA

TMDL Priority

Tier IV

Organic Enrichment: Low Dissolved Oxygen

Support Level

Partially Supported

Impairment Code

5b-t - Biological - tentative

Cause Magnitude

Slight

Status

Continuing

Source

Municipal Wastewater Treatment Plant

Source Confidence

Low

Cycle Added

2004

Impairment Rationale

Low Biotic Index

Data Source

Biological monitoring: Iowa DNR WQMA

TMDL Priority

Tier IV

General Use

General Use water -

Not Assessed

Impairment Delistings

No delistings for this assessment cycle.

Documentation

Assessment Summary

The presumptive Class BWW1 use remains assessed as "partially supported" based on biological sampling data. For the 2000 IR cycle, DNR added three Class BWW1 impairments: ammonia, coal tar and low dissolved oxygen. Follow-up monitoring is needed in this segment to determine the current status of the presumptive Class BWW1 use. All other designated uses were "not assessed".

Assessment Explanation

Sources of Data:

Data Source	Data Source ID	Data Type	Data Age	Site ID	Site Name	Site Description
Iowa DNR	6	BIO	See Below	144	Saunders Branch	DS – Saunders Park – Mt Pleasant MGP
Iowa DNR	6	BIO	See Below	145	Saunders Branch	ADJ – Mt Pleasant MGP
Iowa DNR	6	BIO	See Below	146	Saunders Branch	US – Mt Pleasant MGP
Iowa DNR	6	BIO	See Below	147	Saunders Branch	SE WWTP DS – Mt Pleasant

Presumptive Class A1 - No Data

Presumptive Class BWW1 - Biological Sampling:

Fish:

BioNet Site ID	Date	Drainage Area (mi2)	Ecoregion	Major Drainage/Thermal	Riffle Stream?	FIBI score	FIBI Class	40a FIBI BIT	FIBI Pass/ Fail
147	10/14/98	3	40a	MS/WW	NA	37	Fair	33	Pass
144	10/13/98	2	40a	MS/WW	NA	32	Fair	33	Fail
145	10/13/98	2	40a	MS/WW	NA	20	Poor	33	Fail
146	10/13/98	1	40a	MS/WW	NA	24	Poor	33	Fail

Overall:

Community	Assessment Type	Assessment Result	Support Level	Earned IR Category	Actual IR Category	Reason
Fish	Evaluated	Fail (0/4)	Partial	3bu	5bt	Assessment is evaluated because it included samples not collected in the last five years and the drainage areas of the sample sites were smaller than the calibrated range.

Monitoring and Methods

Assessment Key Dates

10/13/1998

Biological Monitoring

10/14/1998

Biological Monitoring

Methods

150

Monitoring data more than 5 years old

315

Regional reference site approach

330

Fish surveys