South Skunk River IA 03-SSK-934
from the Ames Water Works dam in River Valley Park at Ames (S36 T84N R24W Story Co.) to the Co. Rd. at north line of S6 T85 R23W Story Co (approximately 1 mile NNE of Story City)
Assessment Comments
Assessment is based on results of IDNR/UHL biological monitoring in 1997.
Basis for Assessment
Used results of the 4 DNR bioassessments conducted in October 1997 near McFarland Park, at Story City (2), and upstream from Story City to update the assessment developed for the 1996 report (=FST). Results of these bioassessments were used to upgrade the assessment of support of the Class B(WW) uses from FST to FS due to (1) presence of a very diverse fish community for streams in the Des Moines Lobe subecoregion with from 19 to 25 species from 5 families, (2) presence of nearly all the expected fish taxa with 10 of 11 taxa present at all four sites, (3) presence of the expected game fish species (smallmouth bass) present at all four sites, and (4) lack of violations of Class B(WW) WQ criteria in the samples collected during the bioassessments. This reach of the South Skunk River is naturally prone to occasional low flow periods, but presence of good habitat diversity in this reach (i.e., pools and riffles) help the aquatic communities survive such periods.
Assessment Key Dates
| 10/1/1997 | Biological Monitoring |
Methods
| 220 | Non-fixed station physical/chemical monitoring (conventional pollutant only) |
| 315 | Regional reference site approach |
| 320 | Benthic macroinvertebrate surveys |
| 330 | Fish surveys |
| 380 | Quan. measurements of instream parms-- channel morphology-- floodplain-- 1-2 seasons-- by prof |
Monitoring Levels
| Biological | 4 |
| Habitat | 4 |
| Physical Chemistry | 1 |
| Toxic | 0 |
| Pathogen Indicators | 0 |
| Other Health Indicators | 0 |
| Other Aquatic Life Indicators | 0 |
| # of Bio Sites | 4 |
| BioIntegrity | Excellent |