South Skunk River IA 03-SSK-934

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.