Farmers Creek IA 01-NMQ-94

Assessment Comments

Assessment based on occurrence of fish kills.

Basis for Assessment

SUMMARY:  The Class B(LR) aquatic life uses were assessed as "not supported."  EXPLANATION:  The previous (1998) assessment of support of the Class B(LR) uses ("partially supported") was based on a review of an October 1991 DNR stream use assessment.   The results from this assessment, however, are now considered too old (greater than five years) to be useful for developing water quality assessments of current conditions.   The assessment for the 2000 report is based on the occurrence of a second fish kill within a three-year period.   As described in the assessment for the 1998 report (above), a fish kill occurred south of Lamotte on September 22, 1997; this kill was attributed to runoff from a feedlot.   A more recent kill occurred south of Lamotte on July 7, 1998; the kill was attributed to rainfall runoff from land-applied dairy manure; an estimated 4,200 fish were killed over a 3.5 mile reach of stream.   According to the DNR assessment methodology for Section 305(b) reporting, the occurrence of two or more pollution-caused fish kills within the most recent three-year period (1997-1999) indicates that the aquatic life uses are "not supported."  Thus, the assessment of support of the Class B(LR) aquatic life uses was changed from "partially supported" to "not supported."