Ioway Creek IA 03-SSK-954

mouth (S12 T83N R24W Story Co.) to confluence with unnamed tributary in NW 1/4 S9 T85N R25W Boone Co.

Assessment Cycle

2020

Release Status

Final

Data Collection Period

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.

Overall IR Category: 3 - Insufficient data exist to determine whether any designated uses are met.
Trend: Unknown

Created: 9/10/2020 7:48:57 AM
Updated: 1/13/2021 2:04:27 PM

Assessment conducted in accordance with Iowa's 2020 IR methodology

Use Support

Class A1

Recreation

Primary contact

Presumptive Use

WINOFI

Further Investigation Needed

Support Level

Water in Need of Further Investigation (WINOFI)

Impairment Code

3b - Use potentially impaired based on an evaluated assessment.

Cause Magnitude

Moderate

Status

Continuing

Source

Unknown: Source Unknown

Source Confidence

Low

Cycle Added

2018

Impairment Rationale

Geometric mean criterion exceeded

Data Source

Special project/study

Class BWW2

Aquatic Life

Warm Water Type 2

WINOFI

Further Investigation Needed

Support Level

Water in Need of Further Investigation (WINOFI)

Impairment Code

3b-c - Use potentially biologically impaired based on calibrated IBI metrics.

Cause Magnitude

Slight

Status

New

Source

Unknown: Source Unknown

Source Confidence

Low

Cycle Added

2020

Impairment Rationale

Low Biotic Index

Data Source

Biological monitoring: Iowa DNR WQMA

General Use

General Use water

Not Assessed

Impairment Delistings

No delistings for this assessment cycle.

Documentation

Assessment Summary

The Class A1 use was assessed as "not supported” due to levels of indicator bacteria (E. coli) that exceeded state water quality criteria. The Class BWW2 use was assessed as "partially supported" based on biological sampling data.

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	290	Squaw Creek	Ames – Veenker Golf Course – REMAP #9
Story Co.	NA	WQ	CY 2016-2018	NA	Squaw Creek	Site monitored by Prairie River Watershed Group and Story Co. Conservation

Class A1 - Indicator Bacteria:

# Samples / # Years	2016 Geometric Mean	2017 Geometric Mean	2018 Geometric Mean	Annual Geometric Mean Violation	# Violations	% Violations	Significantly >10% Violations	Assessment Type	Support Level
48 / 3	1825	1717	2280	Yes	46	96%	Yes	Evaluated	Not
The bacteria samples were collected by the Prairie Rivers Watershed Group and Story County Conservation with the analyses conducted by the City of Ames. Since the data were not collected under a DNR-approved quality assurance plan, the assessment was considered "evaluated" instead of "monitored". According to Iowa DNR’s assessment/listing methodology, impairments based on “evaluated” assessments are of lesser confidence and are not appropriate for Section 303(d) listing (Category 5 of the Integrated Report). The Iowa DNR does, however, consider these impairments as appropriate for listing under Category 3b of the Integrated Report (waters potentially impaired and in need of further investigation).

Class BWW2 - Biological Sampling:

Benthic Macroinvertebrates:

BioNet Site ID	Date	Drainage Area (mi2)	Ecoregion	Major Drainage/Thermal	BM Sample Gear	BMIBI score	BMIBI Class	47b BMIBI BIT	BMIBI Pass/ Fail
290	9/22/17	194	47b	MS/WW	Hess	53	Fair	62	Fail

Fish:

BioNet Site ID	Date	Drainage Area (mi2)	Ecoregion	Major Drainage/Thermal	Riffle Stream?	FIBI score	FIBI Class	47b FIBI BIT	FIBI Pass/ Fail
290	9/22/17	194	47b	MS/WW	No	48	Fair	32	Pass

Overall:

Community	Assessment Type	Assessment Result	Support Level	Earned IR Category	Actual IR Category	Reason
Benthic Macroinvertebrates	Evaluated	Fail (0/1)	Partial			When the BMIBI UAV of 8 points was applied, this site failed the BMIBI BIT by 1 point.
Fish	Evaluated	Pass (1/1)	Full
Overall	Evaluated	Fail	Partial	3bc	3bc	Assessment is evaluated because it was based on a single sample.

Monitoring and Methods

Assessment Key Dates

9/22/2017

Biological Monitoring

4/27/2016

Non-fixed Monitoring Start Date

10/12/2016

Non-fixed Monitoring End Date

Methods

315

Regional reference site approach

320

Benthic macroinvertebrate surveys

330

Fish surveys

420

Indicator bacteria monitoring

860

Other Agencies/Organizations provided monitoring data