DES MOINES – The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) completed its review and approval of use changes for a fourth batch of select Iowa rivers and streams on Dec. 14.
These changes were the result of a Use Attainability Analysis (UAA) for each of these streams and rivers, and will help protect aquatic life and recreational uses of these waterbodies. A UAA is a process of gathering field data and assessing available information to determine what uses each stream can support.
The use changes were approved by the Environmental Protection Commission and went in to effect on June 17. As required by the Clean Water Act, these changes were submitted to the U.S. EPA for review on Aug. 3.
EPA’s review document, with its approval, has been posted at: https://www.iowadnr.gov/Environmental-Protection/Water-Quality/Water-Quality-Standards