Water clarity this spring was quite good, but not as clear as last spring. 10 feet in 2019 compared to 14.5 feet in 2018. As the summer progressed the water gradually became less clear as you can see in the chart.
Water Clarity for 2019: Clarity measurements are taken at 5 sites around the lake and those measurements are averaged. For the average, we do not use measurements where the secchi disk hits bottom. Many folks have asked or postulated what caused the unusually clear water the past two years. You pick, because we don’t know.
- Zebra mussels filtering the water here and in Stella
- Watershed improvements around the lake
- Unusual winter & spring
- Changes in the precipitation pattern
- Fewer fish stirring up the bottom of the lake
- Combination of all of the above
Total phosphorus this year averaged 28.6 micrograms/liter vs a historical average of 28.4, which is a measurement of nutrients in the water. Total chlorophyll-a this year averaged 10.2 micrograms/liter vs a historical average of 12.1, which is a measurement of algae in the water. Water clarity this year averaged 6.4 feet vs a historical average of 3.3 feet. RMB Labs provided the analysis of the water samples and all data is reported to the MPCA. All-in-all, very good water clarity and average
