Is Cass Lake South Central Basin; W. Bloomfield Township Section 3 Polluted?
Yes — Cass Lake South Central Basin; W. Bloomfield Township Section 3 in Oakland County, Michigan is on the EPA's Clean Water Act 303(d) impaired-waters list (2024 assessment cycle). It is cited for Mercury, PFAS, PCBs. A formal cleanup plan — a Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) — has been written. "Impaired" is a legal designation, separate from the lake's A–F water-quality grade: it means at least one designated use (such as swimming, aquatic life, or fish consumption) does not meet state standards for the listed pollutant.
EPA 303(d) Listing
| On 303(d) impaired list | Yes |
| Cleanup plan (TMDL) | Completed |
| Assessment cycle | 2024 |
| EPA IR category | 5 |
| Location | Oakland County, Michigan |
Pollutants Cited
- Mercury — Mercury accumulates in fish tissue and is the single most common impairment in northern lakes. It usually arrives via atmospheric deposition from coal combustion rather than local discharge — which is why even remote, clear lakes can be mercury-impaired. It triggers fish-consumption advisories, not swimming closures.
- PFAS — Per- and polyfluoroalkyl "forever chemicals" from industrial and firefighting-foam sources. PFAS listings are newer and typically trigger fish-consumption and, in some cases, drinking-water guidance.
- PCBs — Polychlorinated biphenyls are legacy industrial pollutants that persist in sediment and bioaccumulate in fish. Like mercury, PCB listings drive fish-consumption advisories.
Specific parameters in the EPA record: MERCURY IN FISH TISSUE, PCBS IN FISH TISSUE, PERFLUOROOCTANE SULFONATE (PFOS) IN FISH TISSUE.
What this means for using Cass Lake South Central Basin; W. Bloomfield Township Section 3
Cass Lake South Central Basin; W. Bloomfield Township Section 3's listing is driven by contaminants that build up in fish (Mercury, PFAS, PCBs), so the practical impact is on eating the fish, not on swimming. Follow the state fish-consumption advisory for Michigan. An impairment listing does not mean the lake is closed — most impaired lakes remain open for boating and swimming. It means a specific pollutant exceeds a standard for a specific use. Cass Lake South Central Basin; W. Bloomfield Township Section 3 carries an overall water-quality grade of A, with algae (chlorophyll-a) at 2.3 µg/L — see the full breakdown on the lake report. The official EPA assessment is available in the ATTAINS waterbody report.