Is Forest Lake Polluted?
Yes — Forest Lake in Washington County, Minnesota is on the EPA's Clean Water Act 303(d) impaired-waters list (2024 assessment cycle). It is cited for PCBs. A formal cleanup plan — a Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) — has been written. "Impaired" is a legal designation, separate from the lake's EPA condition class water-quality readings: 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 |
| Uses not supported | Fish consumption |
| EPA names this lake in the listing | Yes |
| Location | Washington County, Minnesota |
Pollutants Cited
- 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: PCBs in Fish Tissue.
What this means for using Forest Lake
Forest Lake's listing is driven by contaminants that build up in fish (PCBs), so the practical impact is on eating the fish, not on swimming. Follow the state fish-consumption advisory for Minnesota. 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. Forest Lake measures algae (chlorophyll-a) at 16.5 µg/L and phosphorus at 28 µg/L. See the full breakdown on the lake report. The official EPA assessment is available in the ATTAINS waterbody report.
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