Is Lower Park Falls Flowage Lake Polluted?
Yes — Lower Park Falls Flowage Lake in Price County, Wisconsin is on the EPA's Clean Water Act 303(d) impaired-waters list (2024 assessment cycle). It is cited for Mercury, Metals (other than mercury). No cleanup plan (TMDL) has been completed yet. "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) | Not yet written |
| Assessment cycle | 2024 |
| EPA IR category | 5 |
| Location | Price County, Wisconsin |
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.
- Metals (other than mercury) — listed by EPA as exceeding water-quality standards for at least one designated use.
Specific parameters in the EPA record: MERCURY, METALS.
What this means for using Lower Park Falls Flowage Lake
Lower Park Falls Flowage Lake's listing is driven by contaminants that build up in fish (Mercury, Metals (other than mercury)), so the practical impact is on eating the fish, not on swimming. Follow the state fish-consumption advisory for Wisconsin. 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. Lower Park Falls Flowage Lake carries an overall water-quality grade of F — see the full breakdown on the lake report. The official EPA assessment is available in the ATTAINS waterbody report.