Is Wwl-01 Lake Polluted?
Yes — Wwl-01 Lake in Monroe County, Indiana is on the EPA's Clean Water Act 303(d) impaired-waters list (2024 assessment cycle). It is cited for 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 | Monroe County, Indiana |
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.
Specific parameters in the EPA record: MERCURY IN FISH TISSUE.
What this means for using Wwl-01 Lake
Wwl-01 Lake's listing is driven by contaminants that build up in fish (Mercury), so the practical impact is on eating the fish, not on swimming. Follow the state fish-consumption advisory for Indiana. 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. Wwl-01 Lake carries an overall water-quality grade of C, with algae (chlorophyll-a) at 11.3 µg/L — see the full breakdown on the lake report. The official EPA assessment is available in the ATTAINS waterbody report.