Fordville Dam Lake vs Niagara Dam Lake
Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.
Fordville Dam Lake has a higher water quality grade (C, Fair) than Niagara Dam Lake (F, Very Poor). Both are in Grand Forks County, Wisconsin.
Both Fordville Dam Lake and Niagara Dam Lake sit in North Dakota. A same-state comparison strips out the state-level water-quality regime as a variable: any grade differences here are about the lakes themselves, not the agencies grading them. Fordville Dam Lake (C) is materially cleaner than Niagara Dam Lake (F). A gap that wide is unlikely to close in a single year of remediation work; it reflects multi-decade differences in the lakes themselves.
For a recreational visitor, the wider grade gap is decisive — Fordville Dam Lake is the better water-quality choice. For a researcher, the gap is the interesting part: what is different about the two watersheds, and which of those differences is mutable?
Fordville Dam Lake
Murky, only visible to about 4.4 ft.
Niagara Dam Lake
Very murky, less than 1 ft of visibility.
Side-by-Side Metrics
| Metric | Fordville Dam Lake | Niagara Dam Lake |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Grade | C (Fair) | F (Very Poor) |
| Water Clarity | 4.4 ft | 1 ft |
| Phosphorus | No data | No data |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 5.2 µg/L | No data |
| Maximum Depth | - | - |
| Surface Area | 197.1 acres | 16 acres |
| Public Access | Unknown | Unknown |
| Fish Species | 0 | 0 |
| Trophic State | eutrophic | hypereutrophic |
Bold value = better for that metric (lower phosphorus / chlorophyll = cleaner; higher Secchi / depth / species count = better).
Verdict
Fordville Dam Lake wins on overall water quality with a Grade C versus Niagara Dam Lake's Grade F. Water clarity: 4.4 ft vs 1 ft. For fishing diversity, Fordville Dam Lake also leads with 0 species.