What is the water quality grade for Badger Creek Max Depth Lake?

Badger Creek Max Depth Lake in Madison County, Wisconsin received a water quality grade of F (Very Poor). Water clarity: 1.6 ft visibility. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 77.7 µg/L. Surface area: 276 acres.

Is Badger Creek Max Depth Lake safe to swim in?

Avoid swimming, very poor water quality, potential algae toxins. Badger Creek Max Depth Lake has an overall water quality grade of F. Algae concentration (chlorophyll-a) is 77.7 µg/L. Always check local health department advisories before swimming.

Badger Creek Max Depth Lake

Madison County, WisconsinHypereutrophic

Badger Creek Max Depth Lake is a 276-acre highly nutrient-loaded hypereutrophic lake in Madison County, IA. Water quality is graded F based on 2 sampling years through 2024. Compared to the 1 other monitored lakes in Madison County, Badger Creek Max Depth Lake ranks #1 for water quality.

Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, local state DNR records, last sampled 2024-09-17. Grade methodology: LakeGrade methodology.

Swimming Safety

Avoid swimming, very poor water quality, potential algae toxins

Water Quality Grade: F, Very Poor

Very murky, less than 1.6 ft of visibility. Chlorophyll-a: 77.7 µg/L. Trophic State Index: 72.

Metric	Value	Grade
Water Clarity (Secchi Depth)	1.6 ft	F
Phosphorus	No data
Chlorophyll-a (Algae)	77.7 µg/L	F
Trophic State Index (TSI)	72	Hypereutrophic

Very high nutrients, dense algae, poor clarity

Lake Details

Characteristic	Value
Surface Area	276 acres

Location

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County Ranking

Ranked #1 of 2 lakes in Madison County

Cleaner Lakes Within 30 Miles

Badger Creek Max Depth Lake holds Grade F. 3 nearby lakes hold higher grades.

See full comparison →

Nearby Lakes in Madison County

Cedar Lake

Madison County

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Fort des Moines Park Pond

Polk County

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Other Grade F Lakes in Wisconsin

Big Creek Lake

Polk County · Clarity: 2.6 ft

Arrowhead Lake

Pottawattamie County · Clarity: 1.8 ft

White Oak Lake

Mahaska County · Clarity: 1.4 ft

Crystal Lake Max Depth

Hancock County · Clarity: 1.6 ft

Hannen Lake

Benton County · Clarity: 1.2 ft

Briggs Woods Lake

Hamilton County · Clarity: 1.5 ft

Hypereutrophic Lakes in Wisconsin

White Oak Lake Hannen Lake Briggs Woods Lake Union Grove Lake

Reservoir Info (USACE NID)

Badger Creek Max Depth Lake is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Badger Creek Watershed Site M-1-A (completed 1980), built primarily for recreation on the BADGER CREEK; earth-type dam, 46 ft tall and 1,720 ft long.

Surface area: 276 ac
Normal storage: 2,480 ac-ft
Max storage: 10,950 ac-ft
Drainage area: 18.44 sq mi
Hazard class: Significant
Owner: Iowa Department of Natural Resources

Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID IA02026 · Operator website · Matched by proximity (0.25 km)

EPA Impairment Status

Badger Creek Max Depth Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2024 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 4A).

Causes of impairment

Algal growthTurbidity

A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan has been approved.

Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit IA 04-LDM-1100 · Official waterbody report · Matched by proximity (1.2 km)

Data Sources

Water quality data from the EPA Water Quality Portal

Impairment status from EPA ATTAINS 303(d) database

Grading methodology based on Metropolitan Council standards

Most recent sample: 2024-09-17

Monitoring stations: 1