What is the water quality grade for Barton Lake?

Barton Lake in Kalamazoo County, Wisconsin received a water quality grade of C (Fair). Water clarity: 8 ft visibility.

Is Barton Lake safe to swim in?

Generally safe for swimming, moderate water quality. Barton Lake has an overall water quality grade of C. Always check local health department advisories before swimming.

Barton Lake

Kalamazoo County, WisconsinLimited DataMesotrophic

Barton Lake is a mesotrophic lake in Kalamazoo County, MI. Water quality is graded C based on 1 sampling years through 2023. Compared to the 11 other monitored lakes in Kalamazoo County, Barton Lake ranks #9 for water quality.

Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, local state DNR records, last sampled 2023-06-21. Grade methodology: LakeGrade methodology.

Swimming Safety

Generally safe for swimming, moderate water quality

Water Quality Grade: C, Fair

Moderate clarity, visible to about 8 ft. Trophic State Index: 47.

Metric	Value	Grade
Water Clarity (Secchi Depth)	8 ft	C
Phosphorus	No data
Chlorophyll-a (Algae)	No data
Trophic State Index (TSI)	47	Mesotrophic

Moderate nutrients, good water quality

Location

Loading map…

County Ranking

Ranked #9 of 12 lakes in Kalamazoo County

Cleaner Lakes Within 30 Miles

Barton Lake holds Grade C. 4 nearby lakes hold higher grades.

See full comparison →

Nearby Lakes in Kalamazoo County

Gull Lake Central Basin; Ross Township Section 7

Kalamazoo County

Gull Lake

Kalamazoo County

Indian Lake Central Basin; Brady Township

Kalamazoo County

Paw Paw Lake East Central Basin; Texas Township

More Wisconsin Lake Rankings

Cleanest lakes in Wisconsin

Top 25 by overall water quality score

Best swimming lakes in Wisconsin

Grade A/B + low algae filter

Family fishing lakes in Wisconsin

Panfish-rich, public access

All Wisconsin lakes

Full state directory

Other Grade C Lakes in Wisconsin

Shavehead Lake East Basin; Porter Township

Cass County · Clarity: 7 ft

Brooks Lake

Leelanau County · Clarity: 9.5 ft

Van Etten Lake North Central Basin; Oscoda Township

Iosco County · Clarity: 5.5 ft

White Lake

Muskegon County · Clarity: 6.8 ft

Little Lake Twenty

Gladwin County · Clarity: 9 ft

East Twin Lake

Montmorency County · Clarity: 9 ft

Mesotrophic Lakes in Wisconsin

Middle Lake; Elba Township; Section 13 Portage Lake Shavehead Lake East Basin; Porter Township Chippewa Lake Northeast Basin; Chippewa Township

EPA Impairment Status

Barton Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2024 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 5).

Causes of impairment

MercuryPCBs

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

Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit MI040500010503-02 · Official waterbody report

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: 2023-06-21

Monitoring stations: 1