Garner Lake

Garner Lake earns an F: 121 µg/L of phosphorus and clarity at 1.3 ft signal heavy nutrient loading from the surrounding watershed. The three sub-grades — clarity, phosphorus, and chlorophyll-a — track close together, so no single parameter is dragging the average.

The hypereutrophic status — TSI 73 — reflects sustained heavy nutrient loading from the surrounding watershed and frequent algal pressure. At only 8 ft deep, Garner Lake is shallow — wind keeps the water column mixed and sediment resuspension drives phosphorus levels harder to manage. Garner Lake is small — 13 acres alongside partial shoreline records — which makes it sensitive to even modest changes in watershed runoff or recreational pressure. Garner Lake ranks 2 of 2 in Richland County — at the lower end of the locally monitored distribution.

Eurasian watermilfoil has been documented at Garner Lake, requiring shoreline management to keep dense mats from crowding native vegetation. The fishery is bass-led, with 4 documented species across the lake's records. Public access is available — the lake is on the Wisconsin DNR public-access list. The grade is based on limited monitoring — fewer than three independent measurement years contribute, so future updates may shift the letter.