Highland Silver Lake
Madison County, WisconsinHypereutrophic
Highland Silver Lake is a highly nutrient-loaded hypereutrophic lake in Madison County, IL. Water quality is graded F based on 2 sampling years through 2022. Compared to the 1 other monitored lakes in Madison County, Highland Silver Lake ranks #2 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, local state DNR records, last sampled 2022-10-26. 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 1.3 ft of visibility. Phosphorus level: 93.5 µg/L. Trophic State Index: 72.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 1.3 ft | F |
| Phosphorus | 93.5 µg/L | F |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | No data | |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 72 | Hypereutrophic |
Very high nutrients, dense algae, poor clarity
Location
County Ranking
Ranked #2 of 2 lakes in Madison County
Nearby Lakes in Madison County
More Wisconsin Lake Rankings
Other Grade F Lakes in Wisconsin
Hypereutrophic Lakes in Wisconsin
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Highland Silver Lake is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Silver Lake Dam (completed 1962), built primarily for water supply on the EAST FORK SILVER CREEK; earth-type dam, 29 ft tall and 2,780 ft long.
- Normal storage
- 4,224 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 9,945 ac-ft
- Hazard class
- Significant
- Owner
- CITY OF HIGHLAND
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID IL00178 · Operator website
EPA Impairment Status
Highland Silver Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2024 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 5).
Causes of impairment
A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan has been approved.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit IL_ROZA · 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: 2022-10-26
Monitoring stations: 3