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LakeQuality

Kitching Creek Stormwater Basin Effluent Lake

C
Grade C — Fair
Fair · #1 of 5 lakes in the county · Eutrophic · from D
Limited DataEutrophic

Kitching Creek Stormwater Basin Effluent Lake in Martin County, Florida has a water quality grade of C (Fair). Phosphorus: 59 µg/L.

Typical in August
85°F
Type
Eutrophic
Trend
Improving

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Kitching Creek Stormwater Basin Effluent Lake is a productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Martin County, Florida. Water quality is graded C based on 1 sampling years through 2024. Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. Compared to the 4 other monitored lakes in Martin County, Kitching Creek Stormwater Basin Effluent Lake ranks #1 for water quality.

Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, FDEP, last sampled 2024-11-14. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.

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Swimming Safety

Grade only

Bacteria F · advisory

Based on clarity and algae grades from past sampling — we do not hold live water temperature and a current cyanobacteria reading for this lake. Check your state or county health department before you swim.

F
Bacteria swim-safety grade: F
from E. coli testing · 20 samples, 7 seasons

Based on E. coli testing, Kitching Creek Stormwater Basin Effluent Lake routinely exceeded the EPA safe-swimming threshold (235 MPN/100mL) — on 30% of 20 samples across 7 seasons.

This is a historical summary of past testing, not a current condition — bacteria levels change quickly, especially after rain. Always check Florida’s current beach and health-department advisories before swimming.

Get alerts for Kitching Creek Stormwater Basin Effluent Lake

Water Quality Grade: C (Fair)

No clarity data. Phosphorus level: 59 µg/L. Trophic State Index: 63.

MetricValueGrade
Water Clarity (Secchi Depth)No recent samples
Phosphorus59 µg/LFair
Chlorophyll-a (Algae)No recent samples
Trophic State Index (TSI)63Eutrophic

High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity

Where to stay near Kitching Creek Stormwater Basin Effluent Lake

Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Kitching Creek Stormwater Basin Effluent Lake in Martin County, Florida — live availability and prices for your trip. Switch the map to Satellite to see the lake and how close each stay is to the water.

Top-rated places to stay near Kitching Creek Stormwater Basin Effluent Lake

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Planning a whole trip? See where to stay at Florida’s top lakes →

Water Temperature

Kitching Creek Stormwater Basin Effluent Lake typically sits around 85°F at the surface in August. Summer average is about 85°F. Usually warmest in Jun (about 85°F) and coldest in Mar (about 68°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.

Jan
70°
Feb
Mar
68°
Apr
May
81°
Jun
85°
Jul
Aug
85°
Sep
Oct
Nov
75°
Dec

Typical surface water temperature by month, from 22 field readings (20172019) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Kitching Creek Stormwater Basin Effluent Lake water temperature breakdown →

Fishing Kitching Creek Stormwater Basin Effluent Lake

Based on 5 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).

MetricTrendChange/YearYears
Phosphorus Improving-14.54 µg/L/yr5
See year-by-year chart →

EPA Impairment Status

Kitching Creek Stormwater Basin Effluent Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2022 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 5).

Causes of impairment

Oxygen depletion (low DO)Pathogens (E. coli, fecal)

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

Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit FL3224B · Official waterbody report · Matched by proximity (1.72 km)

Regulated Pollution Sources Nearby

1 EPA-permitted facility operate within about 5 miles of Kitching Creek Stormwater Basin Effluent Lake under Clean Water Act (NPDES) discharge permits. 1 facility has a reported Clean Water Act violation in the past three years.

  • South Martin Regional Utility - Ro Wtp Discharge Facility
    Hobe Sound · 2.9 mi away · NPDES FL0184152
    Recent violation

Facilities permitted to discharge under the Clean Water Act within ~5 miles; proximity does not by itself mean a facility affects this lake. Source: EPA ECHO (ICIS-NPDES), as of 2026-07.

County Ranking

Ranked #1 of 5 lakes in Martin County

Nearby Lakes in Martin County

Frequently asked questions about Kitching Creek Stormwater Basin Effluent Lake

Where is Kitching Creek Stormwater Basin Effluent Lake?

Kitching Creek Stormwater Basin Effluent Lake is a lake in Martin County, Florida. LakeQuality grades it C for nutrients and algae. The letter is not a swimming clearance.

What is the water quality grade for Kitching Creek Stormwater Basin Effluent Lake?

Kitching Creek Stormwater Basin Effluent Lake in Martin County, Florida has a water quality grade of C (Fair). Phosphorus: 59 µg/L.

Is Kitching Creek Stormwater Basin Effluent Lake safe to swim in?

Based on E. coli testing, Kitching Creek Stormwater Basin Effluent Lake routinely exceeded the EPA safe-swimming threshold (235 MPN/100mL) — on 30% of 20 samples across 7 seasons. That works out to a bacteria swim-safety grade of F — a historical summary of past testing, not a current reading. Kitching Creek Stormwater Basin Effluent Lake has a water quality grade of C (Fair). Bacteria levels can spike quickly after heavy rain, so always check Florida's current beach and health-department advisories before you swim.

What is the water temperature of Kitching Creek Stormwater Basin Effluent Lake?

Kitching Creek Stormwater Basin Effluent Lake typically sits around 85°F at the surface in August, from 22 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2017–2019). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.

Where this data comes from

12 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2020–2024. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.

Collected and reported by

  • Submitting organization not recorded for these samples12 samples · 2020–2024
Monitoring station identifiers (1)

Grade thresholds from the EPA National Lakes Assessment (EPA 841-R-24-006, Table 6-3), applied by ecoregion. See how grades are calculated and data sources.

Other records on this page

Impairment status from EPA ATTAINS 303(d) database

Regulated discharger data from EPA ECHO (ICIS-NPDES)