What is the water quality grade for Niagara Dam Lake?

Niagara Dam Lake in Grand Forks County, Wisconsin received a water quality grade of F (Very Poor). Water clarity: 1 ft visibility. Surface area: 16 acres.

Is Niagara Dam Lake safe to swim in?

Avoid swimming, very poor water quality, potential algae toxins. Niagara Dam Lake has an overall water quality grade of F. Always check local health department advisories before swimming.

Niagara Dam Lake

Grand Forks County, WisconsinLimited DataHypereutrophic

Niagara Dam Lake is a 16-acre highly nutrient-loaded hypereutrophic lake in Grand Forks County, ND. Water quality is graded F based on 1 sampling years through 2025. Compared to the 3 other monitored lakes in Grand Forks County, Niagara Dam Lake ranks #4 for water quality.

Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, local state DNR records, last sampled 2025-10-13. 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 ft of visibility. Trophic State Index: 77.

Metric	Value	Grade
Water Clarity (Secchi Depth)	1 ft	F
Phosphorus	No data
Chlorophyll-a (Algae)	No data
Trophic State Index (TSI)	77	Hypereutrophic

Very high nutrients, dense algae, poor clarity

Lake Details

Characteristic	Value
Surface Area	16 acres

Location

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County Ranking

Ranked #4 of 4 lakes in Grand Forks County

Cleaner Lakes Within 30 Miles

Niagara Dam Lake holds Grade F. 4 nearby lakes hold higher grades.

See full comparison →

Nearby Lakes in Grand Forks County

More Wisconsin Lake Rankings

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Top 25 by overall water quality score

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Grade A/B + low algae filter

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Panfish-rich, public access

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Other Grade F Lakes in Wisconsin

J. Clark Salyer Pool 357

Bottineau County · Clarity: 2.2 ft

Western Stump Lake

Nelson County · Clarity: 4.3 ft

Morrison Lake

Ramsey County · Clarity: 1.9 ft

Eastern Stump Lake

Nelson County · Clarity: 4.7 ft

Mchugh Slough Lake

Nelson County · Clarity: 1.6 ft

Buffalo Lake

Pierce County · Clarity: 0.3 ft

Hypereutrophic Lakes in Wisconsin

Dry Lake Morrison Lake Sweetwater Lake Mchugh Slough Lake

Reservoir Info (USACE NID)

Niagara Dam Lake is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Niagra Township Dam 2 (completed 1935), built primarily for recreation on the North Branch Turtle River-TR; earth-type dam, 23 ft tall and 300 ft long.

Surface area: 16 ac
Normal storage: 120.8 ac-ft
Max storage: 243 ac-ft
Drainage area: 2.9 sq mi
Hazard class: Low
Owner: Grand Forks County WRB

Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID ND00406 · Operator website · Matched by proximity (0.18 km)

Data Sources

Water quality data from the EPA Water Quality Portal

Grading methodology based on Metropolitan Council standards

Most recent sample: 2025-10-13

Monitoring stations: 1