North Lake 1

North Lake 1 earns a C — middle-of-the-pack water quality, with one or two parameters dragging the average down from a stronger grade. Phosphorus is the parameter holding the grade back — runoff from the surrounding watershed appears to keep nutrient levels elevated through the summer.

A TSI near 47 places North Lake 1 in the mesotrophic band — moderate productivity, with seasonal swings between clearer spring water and richer late-summer conditions. The lake's maximum depth is not yet documented in state morphometric records — context for its physical structure remains limited. The lake's surface area is not consistently recorded across state datasets — physical context remains partial. Among the 10 graded lakes in Goodhue County, North Lake 1 sits at rank 4, above the county median.

Zebra mussels have been documented at North Lake 1, which alters the filter-feeding balance and can paradoxically increase water clarity while disrupting the food web. The state fisheries records do not list documented species for North Lake 1, which usually reflects a lack of formal fisheries survey work rather than an empty lake. Public access is available — the lake is on the Minnesota PCA public-access list. Multiple sampling years from Minnesota PCA volunteers and partner agencies back the grade, so the letter should hold steady absent a major watershed shift.