Prairie Rose Lake
Shelby County, WisconsinHypereutrophic
Prairie Rose Lake is a 200-acre highly nutrient-loaded hypereutrophic lake in Shelby County, IA. Water quality is graded F based on 2 sampling years through 2024. Compared to the 5 other monitored lakes in Shelby County, Prairie Rose Lake ranks #2 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, local state DNR records, last sampled 2024-09-05. 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 1.6 ft of visibility. Chlorophyll-a: 73.6 µg/L. Trophic State Index: 72.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 1.6 ft | F |
| Phosphorus | No data | |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 73.6 µg/L | F |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 72 | Hypereutrophic |
Very high nutrients, dense algae, poor clarity
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Surface Area | 200 acres |
Location
County Ranking
Ranked #2 of 6 lakes in Shelby County
Cleaner Lakes Within 30 Miles
Prairie Rose Lake holds Grade F. 2 nearby lakes hold higher grades.
- DCold Springs LakeCass County · 22.6 mi · Higher grade (F → D)
- DManteno LakeShelby County · 21.4 mi · Higher grade (F → D)
Nearby Lakes in Shelby County
More Wisconsin Lake Rankings
Other Grade F Lakes in Wisconsin
Hypereutrophic Lakes in Wisconsin
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Prairie Rose Lake is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Prairie Rose Lake Dam (completed 1960), built primarily for recreation on the TR-EAST BR WEST NISHNABOTA; earth-type dam, 55 ft tall and 950 ft long.
- Surface area
- 200 ac
- Normal storage
- 3,602 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 6,824 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 6.95 sq mi
- Hazard class
- Significant
- Owner
- Iowa Department of Natural Resources
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID IA01008 · Operator website
EPA Impairment Status
Prairie Rose Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2024 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 4A).
Causes of impairment
A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan has been approved.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit IA 05-NSH-1462 · 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: 2024-09-05
Monitoring stations: 1