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Quigley Lake

Dakota County, MinnesotaHypereutrophic

On the LakeGrade rubric Quigley Lake fails the cutoffs — a TSI of 71 and persistent algal pressure put it in the bottom tier. clarity and phosphorus rate similarly, so there is no obvious single lever to pull on watershed management.

A TSI above 70 puts Quigley Lake in hypereutrophic territory: visible blooms are common, and clarity rarely climbs even in early summer. 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. Within the 36 graded lakes of Dakota County, Quigley Lake sits at rank 34, near the bottom of the county list.

No invasive species are currently listed at Quigley Lake — the lake remains off the Minnesota infested-waters roster. The state fisheries records do not list documented species for Quigley Lake, which usually reflects a lack of formal fisheries survey work rather than an empty lake. No formal public access is documented at Quigley Lake — most use is by shoreline residents and their guests. Monitoring depth is thin here: the LakeGrade rubric is applied to a small number of sample years, and the grade will be revised as more data accumulates.

Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2022-09-08. Grade methodology: LakeGrade methodology.

Reviewed by LakeQuality Editorial Team · Updated

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Swimming Safety

Avoid swimming, very poor water quality, potential algae toxins

Water Quality Grade: F, Very Poor

Very murky, less than 2 ft of visibility. Phosphorus level: 141 µg/L. Trophic State Index: 71.

MetricValueGrade
Water Clarity (Secchi Depth)2 ftF
Phosphorus141 µg/LF
Chlorophyll-a (Algae)No data
Trophic State Index (TSI)71Hypereutrophic

Very high nutrients, dense algae, poor clarity

Water Quality Trend: Declining

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

MetricTrendChange/YearYears
Water Clarity Declining-0.151 m/yr5
Phosphorus Declining+2.8 µg/L/yr5
Chlorophyll-a Declining+0.4 µg/L/yr2
See year-by-year chart →

Location

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County Ranking

Ranked #34 of 36 lakes in Dakota County

Cleaner Lakes Within 30 Miles

Quigley Lake holds Grade F. 5 nearby lakes hold higher grades.

See full comparison →

Nearby Lakes in Dakota County

Hypereutrophic Lakes in Minnesota

EPA Impairment Status

Quigley Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2024 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 4A).

Causes of impairment

Nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen)

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

Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit MN19-0066-00 · Official waterbody report · Matched by proximity (0.45 km)

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: 2022-09-08

Monitoring stations: 1