Sands Timber Lake
Taylor County, WisconsinHypereutrophic
Sands Timber Lake is a 70-acre highly nutrient-loaded hypereutrophic lake in Taylor County, IA. Water quality is graded F based on 2 sampling years through 2022. Compared to the 3 other monitored lakes in Taylor County, Sands Timber Lake ranks #1 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, local state DNR records, last sampled 2022-09-06. 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 1.8 ft of visibility. Chlorophyll-a: 70.1 µg/L. Trophic State Index: 70.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 1.8 ft | F |
| Phosphorus | No data | |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 70.1 µg/L | F |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 70 | Hypereutrophic |
Very high nutrients, dense algae, poor clarity
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Surface Area | 70 acres |
Location
County Ranking
Ranked #1 of 4 lakes in Taylor County
Cleaner Lakes Within 30 Miles
Sands Timber Lake holds Grade F. One nearby lake has a higher grade.
See full comparison →Nearby Lakes in Taylor County
More Wisconsin Lake Rankings
Other Grade F Lakes in Wisconsin
Hypereutrophic Lakes in Wisconsin
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Sands Timber Lake is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Blockton Watershed Site S-5 (completed 1993), built primarily for flood risk reduction on the TR-PLATTE RIVER; earth-type dam, 41 ft tall and 1,170 ft long.
- Surface area
- 70 ac
- Normal storage
- 435 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 3,021 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 6.4 sq mi
- Hazard class
- Significant
- Owner
- Taylor County SWCD
All listed purposes: Flood Risk Reduction;Recreation.
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID IA02665 · Operator website · Matched by proximity (0.06 km)
EPA Impairment Status
Sands Timber Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2024 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 5).
Causes of impairment
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit IA 05-PLA-2064 · Official waterbody report · Matched by proximity (0.48 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: 2022-09-06
Monitoring stations: 1