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LakeQuality
D

Spring Lake

Cherokee County, WisconsinEutrophic

Spring Lake is a 15-acre productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Cherokee County, IA. Water quality is graded D based on 2 sampling years through 2022.

Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, local state DNR records, last sampled 2022-09-12. Grade methodology: LakeGrade methodology.

Swimming Safety

Swimming not recommended, poor water quality with high algae risk

Water Quality Grade: D, Poor

Very murky, less than 2.5 ft of visibility. Chlorophyll-a: 25.1 µg/L. Trophic State Index: 63.

MetricValueGrade
Water Clarity (Secchi Depth)2.5 ftF
PhosphorusNo data
Chlorophyll-a (Algae)25.1 µg/LD
Trophic State Index (TSI)63Eutrophic

High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity

Lake Details

CharacteristicValue
Surface Area15 acres

Location

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County Ranking

Ranked #1 of 1 lakes in Cherokee County

Cleaner Lakes Within 30 Miles

Spring Lake holds Grade D. 5 nearby lakes hold higher grades.

See full comparison →

Nearby Lakes in Cherokee County

D
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Little Sioux Park Lake
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Moorehead Lake
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Gustafson Lake
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Eutrophic Lakes in Wisconsin

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Reservoir Info (USACE NID)

Spring Lake is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Spring Lake Dam, built primarily for recreation on the Unnamed trib to Little Sioux River; earth-type dam, 8 ft tall and 100 ft long.

Surface area
15 ac
Normal storage
57 ac-ft
Max storage
100 ac-ft
Drainage area
300 sq mi
Hazard class
Low
Owner
Cherokee City Parks Board

Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID IA04319 · Operator website

EPA Impairment Status

Spring Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2024 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 5).

Causes of impairment

Turbidity

Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit IA 06-LSR-1569 · 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: 2022-09-12

Monitoring stations: 1