What is the water quality grade for Tampier Lake?

Tampier Lake in Cook County, Wisconsin received a water quality grade of F (Very Poor). Water clarity: 2 ft visibility.

Is Tampier Lake safe to swim in?

Avoid swimming, very poor water quality, potential algae toxins. Tampier Lake has an overall water quality grade of F. Always check local health department advisories before swimming.

Tampier Lake

Cook County, WisconsinLimited DataEutrophic

Tampier Lake is a productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Cook County, IL. Water quality is graded F based on 1 sampling years through 2023. Compared to the 67 other monitored lakes in Cook County, Tampier Lake ranks #54 for water quality.

Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, local state DNR records, last sampled 2023-04-19. 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 2 ft of visibility. Trophic State Index: 67.

Metric	Value	Grade
Water Clarity (Secchi Depth)	2 ft	F
Phosphorus	No data
Chlorophyll-a (Algae)	No data
Trophic State Index (TSI)	67	Eutrophic

High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity

Location

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County Ranking

Ranked #54 of 68 lakes in Cook County

Cleaner Lakes Within 30 Miles

Tampier Lake holds Grade F. 4 nearby lakes hold higher grades.

See full comparison →

Nearby Lakes in Cook County

Diversey Harbor Lake

Cook County

Csmi 2015 Station S Lake

More Wisconsin Lake Rankings

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Top 25 by overall water quality score

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Grade A/B + low algae filter

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Panfish-rich, public access

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Other Grade F Lakes in Wisconsin

Salem Lake

Marion County · Clarity: 1 ft

Lake Springfield

Sangamon County · Clarity: 1.5 ft

Vandalia Lake

Fayette County · Clarity: 1.3 ft

Holiday Shores Lake

Madison County · Clarity: 1.7 ft

Sam Dale Lake

Wayne County · Clarity: 1.2 ft

Raccoon Lake

Marion County · Clarity: 1.2 ft

Eutrophic Lakes in Wisconsin

Long Lake Lake of Egypt Vienna Correctional Center Lake One Horse Gap Lake

Reservoir Info (USACE NID)

Tampier Lake is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Tampier Lake Dam (completed 1964), built primarily for recreation on the TRIB LONG RUN CREEK; gravity-type dam, 9 ft tall and 240 ft long.

Normal storage: 668 ac-ft
Max storage: 859 ac-ft
Hazard class: Significant
Owner: FOREST PRESERVE DISTRICT OF COOK COUNTY

Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID IL00866 · Operator website

EPA Impairment Status

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

Causes of impairment

Nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen)Turbidity

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

Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit IL_RGZO · 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: 2023-04-19

Monitoring stations: 1