Minnetonka and Christmas lake water quality reports

[scubadog76]

This was in the St. Louis Park Sun newspaper. If you were planning to dive Jenning Bay for the clean-up dive, you may want to throw on a 2nd dry suit :

Lake Minnetonka water-quality grades released


by joe kieser - sun newspapers
(Created: Wednesday, June 4, 2008 2:39 PM CDT)


Planning to swim in Lake Minnetonka this summer? Try Carson's Bay, but avoid Jenning's Bay.

The Minnehaha Creek Watershed District released its 2007 water-quality grades just in time for the water-recreation season.

The MCWD tested water quality at 30 spots on Lake Minnetonka and several other lakes in the watershed. Water clarity, nutrient levels and algae growth were measured to determine the grade.

The MCWD gave each tested water body a grade between A and F. Generally, water-quality grades remained consistent with 2006 results.

Christmas Lake was the only water body tested to receive an A grade, but several received B grades. Water bodies receiving an A grade have been determined by the MCDW to be "crystal, clear, beautiful" lakes. Water bodies receiving a B grade "generally have good water quality, but algae may limit swimming toward the end of summer."

Water bodies given a C grade are considered "typical" lakes in the seven-county metro area. They are not considered ideal for swimming, boating and fishing due to algae growth. Water bodies receiving grades of D or F are considered to have "severe algae problems" and are limited for recreation use.

Several areas of Lake Minnetonka received D grades. Jenning's Bay was the only water body to receive an F grade. Jenning's Bay received a D grade in 2006.

Algae plays a big factor in water quality of water quality. The hotter and dryer the weather, the more algae typically grows explained Udai Singh, a MCDW water-quality specialist.

Although last summer was dry, he said, healthy rainfalls in August and September might have limited algae growth.

"Typically, we would expect water quality, as measured by our lake grades, to go down in a drought-type situation, but with the unprecedented rainfall during the months of August and September, it's too difficult to sort out the influence of year-to-year precipitation variation on the overall water quality grade," he said.

Lake Minnetonka sites receiving B grades included Carman Bay, Carson's Bay, Crystal Bay, Gray's Bay, Lafayette Bay, Lower Lake North, Lower Lake South/Gale Island, Phelp's Bay, Smithtown Bay, Spring Park Bay, St. Alban's Bay, Wayzata Bay and West Upper Lake.

Several other spots on Lake Minnetonka received D grades - Forest Lake, Halsted's Bay, Harrison's Bay, Tanager Lake and West Arm. Upper watershed lakes, including Gleason's Lake, Langdon Lake, Parley Lake and Wasserman Lake, also received D grades.

The MCWD is monitoring the watershed again for its 2008 water-quality grades.

For a complete list of the 2007 MCWD water-quality grades, visit

[aknelsonone]

Any diving report about Christmas Lake

Andreas

[LKunze]

I'd be curious as well.  I am skeptical of the A grade.  I've done dives in Christmas twice and the best viz I saw there was about 8 feet in Early May.  The second time Jason and I went there in July and the viz was zero!

[arcFlash]

Ice dive on Christmas lake, 12-15ft. Past that big blobs. 20 feet was "um, that's a dark spot, I wonder...."

[jasondbaker]

I'm not going back to Christmas lake in the summer -- ever.

[popolarbear]

very interesting grading for the lakes. first time ive seen this report. my comparison of my own experience. tonkas water quality will fluctuate based on the amount of boating trafic that stirs up nutrients and causes algae blooms(also kills turtles). this years been bad. if you go to the inside weed line(fishing term for shore to weeds) then you might find clear water. there are some spots out on tonka with vis in the 8+ft range. i anchor my 17ft boat and can see fish swimming from the bow to the back. but its not so much the spot as the conditions. like the wind direction, and traffic. another great spot i know is this private local comunity beach, before anyone shows up it is unreal, but once other kids show up it over.

i did agree with the how calhoun compared to the rest of the metro lakes, it is on track to be one of our clearest lakes. deep divers might not agree, but im mainly a shallow snorkler, and the shallows that i frequent on this lake are amoung our clearest. very low amounts of fillemantaous algae also.

[popolarbear]

oh as to ice diving. tonka and several of the other metro lakes im sure get 15-20ft vis by ice up. late fall ive seen the water crystalize as the algae slows up. and on rare years with no wind in spring, sometimes there can be this weird bloom of diaphnia that will clear the lake for a short 7days or so. clouds of red daphnia will gobble up every floating plankton. very very cool to see.