Water Quality Data
WICOLA volunteers have been collecting Secchi Disk (water clarity) readings throughout our chain for over 15 years.
In 2005, we expanded our efforts to include collecting water samples from five different locations, shipping the samples to RMB Environmental Laboratories to determine levels of phosphorus and chlorophyl-a.
In 2006 we purchased an instrument and began taking readings of pH, dissolved
oxygen and temperature at one meterdepth intervals, in addition to the samples collected for lab analysis.
In 2008 we again expanded our program, and in conjunction with the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, sampled for twenty different heavy metals
on White Iron and Birch Lakes.
Data can be retrieved at the RMB web site. Click on "Lakes Program", then "Lakes Data". There are many options from there, just select the County then a specific lake or lakes. Remember that although White Iron spans both counties, it is considered to be in St. Louis.
For more than you ever wanted to know about Secchi Disks or Trophic State Index (TSI), go to DIP-IN.
Click to enlarge photos
