Lake Pahoja IA 06-BSR-1532

Assessment Comments

Monitored in 1990 by ISU as part of Clean Lakes Classification study (1994).

Basis for Assessment

Both fishable and swimmable uses were assessed as FST for the following reasons:  (1) BPJ of DNR Fisheries; (2) results of monitoring in 1990 show that average levels of secchi depth, chl-a, and TSS are worse than overall means for the 116 SPOLs sampled in 1990 and 1992 but are within +/- 1 SD of the overall mean; the level of total-P (0.483 mg/l) is worse than the overall mean + 1 SD; thus, WQ of this lake tends toward the poor range of SPOLs in Iowa but is not among the poorest.  (3) Bachmann et al.  (1994) report relatively high numbers for swimming and fishing uses at the lake; (4) lake does not have problems with fishkills.   Thus, the lake supports fishing and swimming uses but is definitely threatened by sediment and nutrients eroded from the nearly 90 % of the watershed in cropland.