Center Lake IA 06-LSR-1663

Assessment Comments

Assessment is based on monitoring by ISU in 1990 as part of the Clean Lakes Classification study and on results of surveys by IDNR Fisheries Bureau.

Basis for Assessment

Lake was assessed as FST for both the 1992 report and the 1994 report for the following reasons:  (1) DNR Fisheries believes that fishable/swimmable uses are FST, (2) results of monitoring in 1990 show that average levels of total-P, chl-a, and TSS are slightly better than overall means for the 116 SPOLs sampled in 1990 and 1992; the average level of secchi depth is slightly worse than the overall mean.   All averages were within the overall means +/- 1 SD.   Thus, this lake has slightly better than average water quality for SPOLs in Iowa, and (3) lake has relatively low sedimentation rate (0.3 cm/yr) and does not have problems with fishkills.   The average to slightly worse than average water quality is likely due to naturally occurring shallowness that prevents thermal stratification.