• Fivemile Lake has less-clear water, with moderate nutrient concentrations and high algal growth. Fivemile Lake had some of the shallowest Secchi depths in the Lake Stewardship Program.
• Chlorophyll concentrations have increased over time, which is often due to increasing nutrients. However, nitrogen concentrations have decreased and there has been no evident trend in phosphorus concentrations. Changes in other factors besides nutrients may be affecting algal growth.
• The trend in Secchi depths is too small to be considered ecologically significant. In addition, a small Secchi trend might be due to factors such as the time of day or the individual observer, rather than any actual changes in water clarity.
• No algal blooms were reported for toxin testing in 2023.
This bathymetric map shows contour lines of equal depth, similar to a topographic map would for mountains and valleys. The red 'X' marks the location where water quality samples are taken.
This map shows the area of the watershed relative to the area of the lake. Generally speaking, the larger a watershed is relative to a lake, the greater the influence land use practices on lake water quality.
The average of these three TSI indicators during the growing season can be used
to place lakes in one of three broad categories:
<40 = oligotrophic (low productivity),
40 to 50 = mesotrophic (moderate productivity)
>50 = eutrophic (highly productive).
