WQ – Lakes – Phosphorus

This data layer indicates Lake Phosphorus levels in micrograms per liter. It was developed by the Natural Resources Research Institute using data from the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency. The concentration of total phosphorus, chlorophyll and Secchi depth are the three components used to assess lake trophic status or health. Phosphorus is often the nutrient in most limited supply and thus the nutrient most likely to limit the productivity of plants and algae in lakes and streams. Metrics were calculated using the 10-year average for samples collected from May through September. The average is recalculated annually.