Lake Virginia (DNR ID: 10-0015-00)
Sampling Location - GPS Coordinates: Surface Area: 113 acres Max. Depth: 34 ft
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From State Hwy 7 just west of Excelsior, take Smithtown Road North half a mile to the parking lot and boat ramp on the right side of the road. The public boat access does not have a dock, but does have a standard concrete launching ramp.
Lake Virginia is a dimictic class 2B lake protected for aquatic life and recreation. Limited water quality information is available beginning in 1977, but regular seasonal sampling did not begin until 2002. It is currently listed as an impaired water body by the MPCA for mercury in fish tissues. MCWD staff have been monitoring the lake on a bi-weekly basis from the time of ice out (April) to the time of fall mixing (mid-October) since 2006.
Currently not available.
2008 Water Quality Monitoring
Monitoring season started in early May and ended in late October. A YSI multi-probe sonde was used to measure dissolved oxygen (DO), temperature (oC), pH, and specific conductivity (µS/cm) at each meter depth from the water surface to the bottom. Water samples were collected at one meter below the water surface and one meter from the bottom. Surface sample parameters analyzed included total phosphorus (TP), total nitrogen (TN), and soluble reactive phosphorus (SRP). Surface concentrations of chlorophyll-a were also analyzed and measurements of Secchi disc depth were recorded. Thermocline and bottom samples were analyzed for TP and SRP.| 2008 Summer Water Quality Summary |
| Parameters | Range | Mean | TSI Value | Lake Grade |
| Months | June - Sept. | May - Sept. | ||
| Secchi Depth (m) | 1.0 - 2.8 | 1.9 | 51 | C |
| Surface TP (µg/L) | 22 - 370 | 75.7 | 67 | D |
| Chlorophyll-a (µg/L) | 12 - 65 | 29.6 | 64 | C |
| Overall Score | 60 | C- |
The following summary refers to Figure 5.5 (a-d).
- Secchi disk depth fluctuated between 1 m and 2.8 m from May to August. The remainder of the season, secchi disk depth increased from 1 m to 2.1 m.
- Chlorophyll-a concentrations were equal to or below the standard (< 15 µg/L) for most of the season. Early May, August and early October had chlorophyll-a concentrations that were 2 to 4 times over the standard limit.
- Surface TP concentrations were between 22 µg/L and 72 µg/L for most of the season. Concentrations peaked in late August at about 9 times the standard limit (< 40 µg/L) for TP. Surface SRP concentrations remained below detection limits except in late September (6 µg/L) and October (15 µg/L).
- Both bottom TP and SRP concentrations gradually increased throughout the majority of season until late October when both concentrations slightly decreased.
Lake Grades and Historical Monitoring Summaries
When available, previous reports are linked to applicable year. Additional lake data previous to 2007 may be available in the applicable year's hydrodata report. If you have additional questions or you are looking for specific information please contact MCWD's Water Quality Staff.
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