National Lakes Assessment 2012 Lake specific reports: Lakes on the Tamarac National Wildlife Refuge

Minnesota routinely participates in the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) national random surveys of lakes, streams, wetlands, and estuaries. These surveys occur on a rotating five-year basis. In the first National Lakes Assessment (NLA) in 2007, Minnesota received 42 lakes as a part of the national draw and added eight lakes to allow for state-based assessment. Several partnerships were established to help conduct the survey and prominent partners included Minnesota Departments of Natural Resources and Agriculture and the US Forest Service (Superior National Forest). With aid of these partners, there were several significant add-ons to the national study. In 2012, these same partners and collaborations with the Red Lake and White Earth Bands contributed to a successful survey of Minnesota's lakes. Notable add-ons in 2012 included pesticides, emerging contaminants, and zooplankton. These brief reports address the two lakes in the Tamarac Wildlife Refuge that were included in the 2012 NLA: Flat Lake (3-0242, MN-120) and Unnamed Lake (3-0236, MN-281).