Lake Assessment Program 1989 - Sand Hill Lake, Polk County, Minnesota

Sand Hill Lake is located about five miles south of Posston, Minnesota. With a surface area of about 498 acres it is in the upper 10 percent of lakes in the State in terms of size (MDNR, 1968). The watershed of Sand Hill Lake is approximately five square miles and is characterized by primarily pasture (44 percent), forest (21 percent) and cultivated (23 percent) land uses. The water quality of Sand Hill Lake, as measured in 1989, was quite good. Total phosphorus averaged 30 ug/l and ranged between 14-40 ug/l. Chlorophyll concentrations averaged 5.1 ug/l with a maximum of 8.6 ug/l. Secchi transparency averaged 6.6 feet (2.0 m). All these values fell within a range typical for representative, minimally-impacted lakes of the North Central Hardwood Forests ecoregion.