Bertha Lake - 18-0256-00 Lake Water Quality

Bertha Lake is located 6 miles northeast of Pequot Lakes, MN in Crow Wing County. It is an oval lake covering 337 acres (Table 1). Bertha Lake doesn't have any stream inlets or outlets, but it has connections with Whitefish Lake and Clamshell Lake. The Whitefish Lake Chain is a reservoir system controlled by a dam in Cross Lake. Water quality data have been collected on Bertha Lake from 1975-2011 (Tables 2 & 3). These data show that the lake is eutrophic (TSI = 43) with clear water conditions most of the summer and excellent recreational opportunities. Bertha Lake is part of the Whitefish Area Property Owners Association. The Whitefish Area Property Owners Association has been active since 1970. Their mission statement is "to promote environmental stewardship throughout the Whitefish area and the Pine River Watershed". The Association has been involved in numerous activities including water quality monitoring, education, state regulations, fishing and supporting local business.