Lake Assessment Notes 1997 - Lake Orono, Sherburne County

The following assessment was prepared based on existing MPCA, U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), and consultant data at the request of the City of Elk River. Water quality data from a 1994 MPCA survey was used to characterize the condition of Lake Orono. During that survey samples were collected at two sites on the lake (Figure 1). Citizen Lake Monitoring Program (CLMP) data are available as well for comparison. These data will be compared to reference lake data from reference lakes in the North Central Hardwoods Forest (NCHF) ecoregion. Available data for Lake Orono from STORET, USEPA's water quality data base, are appendixed. Lake Orono is located on the mainstem of the Elk River. With a maximum depth of 18 feet it is a very shallow lake (Table 1). The entire drainage of the Elk River, which is approximately 630 square miles, represents the majority of its watershed. This results in a very large watershed to lake surface ratio of about 1,260: 1. Lakes with large watersheds relative to their size often receive very high water and nutrient loadings.