Lake Assessment Program 1992 - Perkins Lake, Steven County, Minnesota

Perkins Lake is located in Stevens County north of Morris, Minnesota. It has a surface area of about 519 acres and a maximum depth of 13 feet. Perkins Lake is located on the Pome de Terre River and, as such, has a very large watershed (~ 400 square miles). Perkins Lake is located in the Northern Glaciated Plans ecoregion (38 percent), the upper watershed (63 percent) and water and marsh (! 16 percent) This land use composition is fairly typical for lakes in this region of the state. The lakes and wetlands in the watershed serve to trap nutrients and sediments arising from the watershed. Perkins Lake was surveyed during the summer of 1992 by the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) staff, and the citizens from the Perkins Lake Improvement Association. Water quality data collected during the study reveal a mean total phosphorus concentration of 113 ug/L, mean chlorophyll a of 22 ug/L and Secchi transparency of 1.4 feet. These values are fairly comparable to those values exhibited by the representative minimally-impacted lakes in the Northern Glaciated Plains ecoregion. Total phosphorus, chlorophyll a and Secchi transparency help to characterize the trophic statue of a lake. For Perkins Lake, these measures indicate hypereutrophic conditions.