High Island Creek Assessment Project


High Island Lake
	Introduction High Island Lake is located on the western edge of New Auburn in the central area of the watershed. An island in the lake is the inspiration for the naming of High Island Creek. This 1,634 acre lake is located in a watershed of 8,393 acres with a watershed to lake ratio of 6:1. This watershed can get much bigger when High Island Creek backs up into the lake during high levels of water. There is a maximum lake depth of 9 feet. Agricultural is the primary land use in the lake watershed. A special report in 1949 recorded a maximum depth of 7.5 feet with an average of 5 feet. They found 0 to 18 inches of silt deposits throughout the lake bottom with an average of 8.4 feet.
	The MN Department of Natural Resources conducted a Lake Survey Report for High Island Lake in 1958. This thorough survey determined existing physical and biological conditions. The lake has an average depth of 4 - 7 feet and a maximum depth of 9 feet. There is a dam on the south shoreline of the lake and sits at 990.029 feet mean sea level by sea level datum of 1929. This outlet dam was installed in 1939 at the confluence of High Island Outlet and High Island Creek. The shoreline has steep rocky banks along the east and west sides with marshy lowlands on the south end. Water Level Data (MN DNR): * Highest Known Level: 996.08 on June 19, 1943 * Lowest Recorded Level: 988.84 on April 19, 1990 * Average Level: 992.76 * Recorded Range: 7.24

	For more information on water quality data www.dnr.state.mn.us/lakefind/index.html Type in High Island Lake and Sibley County in the first two boxes and hit Get Lake Data.
	Water Quality Concerns The water quality in High Island Lake is among the poorest in the region with total phosphorus measurements as high as 380 parts per billion. In the 1996 305 (b) report to Congress, High Island Lake was listed as impaired (non-supporting) and hypereutrophic. According to MPCA, the lake has poor water quality with a Carlson Trophic Index score of 79, a mean Secchi disk of 0.3 meters and ranked in the lowest (poorest) 15th percentile of lakes in the Western Corn Belt Ecoregion of Minnesota. Winter fish kills are common. In 2001 two water quality studies were conducted on High Island Lake in partnership with Sibley County and the High Island Creek Watershed Assessment Project. One study concentrated on determining the major surface sources of nutrients into the lake and where water flowing out of the lake is a significant source of nutrients to High Island Creek. The study found the lake contributed little Fecal Coliform Bacteria or Nitrate-Nitrite-Nitrogen to the creek, but higher levels of Total Phosphorus. For more information see High Island Lake Coring Results Summary A sedimentary analyses were performed on seven cores taken from High Island Lake in October of 2001. According to the report, "The overall goal was to assess the historical impact of cultural development on High Island Lake, estimate the rate of sediment accumulation from ca. 1850 to present, and describe the distribution of accumulated sediment. In January of 2004, MN DNR Biologists begin to meet with local citizens interested in improving water quality and recreation use of High Island Lake. According to the biologists, improvements in water quality will be difficult to achieve in this lake and needs to see improvements in the surrounding landscape including restoring wetlands. installing grass buffers and the implementation of other Best Management Practices. Ultimately the lake will benefit from the efforts of local citizens to implement BMPs.

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