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LAKES
A lake is a body of water, but it is also much more. A lake is an ecosystem, a biological community of interaction among animals, plants, and microorganisms, as well as the physical and chemical environment in which they live. Lakes are interconnected with other water resources. They receive much of their water from streams and groundwater. Wetlands adjacent to lakes, or connected by streams, often serve as spawning grounds for fish and habitat. Protection of these natural resources as a whole is vital to the protection of lakes. A complex interdependence has evolved among the organisms in a lake community. If one part of the ecosystem is disturbed, it affects other parts.
Faribault County Lake Facts:
- Nearly 4,675 acres of lakes, or 9.25 square miles, exist in Faribault County
- The largest is Minnesota Lake at 1,875 acres or 3 square miles
- The deepest lake is Bass Lake with a mean depth of 10 feet and a maximum depth of 20 feet
- South Walnut Lake has the largest lake watershed at nearly 115 square miles
- Bass Lake has the smallest lake watershed at 480 acres or .75 square miles
- Additional information on lakes can be found on the following links:
- Bass Lake Assessment Study - 1993 & 2004
- Citizen Lake Monitoring Program
- MPCA - Lakes in Minnesota - frequently asked questions, water quality assessment program, toxic algae, rules and regulations
- DNR Lakes - facts, water recreation, fishing, boating, lake finder, lake levels, water quality data, shoreline alteration, aquatic plant management, lake hydrology, lake turnover, lake management
- Citizens Guide to Lake Protection & Management - this guide provides some of the basics and specifics that concerned citizens need to help lakes survive and thrive. It describes how lakes work, how various lake problems occur, what individuals and groups can do to protect and improve lakes, and where advice and assistance can be obtained.
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