Water Quality
The discussion below provides background information on lake water quality and key sampling parameters.
Oligotrophic lakes are generally deep and clear with little aquatic plant growth. These lakes maintain sufficient dissolved oxygen in the cool, deep bottom waters during late summer to support cold-water fish such as trout and whitefish.
Eutrophic lakes have poor clarity and support abundant aquatic plant growth. In deep eutrophic lakes, the cool bottom waters usually contain little or no dissolved oxygen. Therefore, these lakes can only support warm and cool-water fish such as bass and pike.
Lakes that fall between the two extremes of oligotrophic and eutrophic are called mesotrophic lakes.
Key parameters used to classify lakes and to evaluate water quality include total phosphorus, chlorophyll-a, and Secchi transparency.
Phosphorus is the nutrient that most often stimulates excessive growth of aquatic plants and causes premature lake aging. By measuring phosphorus levels, it is possible to gauge the overall health of a lake. Lakes with a phosphorus concentration of 20 parts per billion or greater are eutrophic or nutrient enriched.
Chlorophyll-a is a pigment that imparts a green color to plants and algae. A rough estimate of the quantity of algae present in the water column can be made by measuring the amount of chlorophyll-a in the water column. A chlorophyll-a concentration greater than 6 parts per billion is characteristic of a eutrophic condition.
A Secchi disk is a round, black and white, 8-inch disk that is used to estimate water clarity. Eutrophic lakes have a Secchi transparency of less than 7.5 feet. Generally, it has been found that plants can grow to a depth of about twice the Secchi disk transparency.
To find out more about lake water quality, click here.
Historical Water Quality Reports
2024 Lake Oakland Water Quality Summary
2023 Lake Oakland Water Quality Summary
2022 Lake Oakland Water Quality Summary
Based upon recent and historical water quality data, Lake Oakland is mesotrophic. Find the most recent water quality report here.
Oligotrophic
Mesotrophic
Eutrophic
People often ask: What makes my lake different than many other lakes? The short answer is that there are many factors that influence the ways that lakes differ in size, shape, and most importantly, water quality. The three images above represent the three major components of a lake, That is, the physical lake basin and how it was formed, the chemical make up of the water (also known as water quality), and the biological component (what specific living things are able to survive and thrive in the lake).
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In MIchigan, the vast majority of lakes were formed during the last glacial period (approximately 10,000-15,000 years ago) when thick sheets of ice carved the low lying basins that subsequently filled with water after the glaciers melted and receded.
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Lake Oakland's deeper basins were carved by the glaciers, while the shallower areas were inundated more recently (in the mid 1800s) following the construction of the dam. Lake Oakland's water quality is also influenced by inflowing water from the Clinton River and Sashabaw Creek which eventually flows through the lake. These riverine systems can deposit sediment and nutrients in the lake over time and can result in accumulated sediments in portions of the lake.