Overview

Lac Sault Dore (Soo Lake), in the Elk River Watershed, is a 600.81 acre lake that falls in Price County. This lake is managed for fishing and swimming and is currently considered impaired.

Date  2015

Author   Aquatic Biologist

Historical Description

Lac Sault Dore is a soft water, drainage impoundment on the Elk River. The dam, a concrete roller with stop logs, has a 10-ft head and is owned by the City of Phillips and the Town of Elk. The main purpose of this water is for recreation. The impoundment has an outlet flow estimated to the 122.8 ft(3)sec.
Besides the Elk River, the lake receives flow from Crane and Chase Creek, Carpenter Creek, and one unnamed feeder stream in Section 7. The lake has an irregular shoreline and 10 islands, totalling 137 acres. Its fishery consists of muskellunge, northern pike, walleyes, perch, largemouth bass, small-mouth bass, bluegills, black crappies, rock bass, pumpkinseeds, yellow bullheads, white suckers, redhorse and minnows.

Upland hardwood and pine cover 90% of the lake shoreline, and several small tag alder swamps and leatherleaf bogs make up the remainder. The littoral bottom is mainly sand with scattered areas of gravel and muck. Emergent, floating and submergent aquatic vegetation are common throughout the lake. Muskrats are an important furbearer, and a large number of ducks nest along the lake's 1,000 acres of wetland. Other ducks and geese use the lake during their migrations. Private development consists of 5 resorts, 5 boat rentals and 120 cottages or homes. Public access is available form three
sites, none of which are adequate. Source: 1983, Surface Water Resources of Price County Lac Sault Dore, T37N, RIW-2W, Section 1, 7, 11-13 Surface Area = 561.0 acres, Maximum Depth = 21 ft, MPA = 47 ppm, Secchi disk = 4 ft

Date  1983

Author   Surface Water Inventory Of Wisconsin

Impaired Waters

Lac Sault Dore (Soo Lake) (WBIC 2236800) was placed on the impaired waters list for total phosphorus in 2012. The 2018 assessments showed continued impairment by phosphorus; new total phosphorus sample data exceeded the 2018 WisCALM listing thresholds for the Recreation use and Fish and Aquatic Life use. Chlorophyll-a sample data clearly exceeded the REC thresholds, but clearly met the FAL use thresholds. Based on the most updated information the impairment of Excess Algal Growth was added to the Total Phosphorus listing. This water was not meeting its designated uses and was considered impaired.

Date  2017

Author  Ashley Beranek

Impaired Waters

Lac Sault Dore (Soo Lake) (2236800) was placed on the impaired waters list for total phosphorus in 2012. The 2016 assessments showed continued impairment by phosphorus; total phosphorus sample data exceeded 2016 WisCALM listing thresholds for the Recreation, however, chlorophyll data do not exceed REC thresholds. Total phosphorus and chlorophyll data clearly met thresholds for Fish and Aquatic Life use. Based on the most updated information, no change in existing impaired waters listing is needed.

Date  2015

Author  Aaron Larson

Condition

Wisconsin has over 84,000 miles of streams, 15,000 lakes and milllions of acres of wetlands. Assessing the condition of this vast amount of water is challenging. The state's water monitoring program uses a media-based, cross-program approach to analyze water condition. An updated monitoring strategy (2015-2020) is now available. Compliance with Clean Water Act fishable, swimmable standards are located in the Executive Summary of Water Condition in 2018. See also the 'monitoring and projects' tab.

Reports

Recommendations

Management Goals

Wisconsin's Water Quality Standards provide qualitative and quantitative goals for waters that are protective of Fishable, Swimmable conditions [Learn more]. Waters that do not meet water quality standards are considered impaired and restoration actions are planned and carried out until the water is once again fishable and swimmable

Management goals can include creation or implementation of a Total Maximum Daily Load analysis, a Nine Key Element Plan, or other restoration work, education and outreach and more. If specific recommendations exist for this water, they will be displayed below online.

Monitoring

Monitoring the condition of a river, stream, or lake includes gathering physical, chemical, biological, and habitat data. Comprehensive studies often gather all these parameters in great detail, while lighter assessment events will involve sampling physical, chemical and biological data such as macroinvertebrates. Aquatic macroinvertebrates and fish communities integrate watershed or catchment condition, providing great insight into overall ecosystem health. Chemical and habitat parameters tell researchers more about human induced problems including contaminated runoff, point source dischargers, or habitat issues that foster or limit the potential of aquatic communities to thrive in a given area. Wisconsin's Water Monitoring Strategy was recenty updated.

Grants and Management Projects

Monitoring Projects

Watershed Characteristics

Lac Sault Dore is located in the Elk River watershed which is 261.12 mi². Land use in the watershed is primarily forest (51.70%), wetland (37.40%) and a mix of grassland (4.70%) and other uses (6.20%). This watershed has 254.00 stream miles, 2,883.84 lake acres and 49,382.72 wetland acres.

Nonpoint Source Characteristics

This watershed is ranked Not Ranked for runoff impacts on streams, Low for runoff impacts on lakes and Low for runoff impacts on groundwater and therefore has an overall rank of Low. This value can be used in ranking the watershed or individual waterbodies for grant funding under state and county programs.However, all waters are affected by diffuse pollutant sources regardless of initial water quality. Applications for specific runoff projects under state or county grant programs may be pursued. For more information, go to surface water program grants.