Sams Lake, Red Cedar Lake Watershed (LC11)
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Sams Lake, Red Cedar Lake Watershed (LC11)
Sams Lake (1879800)
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24.21 Acres
Natural Community
Deep Seepage
Year Last Monitored
2016
Good
 
Washburn
Trout Water 
No
Outstanding or Exceptional 
No
Impaired Water 
No

Fish and Aquatic Life

Current Use
Deep Seepage
Attainable Use
Default FAL
Designated Use
Default FAL

Overview

Sams Lake, in the Red Cedar Lake Watershed, is a 24.21 acre lake that falls in Washburn County. This lake is managed for fishing and swimming and is currently not considered impaired.

Date  2011

Author   Aquatic Biologist

Historical Description

A soft water, seepage lake, it is landlocked and subject to partial winterkill conditions due to the irregular configuration of the basin. Its present fishery is probably largemouth bass andbluegills. An 8 foot high dike was once placed at the south end of the lake which probably raised the level of the lake about six feet. As a result of the flooding two donut-shaped bogs floated up. The center of the middle bog ring has the maximum depth of Sam's Lake within it. The bog at the northern end has a depth of only five feet. The irregular shoreline is mostly steeply sloping and wooded with birch, oak, maple, aspen and red pine, except for a part of the west shore which is open pasture. A wooded island of 0.3 acre is at the lower end of the lake. There is a small amount of bog shoreline at the northwest corner and a tag alder swamp of one acre off a bog at the southeast corner. The latter wetland swamp has a low head beaver dam across it at the shoreline. The littoral bottom is about half
hard sand and gravel materials and half muck. About three acres of wetlands border the lake. Beaver have been quite active here. Nesting ducks include mallards, teal and wood ducks. There is no private
development. Most of the lakeshore, except part of the west shore, is Washburn County Forest land. Access is only by walk-in over county land from the east.Source: 1978, Surface Water Resources of Washburn County Sams Lake, T38N, R10W, Section 36, Surface Acres-16.2, Maximum Depth-31
feet, M.P.A.-7 ppm

Date  1978

Author   Surface Water Inventory Of Wisconsin

Natural communities (stream and lake natural communities) represent model results that use predicted flow and temperature based on landscape features and related assumptions. Ranges of flow and temperature associated with specific aquatic life communities (fish, macroinvertebrates) help biologists identify appropriate resource management goals. Wisconsin Natural Communities.
This is the most recent date of monitoring data stored in SWIMS. Additional surveys for fish and habitat may be available subsequent to this date.
Trout Waters are represented by Class I, Class II or Class III waters. These classes have specific ecological characteristics and management actions associated with them. For more information regarding Trout Classifications, see the Fisheries Trout Class Webpages.
Wisconsin has designated many of the state's highest quality waters as Outstanding Resource Waters (ORWs) or Exceptional Resource Waters (ERWs). Waters designated as ORW or ERW are surface waters which provide outstanding recreational opportunities, support valuable fisheries and wildlife habitat, have good water quality, and are not significantly impacted by human activities. ORW and ERW status identifies waters that the State of Wisconsin has determined warrant additional protection from the effects of pollution. These designations are intended to meet federal Clean Water Act obligations requiring Wisconsin to adopt an 'antidegradation' policy that is designed to prevent any lowering of water quality - especially in those waters having significant ecological or cultural value.
A water is polluted or 'impaired' if it does not support full use by humans, wildlife, fish and other aquatic life and it is shown that one or more of the pollutant criteria are not met.
The use the water currently supports. This is not a designation or classification; it is based on the current condition of the water. Information in this column is not designed for, and should not be used for, regulatory purposes.
Deep seepage lake describes the depth and hydrologic charactertistics of the lake. These variables affect the lakes response to watershed variables.
The use that the investigator believes the water could achieve through managing "controllable" sources. Beaver dams, hydroelectric dams, low gradient streams, and naturally occurring low flows are generally not considered controllable. The attainable use may be the same as the current use or it may be higher.
Fish and Aquatic Life - Default Waters do not have a specific use designation subcategory but are considered fishable, swimmable waters.
This is the water classification legally recognized by NR102 and NR104, Wis. Adm. Code. The classification determines water quality criteria and effluent limits. Waters obtain designated uses through classification procedures.
Fish and Aquatic Life - Default Waters do not have a specific use designation subcategory but are considered fishable, swimmable waters.