Barron, Washburn
No
Yes
Yes
Fish and Aquatic Life
Overview
Red Cedar Lake is a 1,841-acre drainage lake located on the Red Cedar River in the northeastern corner of Barron County. An 11-foot water control structure is located on the outlet of the lake. Red Cedar Lake is considered and Outstanding Resource Water.
Hemlock Lake is a 357-acre drainage lake connected to Red Cedar Lake to the southeast. The water control structure on the outlet of Red Cedar Lake controls the level of Hemlock Lake.
Balsam Lake is a 295-acre drainage lake connected to Red Cedar Lake and to the north along the course of the merging Red Cedar River. The Red Cedar Lakes Association was awarded a Lake Management Planning Grant to monitor water quality conditions in Red Cedar, Hemlock and Balsam Lakes. Results suggest that Red Cedar Lake is a mesotrophc waterbody with TSI values in the range of 52, and Hemlock Lake appears to be a eutrophic lake with TSI values in the range of 59. This preliminary data suggests that Balsam Lake may be a low mesotrophic lake with TSI values in the range of 48.
Fish tissue analysis for mercury contamination has been conducted on Red Cedar Lake and a fish consumption advisory exists for walleye ranging from 15 to 22 inches (Category 2).
Volunteers have been collecting water clarity information on this lake since 1987 and during 1994 one of the volunteers started collecting phosphorus and chlorophyll g data on Red Cedar and Hemlock Lakes as part of the TSI level of monitoring under the self-help lake monitoring program.
Red Cedar Lake is a high-quality aquatic resource and has been classified as an outstanding resource water under the provisions of Chapter NR 102.10 of the Wis. Adm. Code. This high quality lake is susceptible to any increase in phosphorus loading and should receive a high priority for protection under all DNR programs, including water quality standards, runoff grant programs, and rivers and lakes planning and protection grant programs.
Date 1996
Author Aquatic Biologist
Historical Description
Source: 1964, Surface Water Resources of Barron County Red Cedar Lake T36N, RIOW, Sections - several
A hard water drainage lake on the Red Cedar River. It has an 11 -foot water control structure on its outlet that is maintained by Northern States Power Company. The most common fish species here are walleyes, northern pike, largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, perch and rock bass. Other species present include muskellunge, bluegills, black crappies, pumpkinseeds, yellow bullheads, cisco, white suckers, redhorse, bowfin and several minnow species. The lakeshore is predominantly upland hardwood with an eight-acre wetland that support s muskrats, nesting puddle ducks, mergansers, coot and loon. Canada geese also use the lake during migratory seasons. Extensive private development on theeast side of the lake consists of 12 resorts, 12 boat rentals, 72 cottages and dwellings and a Boy Scout Camp. Camping is available at the Barron County Park on the northwest shore of the lake. Two public accesses are located on the west shore, and there are nine other undeveloped platted access sites for a total of 0.23 miles of public frontage. Altogether, the public frontage includes the access sites, county park and a shoreline of six, state-owned islands. There is also a golf course on the east shore of the lake.
Surface Acres = 1, 881.8, S.D.F. = 2.62, Maximum Depth = 53 feet
Date 1964
Author Surface Water Inventory Of Wisconsin
Impaired Waters
Red Cedar Lake (WBIC 2109600) was placed on the impaired waters list for total phosphorus in 2014. 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 use thresholds, but only nearly exceeded the FAL use thresholds. Based on the most updated information, no change in the existing impaired waters listing was needed.
Date 2017
Author Ashley Beranek
Impaired Waters
Red Cedar Lake (2109600) was placed on the impaired waters list for total phosphorus in 2014. The 2016 assessments showed continued impairment by phosphorus; total phosphorus and chlorophyll sample data exceed 2016 WisCALM listing thresholds for the Recreation use and 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
Diagnostic/Feasibility Assessment
The Red Cedar Lakes Association, Inc. will conduct a comprehensive diagnostic/feasibility study of the Red Cedar Lake basin and watershed and develop a lake management plan. Project deliverables for this grant project will be a USGS water-resources investigations report, or equivalent document, a USGS fact sheet, or equivalent document, and a comprehensive lake management plan for the Red Cedar Lakes system.
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
| WBIC | Official Waterbody Name | Station ID | Station Name | Earliest Fieldwork Date | Latest Fieldwork Date | View Station | View Data |
|---|
| 2109600 | Red Cedar Lake | 10052484 | Red Cedar Lake - CT-13 | 5/29/2019 | 5/29/2019 | Map | Data |
| 2109600 | Red Cedar Lake | 034017 | Red Cedar Lake - Red Cedar Lake | 8/30/1979 | 7/14/2014 | Map | Data |
| 2109600 | Red Cedar Lake | 10032165 | Red Cedar Lake - Access at Loch Lomond Beach Club | 5/1/2010 | 5/31/2025 | Map | Data |
| 2109600 | Red Cedar Lake | 10030660 | Red Cedar Lake -- Access at Waldo Carlson Park | 5/7/2005 | 6/14/2025 | Map | Data |
| 2109600 | Red Cedar Lake | 033140 | Red Cedar Lake - Deep Hole North | 6/30/1987 | 10/18/2024 | Map | Data |
| 2109600 | Red Cedar Lake | 033190 | Red Cedar River - Red Cedar Lake Near Mikana | 10/11/2000 | 9/14/2001 | Map | Data |
| 2109600 | Red Cedar Lake | 10032166 | Red Cedar Lake - Access at Tagalong Golf and Resort | 5/7/2011 | 9/5/2011 | Map | Data |
| 2109600 | Red Cedar Lake | 10052480 | Red Cedar Lake - CT-9 | 5/29/2019 | 5/30/2019 | Map | Data |
| 2109600 | Red Cedar Lake | 10033961 | Red Cedar Lake - South Basin | 5/6/2011 | 10/29/2020 | Map | Data |
| 2109600 | Red Cedar Lake | 10052487 | Red Cedar Lake - CT-16 | 5/29/2019 | 5/30/2019 | Map | Data |
| 2109600 | Red Cedar Lake | 033141 | Red Cedar Lake - Near Mikana South | 5/11/1993 | 8/28/2020 | Map | Data |
| 2109600 | Red Cedar Lake | 10020126 | Red Cedar Lake -- Access at End Of Pigeon Creek Rd Nr 28th | 10/23/2007 | 9/5/2011 | Map | Data |
| 2109600 | Red Cedar Lake | 10053074 | Jon Boles Bay on small island and along shoreline | 7/8/2015 | 7/14/2017 | Map | Data |
| 2109600 | Red Cedar Lake | 10018433 | Red Cedar Lake -- Access at end of County Hwy V | 8/25/2007 | 6/12/2025 | Map | Data |
| 2109600 | Red Cedar Lake | 10052482 | Red Cedar Lake - CT-11 | | | Map | Data |
| 2109600 | Red Cedar Lake | 10052478 | Red Cedar Lake - CT-8 | | | Map | Data |
| 2109600 | Red Cedar Lake | 331410 | Red Cedar Lake - Deep Hole | 5/29/2014 | 5/21/2025 | Map | Data |
| 2109600 | Red Cedar Lake | 10052477 | Red Cedar Lake - CT-7 | 5/29/2019 | 6/1/2019 | Map | Data |
| 2109600 | Red Cedar Lake | 10052485 | Red Cedar Lake - CT-14 | | | Map | Data |
| 2109600 | Red Cedar Lake | 10038529 | Harmony Bay Rd. | | | Map | Data |
| 2109600 | Red Cedar Lake | 10018432 | Red Cedar Lake -- Access at nr Knollwood Ln | | | Map | Data |
| 2109600 | Red Cedar Lake | 10000648 | Red Cedar Lake | 9/5/2000 | 7/10/2023 | Map | Data |
| 2109600 | Red Cedar Lake | 10052481 | Red Cedar Lake - CT-10 | 5/29/2019 | 5/29/2019 | Map | Data |
| 2109600 | Red Cedar Lake | 10056791 | Channel btw Red Cedar and Hemlock Lakes - Eastern most bog | 6/27/2022 | 6/27/2022 | Map | Data |
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Watershed Characteristics
Red Cedar Lake is located in the Red Cedar Lake watershed which is 140.01 mi². Land use in the watershed is primarily forest (74%), wetland (11.20%) and a mix of open (7.40%) and other uses (7.40%). This watershed has 167.65 stream miles, 6,893.24 lake acres and 7,428.58 wetland acres.
Nonpoint Source Characteristics
This watershed is ranked Low for runoff impacts on streams, Medium 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.