Clearwater Lake AssociationDeerwood MN

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        • Nesting Project
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  • Contact Us
  • Home
    • What's New on the Web Page
  • Lake Association
    • Overview >
      • Clearwater Lake Association
      • Mission Statement
      • The Legal Paperwork
    • Meetings >
      • Current Year
      • Prior Years
    • Membership Dues
    • Meet the Board
    • Recent and Upcoming Events
    • Crayfish Campaign
    • Volunteer Opportunities
  • Lake Health
    • Lake Health Overview
    • Lake Mgmt Plan >
      • Overview >
        • Calendar
        • Annual Recap
      • Lake Water Levels >
        • Goal and Plan
        • Ordinary High Water Level
        • Why do we get High
        • Ice Heaves
        • High Water Damage
      • Water Quality >
        • Goal and Plan
        • TSI
        • Secchi / Transparency
        • What is TSI
        • Prior Year Reports
        • Mercury
      • Aquatic Vegetation >
        • Goal and Plan
        • Survey Results and Comparison
        • Why and How to Survey
      • Invasive Species LMP >
        • Treatment >
          • GOAL AND PLAN
          • Treatment History
          • Invasive Maps
          • Treatment Notifice
          • DNR Milfoil Treatment Approval Process
        • Invasive Species >
          • Eurasian MilFoil
          • Rusty Crayfish
          • Curly-Leaf Pondweed
          • Buckthorn
          • Reed Canary Grass
    • Reports and Maps >
      • Lake Reports
      • Lake Maps
      • Aquatic Management Area
    • Historical Data >
      • Clearwater Loons >
        • Nesting Project
        • Loon History
        • Why Clearwater Loons Are Important
        • Loon Cam 2017
      • Lake Shore Mini-Grant >
        • Lake shore Mini Grant
        • Seminar Flier
        • News Release
        • Grant Gallery
        • Willow Wattle - DIY >
          • Willow Wattle Supplies
          • Willow Wattle Prep
          • Willow Wattle Install
    • What Can I Do
    • DNR and Other Resources
  • Community
    • Photo Gallery
    • Lake History - From our Members
    • Clearwater Forsest Camp >
      • Dining Hall Images
  • Contact Us

Lake Health

  • Overview
  • Lake Mgmt Plan
  • Reports and Maps
  • What Can I Do?
  • Historical Data
  • DNR / Other Resources 

Clearwater Lake Health

There is a lot that goes into determining a lakes health.   There are also a many points of view on the most important aspects of a lake's health.   The Clearwater Lake Conservancy's goal is to find a balance between what is best for the lake and what is best for the general membership.
 
Crow Wing County has a very good report on the condition of our lake.  The report is a little old, it is from 2011 but is has a lot of information in it. See the county report here: Clearwater Lake Water Quality.  Water quality data have been collected on Clearwater Lake since 1979  These data show that the lake is mesotrophic, which is characteristic of moderately clear water throughout the summer and excellent recreational opportunities.
Our lake has received an excellent TSI rating for 2021.   See the Tropic State Index page for a breakdown of our numbers.
Clearwater lake does have 4 invasive species (3 aquatic / 1 land).  See the Invasive Species for more details.
Clearwater Lake does have a Mercury Restriction warning from the State of MN DNR.   See Mercury page for more details.
On the positive side, we do not have Zebra Mussels, Spiney Water Flea or Veligers.  With Mille Lacs so close and infected with all of these invasive, we have been lucky so far.  With the walleye fishing changes and the increase in bass tournaments on Mille Lacs and Clearwater we need to stay vigilant to protect our lake.
There was concern that the native vegetation was in decline in 2017. The Clearwater Lake Conservancy board has been actively trying to quantify, track and determine the cause of this issue. 

The good news - vegetation does not appear to be in decline at this time, we may even be improving slightly.  The 2021 aquatic vegetation survey was compared to the 2018 baseline survey and the results all positive.   See the comparison here 2018 / 2021 Aquatic Survey
The conclusion is that Clearwater Lake is a very healthy lake.  For a detailed analysis by the MN DNR see this web site.
Watershed Health Assessment - Clearwater Lake.   There is a lot of very interesting numbers in this report with detailed explanations of what they mean.  Hear is a quick summary for Clearwater Lake.  I could not find a date associated with this report. 
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Turn In Poachers

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Clearwater Forest Camp

Since 1954, Clearwater Forest has served as a retreat center and summer camp.  They are owned and managed by Presbyterian Clearwater Forest, Inc.  Clearwater Forest is an important resident on our lake.  With 4+ miles of lake shore and over 1000 acres around  Clearwater, everyone benefits from their mission statement "... be a faithful steward of God’s creation."

To lean more, go to clearwaterforest.org.
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