Information on Barker Lake

100-Yr. Flood Elev.   987.2 (FEMA) 

Barker Lake is a long and shallow lake surrounded by a large, private livestock grazing operation.  There is no public access to the lake. In the past the lake has been subjected to considerable nutrient-laden runoff and erosion due to historic logging and farming practices. In 2007 in-lake phosphorus concentrations were at or exceeding the MPCA shallow lake standard of (60mg /L) as they were in 2001.  No in-lake phosphorus readings were taken in between. In 2007 the lake was better than the MPCA shallow lake standard of 1-m for Secchi depth transparency.