Rice Marsh Lake

Located in both Eden Prairie and Chanhassen, Rice Marsh Lake is aerated in the winter. This management practice helps keep bluegill sunfish alive so that they can feed on invasive carp eggs in the spring.

Rice Marsh Lake is classified as a “Shallow Lake” by the MPCA. To be considered healthy, the lake must have very low average phosphorus and chlorophyll-a levels and an average water clarity of 1.0 meters (3.3 feet) or greater.

From June through September every year, District staff visit this and other lakes every two weeks to collect water samples and take readings. Samples are sent to a laboratory to be tested for nutrients and other compounds. Staff also measure water clarity by lowering a Secchi disk into the water and measuring how deep it goes before it is no longer visible. The data indicates the lake’s health based on standards set by the MPCA.

Rice Marsh Lake - Water Quality Grade

Lake WQ Grade C.png RPBCWD staff assigned this letter grade to the lake based upon how well it is meeting water quality goals. Learn more about lake water quality grades.

For more information about the water quality and grades for lakes monitored in the District, visit the lake factsheets page.

Water Quality

Lake Factsheet

Rice Marsh Lake Factsheet

Several water quality parameters are monitored for the lake including Total Phosphorus, Chlorophyll-a, and water clarity. The results are compared to standards set by the MPCA. The District also collects data about native aquatic plant populations and invasive species. Learn more in the lake factsheet.

Open Factsheet

Watershed Location

Lake and Watershed Characteristics

Size	83 acres
Volume	375 acre-ft
Average depth	5 ft
Max depth	11 ft
Watershed size	966 acres
Land draining directly into	280 acres
MPCA lake classification	Shallow
Impairment listing	Not listed
Trophic status	Hypereutrophic
Common fish	Bluegill, White Sucker, Northern Pike
Invasive species	Curlyleaf Pondweed, Purple Loosestrife, Common Carp

For more information about waterbody impairments, visit the Minnesota's Impaired Waters List webpage managed by the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency.

Related Projects

Rice Marsh Lake Water Quality Improvement Project

The Rice Marsh Lake Water Quality Improvement Project will construct and install stormwater-management facilities and associated infrastructure to improve and treat stormwater draining to Rice Marsh Lake.

St. Hubert Water Quality and Habitat Restoration Project

This project, in collaboration with St. Hubert Catholic School, involves a campus retrofit that will improve water quality, reduce runoff volumes, improve ecological diversity and provide many educational opportunities near Rice Marsh Lake.