Steenburg Lake’s 2025 results from the water sample collected on June 30, 2025 are in and overall reassuring!
The accepted phosphorus result is considered consistent with Steenburg Lake’s previous readings, while calcium, chloride and sulphate remain stable. Our single water-clarity reading was lower than in 2024, making clarity something we will continue to monitor over time.
2022–2025 results at a glance
| Measurement |
2022 |
2023 |
2024 |
2025 |
| Total phosphorus |
8.2 µg/L |
9.6 µg/L |
7.8 µg/L avg |
11.0 µg/L |
| Water clarity |
no reading |
no reading |
5.2 m |
3.5 m |
| Calcium |
24.4 mg/L |
23.4 mg/L |
23.0 mg/L avg |
23.1 mg/L |
| Chloride |
1.9 mg/L |
1.8 mg/L |
2.5 mg/L avg |
2.5 mg/L |
| Sulphate |
2.8 mg/L |
2.7 mg/L |
2.6 mg/L avg |
2.82 mg/L |
Where more than one result was reported in 2024, the average (avg) is shown. 2026 results will be analyzed and publicly available around the same time, next year.
Understanding the results:
Phosphorus
Phosphorus is a naturally occurring nutrient that supports aquatic plants and algae. When too much phosphorus enters a lake, it can contribute to excessive plant and algae growth.
Phosphorus is measured in micrograms per litre, written as µg/L. One microgram is one-millionth of a gram.
The Lake Partner Program provided two phosphorus sample tubes—TP1 and TP2—as a quality-control measure. Phosphorus samples can be affected by very small amounts of accidental contamination, including touching the rim of the tube or having a small piece of organic material enter the sample.
The two 2025 results were:
- TP1: 11.0 µg/L
- *TP2: 17.9 µg/L
*not shown in chart above but, reported in publicly available dataset
After reviewing the results and Steenburg Lake’s previous phosphorus levels, the Lake Partner Program coordinator confirmed that TP1, at 11.0 µg/L, is the result SLCA should report.
The TP2 result appears to be a contaminated outlier and has not been averaged with the valid TP1 result.
Although the accepted 2025 result is slightly higher than the results reported between 2022 and 2024, the Lake Partner Program considers it to be in line with Steenburg Lake’s past readings. Continued annual sampling (which we are doing) will help us determine whether any longer-term change is occurring.
Water clarity
Water clarity is measured using a black-and-white Secchi disk. The disk is lowered into the lake until it can no longer be seen. The depth is then recorded in metres. We take measurements (monthly) at mid-lake, deep-water monitoring location. The disk was visible to:
- 5.2 metres in 2024
- 3.5 metres in 2025
This means the water was less transparent on the day of the 2025 reading. However, one reading does not show that the lake’s overall water quality is declining.
Clarity can change depending on recent rainfall, runoff, waves, suspended sediment, natural water colour, algae and the time of year. Taking regular readings throughout the open-water season will provide a better picture than comparing two individual observations.
Calcium, chloride and sulphate
Calcium remained stable at 23.1 mg/L. Calcium occurs naturally in lake water and supports organisms such as crayfish, snails and small aquatic animals that are part of the lake’s food web.
Chloride remained stable at 2.5 mg/L, unchanged from the 2024 average. Chloride is useful to track because road salt and other salt-containing runoff can gradually increase concentrations in lakes.
Sulphate remained stable at 2.82 mg/L and remains very similar to the results recorded during the previous three years.
What can Steenburg Lake residents do to help?
Small actions around individual properties can collectively make an important difference:
- Keep or restore native trees, shrubs and plants along the shoreline.
- Maintain septic systems and have them inspected and pumped as required.
- Avoid fertilizers, herbicides and pesticides near the lake.
- Direct rainwater and runoff into vegetated areas rather than toward the shoreline.
- Stabilize bare soil and address erosion.
- Keep leaves, grass clippings, soaps and other organic material out of the lake.
- Use road and walkway salt sparingly.
- Reduce boat wakes close to shore, where waves can contribute to erosion.
What these results do—and do not—tell us
Lake Partner Program testing helps us track phosphorus, water clarity and selected minerals. It is not a bacterial water test and does not determine whether the lake is safe for swimming or whether untreated lake water is safe to drink.
SLCA will continue participating in the Lake Partner Program and sharing the results with the Steenburg Lake community.
More information:
Residents can search for Steenburg Lake and explore publicly posted results through:
Previous Steenburg Lake information can also be found in the Water Sample Archives on the SLCA website.
.jpg)
