Buying a Minnesota Lakeshore Home? How Safe is the Water?

By
Real Estate Agent with Boardman Realty Minnesota License#90858

Clear Lake in Forest Lake MN by Teri Eckholm RealtorA lakeshore home is the ideal of many a Minnesotan! And why not? When you live in the Land of 10,000 Lakes, one would be hard pressed not to drive by a lake, pond or river on a daily basis. Whether you are in Anoka, Ramsey, Chisago, Washington, Hennepin or any other county in our great state lakeshore is a plentiful and beautiful.
On an almost daily basis there is a news report regarding one of our wonderfully wet natural resources. Unfortunately, some of the news is not always so great: Eurasian milfoil, mercury in the fish and polluted waters are just a few of the concerns. Even those who live in the city are being asked to prevent grass clippings from going into the street and sewer systems as the chemicals that make our lawns so beautifully green, go through the storm drains and into our lakes. So how do you know if the sparkling pristine blue water of that Minnesota lakehome you want to buy is as clean as it looks?

As a REALTOR® working in the north and east Twin Cities metro, I do get asked questions regarding the quality of our lakes. After buyers are dazzled by the view of a lakeshore sunset, they want to know about water quality before they sign a purchase agreement. Lakeshore owners want to be able to fish, boat and swim in the water. So questions arise.

*Is the lake polluted?

*Are the fish safe to eat?

*Is there milfoil present?

*Is the water safe to swim in?

Finding these answers is simple. I direct my lakehome buyers to http://www.checkmylake.org/, a wonderful website devoted to MN lakeshore and recreation published by Conservation Minnesota. The site gives information great information on all of Minnesota's lakes that have been tested for water quality.

A potential lakeshore buyer can find out whether the lake water is safe to swim in and whether the fish are safe to eat on a case by case basis. The lake search is very simple to use. Just put in the name and or county of the lake you are interested in and hit GO. I found that when I was looking for a big lake that overlaps into more than one county, like White Bear Lake, entering the lake name alone can be best because each lake is listed in only one county. (In the case of White Bear Lake, it listed as Washington County not Ramsey County.)

Pollution status is not the only feature of checkmylake.org. The website is updated daily with water facts, lake news and beach reports. You can also sign a petition to protect our lakes, volunteer to monitor lake quality, or submit a story about your favorite lake.

Now if you are looking for a great place to fish on a Ramsey County Lake, check out these links:
Fishing Piers in Ramsey County:

Ready to buy a Minnesota Lakehome and need help from a professional REALTOR®?

Posted by

Teri Eckholm. REALTOR with Boardman Realty, is a native Minnesotan who has lived and worked in the Minneapolis St Paul metro all of her life. She specializes in lakeshore homes, acreage properties and first time home buyers but assists anyone making a move in the north and east Twin Cities metro.

If you are buying, selling or relocating to Minnesota and need help from a professional REALTOR®, give Teri , a call or visit her website for a FREE Home Buyer Success Guide or FREE Home Value Report She specialize in acreage and lakeshore properties in the north and east Twin Cities metro area including Ham Lake, Lino Lakes and all communities in the Forest Lake School District! Serving Anoka, Chisago, Ramsey and Washington Counties in Minnesota.

Copyright 2019 terieckholm.com

 

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Comments (10)

Ron and Alexandra Seigel
Napa Consultants - Carpinteria, CA
Luxury Real Estate Branding, Marketing & Strategy

Teri,

I used to live in Minnesota and enjoyed the lakes during the summer.  Great resource of checking out the lake.

May 23, 2010 10:52 AM
Joan Whitebook
BHG The Masiello Group - Nashua, NH
Consumer Focused Real Estate Services

We are having a lot of problems with milfoil and other invasive species... it is a hugh issues at some of the lake in NH. 

May 23, 2010 03:21 PM
Bill Gassett
RE/MAX Executive Realty - Hopkinton, MA
Metrowest Massachusetts Real Estate

Great information to be sharing for those considering a lake home in your area Teri. This is certainly very educational!

May 24, 2010 01:08 AM
Teri Eckholm
Boardman Realty - White Bear Lake, MN
REALTOR Serving Mpls/St Paul North & East Metro

Ron&Alexandra--The lakes are one of our greatest resources. Thanks!

May 24, 2010 04:59 AM
Teri Eckholm
Boardman Realty - White Bear Lake, MN
REALTOR Serving Mpls/St Paul North & East Metro

Joan--That milfoil is nasty...And now with the early warm spring the lakes can be full of algea too.

May 24, 2010 05:00 AM
Teri Eckholm
Boardman Realty - White Bear Lake, MN
REALTOR Serving Mpls/St Paul North & East Metro

Bill--Thank you...It is a great resource when considering buying Minnesota lakeshore.

May 24, 2010 05:01 AM
Lori Cofer
Beasley Realty - Moscow, ID
REALTOR, Moscow Idaho Real Estate

Teri,

 

What a wonderful resource to share with your buyers.

 

Lori

May 27, 2010 10:30 AM
Jennifer Fivelsdal
JFIVE Home Realty LLC | 845-758-6842|162 Deer Run Rd Red Hook NY 12571 - Rhinebeck, NY
Mid Hudson Valley real estate connection

Teri there can be all sorts of issue with the water.  Providing the resource to but a buyer at ease is just one of the service we provide.

May 27, 2010 04:48 PM
Karen Kruschka
RE/MAX Executives - Woodbridge, VA
- "My Experience Isn't Expensive - It's PRICELESS"

Teri  I can understand and appreciate the need for that service in a state with so many lakes

May 30, 2010 01:27 AM
Marzena Melby
Coldwell Banker Burnet Realty - Richfield, MN
Realtor, Twin Cities Minnesota Real Estate

Teri,

Summer is here, and the weather has been great.  We wait so many months to go swimming and boating, that it seems unfair to even think that we might not be able to swim or fish in our favorite lake.  But, it is a reality in some cases - thanks for the resources.

Jun 01, 2010 07:23 AM

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