Yes, you heard that right. Lake Conroe is a five-frog reservoir. This is excellent news for residents and visitors alike. In this post, we will explore what this means specifically as well as how they determine the rating.
Uses of Lake Conroe
As the population of the city of Houston grew, city officials foresaw a need for good, safe drinking water to supply their residents. Therefore, fifty years ago Lake Conroe was officially finished with the intent of supplying the water needs of Houstonians. As such, you would expect water testing to be routine and its quality to be held to high standards.
In addition to Lake Conroe being used as a source of drinking water, it was not long before it became a great recreational destination. Also, it has developed a reputation as the best fishing lake in the state of Texas. Therefore, the official uses of Lake Conroe are “drinking water supply, recreation, and fish consumption.”
Testing of the Water
They test from all over the lake. From SJRA.
The San Jacinto River Authority (SJRA) oversees the Clean Rivers Program (CRP), which includes monitoring the water quality of Lake Conroe. Because of the official uses of Lake Conroe, it is “held to the most stringent water quality standards…” Therefore, they utilize a very specific manner in which to test the lake water.
First, they monitor the water from ten specific sites. Here is a diagram from the Clean Rivers Program showing the different test sites. Then they use a secchi disk to test the clarity of the water as well as a sonde to test four different parameters of water quality at different depths. The parameters they measure are: “pH, specific conductivity, temperature, and dissolved oxygen.” These testing measures combine to get a true sense of the water quality of any body of water.
Rating the Water
To rate the quality of the water, the CRP came up with a rating system from one frog to five frogs. The former is the lowest score a body of water can get while the latter is the highest. “To date, Lake Conroe has never been determined to be impaired and, in fact, remains one of the cleanest water bodies in the region.” Great news!
We are happy to know that the quality of the water is so high. To read the entire 2023 report, click here. Also, use this link to keep up-to-date with future ratings. So as a resident or visitor you can have peace of mind and truly enjoy the lake. It is a five-frog reservoir!
If you are interested in becoming a resident, then you might find this article interesting—Guide to Lake Conroe. Of course, contact Mike Goins at 936-444-5929 for any additional information or for help finding your perfect home.