Catfish Creek

Catfish Creek is now actually a series of canals that connect Lake Placid to Lake June.  Water flows north through the creek from Lake Placid to Lake June, and the canals are lined by houses.  The creek can be accessed from Lake June, but there is a structure blocking boat access from Lake Placid.  Water quality in the canals ranges from good to poor, as is expected for canals - which tend to have higher nutrient and algae concentrations than lakes due to stagnant water.  Phosphorus levels in Catfish Creek range from 12 to 3065 (a VERY high number) parts per billion (ppb), averaging 71 ppb.   Nitrogen levels range from 510 to 15750 (a VERY high number) ppb, and average 1136 ppb.  Chlorophyll levels, which are an indicator of the amount of algae present, range from 4 to 139 ppb, averaging 38 ppb.   More chlorophyll indicates the presence of more water clouding algae, which reduces water clarity.  Water clarity is measured with a 'secchi' disc, which is a standardized disc that is lowered into the water until it disappears.  The lower the depth, the clearer the water.  Secchi depths in Catfish Creek ranges from 1.2 to 8.7 feet, averaging 3 feet.  Click here to view water quality graphs.