A major source of water to Eagle Lake comes from rainfall, stormwater runoff, and snowmelt flowing from the 4,228-acre drainage area located entirely in the Town of Dover. The total watershed area-to-lake ratio is 8:1. This is a high watershed area-to-lake ratio that suggests land use within the watershed tributary area to Eagle Lake has a direct impact on lake water quality.
Approximately 1,900 acres of the watershed are used to produce corn, soybeans, hay or other cash crops. The Racine County Land Conservation Division model revealed 220 tons of sediment and approximately 475 pounds of phosphorus are delivered to Eagle Lake annually. The estimated annual sediment load from existing urban land uses in the Eagle Lake watershed is 68 tons per year and the estimated phosphorus load is 178 pounds per year. Active streambank erosion was identified as a significant contributor to the sediment load. An estimated 2,900 feet of streambank are actively eroding in the lake watershed generating approximately 28 tons of sediment and 150 pounds of phosphorus.
Approximately 144 feet of lakeshore is actively eroding and generating approximately 10 tons of sediment and 80 pounds of phosphorus per year. The total annual sediment load to Eagle Lake is 560 tons per year. The estimated, non-inventoried, legacy sediment is 2,240 total tons.