1
Green Belt Lake
Black Hawk County, Iowa · 17.6 mi from Avenue of the Saints Lake
- ++1.2 ft water clarity
- +Lower phosphorus (57 vs 174.5 µg/L)
Cleaner Lakes Than Avenue of the Saints Lake
2 lakes with lower nutrient and algae readings within 30 miles, ranked by the size of the improvement and by proximity.
Avenue of the Saints Lake carries nutrient and algae readings on record. Within 30 miles, 2 lakes read lower. Green Belt Lake (Black Hawk County, 17.6 mi away) is the closest meaningful upgrade.
Reviewed by LakeQuality Editorial Team · Updated
2
Mitchell Lake
Black Hawk County, Iowa · 19.7 mi from Avenue of the Saints Lake
- ++1.1 ft water clarity
- +Lower phosphorus (40.5 vs 174.5 µg/L)
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Where to stay near Avenue of the Saints Lake
Compare cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals around Avenue of the Saints Lake in Iowa. The 2 lakes above sit within 30 miles, so one base reaches them all. Switch the map to Satellite to see how close each stay is to the water.
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Reading the cohort
Within 30 miles of Avenue of the Saints Lake, 2 lakes carry lower nutrient and algae readings on the EPA water-quality metrics. The short list means the alternatives are real upgrades but not interchangeable: each carries its own access, size, and species mix worth checking before substituting it into a weekend plan.
The nearest cleaner alternative — Green Belt Lake in Black Hawk County — sits 17.6 miles from Avenue of the Saints Lake, putting it firmly in "destination trip" rather than "neighborhood swap" range. The water-quality gap has to be the deciding factor; for a casual outing, Avenue of the Saints Lake is the practical choice and the cleaner options are reserved for purpose-specific visits.
Each lake's nutrient and algae readings — total phosphorus, total nitrogen, chlorophyll-a, and turbidity — are shown beside the EPA National Lakes Assessment 2022 condition class for that lake's own ecoregion, so a reading is compared against the lakes it would naturally resemble. LakeQuality publishes no letter grade. Lower readings mean measurably less nutrient and algae in the water, not better scenery or access: the lake with the clearest, lowest-nutrient water can have worse boat-launch facilities or shoreline access than a neighbor, so the comparison is one input alongside the rest of trip planning. How the readings are classified is on our methodology page.
How this list is built
Sampled lakes on LakeQuality carry readings from EPA Water Quality Portal samples — nutrients and algae measured against EPA National Lakes Assessment ecoregion classes. Secchi is shown, not scored. To suggest cleaner alternatives, we filter lakes within 30 miles to those with strictly lower nutrient and algae readings, then rank by the size of the improvement with a small proximity tiebreak. Cross-state and limited-data lakes are excluded so the list stays locally relevant.