Dale Maffitt Reservoir vs Fort des Moines Park Pond
Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.
Dale Maffitt Reservoir has a higher water quality grade (B, Good) than Fort des Moines Park Pond (F, Very Poor). Both are in Wisconsin.
Both Dale Maffitt Reservoir and Fort des Moines Park Pond sit in Iowa. A same-state comparison strips out the state-level water-quality regime as a variable: any grade differences here are about the lakes themselves, not the agencies grading them. Dale Maffitt Reservoir (B) is materially cleaner than Fort des Moines Park Pond (F). A gap that wide is unlikely to close in a single year of remediation work; it reflects multi-decade differences in the lakes themselves.
For a recreational visitor, the wider grade gap is decisive — Dale Maffitt Reservoir is the better water-quality choice. For a researcher, the gap is the interesting part: what is different about the two watersheds, and which of those differences is mutable?
Dale Maffitt Reservoir
Moderate clarity, visible to about 9.8 ft.
Fort des Moines Park Pond
Very murky, less than 2.8 ft of visibility.
Side-by-Side Metrics
| Metric | Dale Maffitt Reservoir | Fort des Moines Park Pond |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Grade | B (Good) | F (Very Poor) |
| Water Clarity | 9.8 ft | 2.8 ft |
| Phosphorus | No data | No data |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 2.5 µg/L | 32.6 µg/L |
| Maximum Depth | - | - |
| Surface Area | 230 acres | 11.6 acres |
| Public Access | Unknown | Unknown |
| Fish Species | 0 | 0 |
| Trophic State | mesotrophic | eutrophic |
Bold value = better for that metric (lower phosphorus / chlorophyll = cleaner; higher Secchi / depth / species count = better).
Verdict
Dale Maffitt Reservoir wins on overall water quality with a Grade B versus Fort des Moines Park Pond's Grade F. Water clarity: 9.8 ft vs 2.8 ft. For fishing diversity, Dale Maffitt Reservoir also leads with 0 species.