Harrison County Lake vs Slipbluff Lake
Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.
Slipbluff Lake has a higher water quality grade (B, Good) than Harrison County Lake (F, Very Poor).
Harrison County Lake is in Missouri; Slipbluff Lake is in Iowa. Cross-state comparisons carry an extra wrinkle — Minnesota PCA and Wisconsin DNR use slightly different sampling cadences and station coverage, though both feed the same EPA Water Quality Portal. Slipbluff Lake (B) is materially cleaner than Harrison County Lake (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 — Slipbluff Lake 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?
Harrison County Lake
Very murky, less than 1.5 ft of visibility.
Slipbluff Lake
Moderate clarity, visible to about 9 ft.
Side-by-Side Metrics
| Metric | Harrison County Lake | Slipbluff Lake |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Grade | F (Very Poor) | B (Good) |
| Water Clarity | 1.5 ft | 9 ft |
| Phosphorus | 70 µg/L | No data |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 134.4 µg/L | 4.5 µg/L |
| Maximum Depth | - | - |
| Surface Area | 292 acres | 18 acres |
| Public Access | Unknown | Unknown |
| Fish Species | 0 | 0 |
| Trophic State | hypereutrophic | mesotrophic |
Bold value = better for that metric (lower phosphorus / chlorophyll = cleaner; higher Secchi / depth / species count = better).
Verdict
Slipbluff Lake wins on overall water quality with a Grade B versus Harrison County Lake's Grade F. Water clarity: 9 ft vs 1.5 ft. For fishing diversity, Slipbluff Lake also leads with 0 species.