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LakeQuality

Harrison County Lake Intake vs North Bethany City Reservoir

Water quality, depth, fish species, and recreation comparison.

North Bethany City Reservoir has a higher water quality grade (B, Good) than Harrison County Lake Intake (D, Poor). Both are in Harrison County, Wisconsin.

Both Harrison County Lake Intake and North Bethany City Reservoir sit in Missouri. 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. North Bethany City Reservoir (B) is materially cleaner than Harrison County Lake Intake (D). 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 — North Bethany City 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?

D

Harrison County Lake Intake

Harrison County, Wisconsin

Very murky, less than 1.7 ft of visibility.

B

North Bethany City Reservoir

Harrison County, Wisconsin

Good clarity, visible to about 10.5 ft.

Side-by-Side Metrics

Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.

Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.

Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.

Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.

Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.

Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.

Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.

Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.

Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.

MetricHarrison County Lake IntakeNorth Bethany City Reservoir
Overall GradeD (Poor)B (Good)
Water Clarity1.7 ft10.5 ft
Phosphorus66.7 µg/L11 µg/L
Chlorophyll-a (Algae)27.6 µg/L6.9 µg/L
Maximum Depth--
Surface Area292 acres76 acres
Public AccessUnknownUnknown
Fish Species00
Trophic Stateeutrophicmesotrophic

Bold value = better for that metric (lower phosphorus / chlorophyll = cleaner; higher Secchi / depth / species count = better).

Verdict

North Bethany City Reservoir wins on overall water quality with a Grade B versus Harrison County Lake Intake's Grade D. Water clarity: 10.5 ft vs 1.7 ft. For fishing diversity, North Bethany City Reservoir also leads with 0 species.