Harrison County Lake Intake 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 Intake (D, Poor).
This comparison crosses state lines: Harrison County Lake Intake in Missouri versus Slipbluff Lake in Iowa. The LakeGrade rubric is uniform across both, but the underlying monitoring programs differ in subtle ways worth noting. Slipbluff Lake (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 — 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 Intake
Very murky, less than 1.7 ft of visibility.
Slipbluff Lake
Moderate clarity, visible to about 9 ft.
Side-by-Side Metrics
| Metric | Harrison County Lake Intake | Slipbluff Lake |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Grade | D (Poor) | B (Good) |
| Water Clarity | 1.7 ft | 9 ft |
| Phosphorus | 66.7 µg/L | No data |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 27.6 µg/L | 4.5 µg/L |
| Maximum Depth | - | - |
| Surface Area | 292 acres | 18 acres |
| Public Access | Unknown | Unknown |
| Fish Species | 0 | 0 |
| Trophic State | eutrophic | 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 Intake's Grade D. Water clarity: 9 ft vs 1.7 ft. For fishing diversity, Slipbluff Lake also leads with 0 species.