Prairie County Lake Quality

There are 27 monitored lakes in Prairie County. The mix is varied enough that the county-level average tells you the broad strokes, not the choose-this-cabin specifics. 1 of those lake carry an A–F grade. The county-level summary describes that subset, not every water body listed. The county average is C — the middle of the rubric, with one or two lakes pulling the average up or down depending on year.

The county's lakes lean shallow, which makes the grades sensitive to wind, sediment-resuspension, and any nutrient inputs from the watershed. The cleanest lake on the books is Des Arc Lake (C); the most-stressed is Des Arc Lake (C).