Des Moines County Lake Quality

Only 2 lakes in Des Moines County carry an active grade. The county-level summary is therefore representative of those specific lakes, not necessarily of every water body in the county. The county average is F — the most-stressed bracket in our rubric. Most monitored lakes here show persistent nutrient loading and algal pressure.

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 Big Hollow Lake (F); the most-stressed is Big Hollow Lake (F).