Ballard County Lake Quality

There are 18 monitored lakes in Ballard County. The mix is varied enough that the county-level average tells you the broad strokes, not the choose-this-cabin specifics. 2 of those lakes carry an A–F grade. The county-level summary describes that subset, not every water body listed. Ballard County averages to a C. The distribution behind that average matters more than the letter: a few stressed lakes versus many decent ones can produce the same average as the inverse.

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 Turner Lake (B); the most-stressed is Swan Pond (D).