Harlan County Lake Quality

Only 2 lakes in Harlan 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. On average, Harlan County lakes grade D, with phosphorus loading and reduced clarity showing up across most of the dataset.

Most of the county's monitored lakes are shallow — under 50 feet — which means wind keeps the water column mixed all summer and sediment-bound phosphorus releases back into the surface layer whenever the bottom is disturbed. Harlan County Reservoir (D) is the cleanest in the county.