Jackson County Lake Quality

The county-level average smooths over real differences — a single agricultural watershed near the southwest corner can pull the average down even if the rest of the county runs clean. 6 of those lakes carry recent nutrient and algae readings. The county-level summary describes that subset, not every water body listed. The county's readings sit in the middle of the Oregon range, with one or two lakes pulling the average up or down depending on year.

The county's lakes lean shallow, which makes the readings sensitive to wind, sediment-resuspension, and any nutrient inputs from the watershed. The cleanest measured lake is Applegate Lake.