Delaware County, Iowa · Water Quality Report Card
Backbone Beach Lake
Backbone Beach Lake in Delaware County, Iowa is not rated for water quality — its monitoring record does not meet the evidence bar.
Backbone Beach Lake is a lake in Delaware County, Iowa.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Iowa DNR, last sampled 2024-08-28. Grade methodology: LakeGrade methodology.
Watch Backbone Beach Lake water quality
Subscribe for LakeQuality updates by email. No spam, unsubscribe anytime.
Swimming Safety
Based on E. coli testing, Backbone Beach Lake routinely exceeded the EPA safe-swimming threshold (235 MPN/100mL) — on 52.9% of 104 samples across 7 seasons.
This is a historical summary of past testing, not a current condition — bacteria levels change quickly, especially after rain. Always check Iowa’s current beach and health-department advisories before swimming.
Water Quality Grade: Not rated
No clarity data.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | No data | |
| Phosphorus | No data | |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | No data |
Where to stay near Backbone Beach Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Backbone Beach Lake in Delaware County, Iowa — live availability and prices for your trip. Switch the map to Satellite to see the lake and how close each stay is to the water.
Top-rated places to stay near Backbone Beach Lake
Availability and prices from Stay22 partners (Booking.com, Vrbo, Expedia). We may earn a commission from bookings, at no extra cost to you.
Planning a trip to Backbone Beach Lake?
Get lake water-quality report cards plus the best cabin & lodging deals near Backbone Beach Lake — straight to your inbox. No spam, unsubscribe anytime.
Planning a whole trip? See where to stay at Iowa’s top lakes →
Fishing Backbone Beach Lake
Location
Nearby Lakes in Delaware County
Explore Backbone Beach Lake across LakeGrade
More Iowa Lake Rankings
Other Lakes in Iowa
More records, surveys & data sources
EPA Impairment Status
Backbone Beach Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2024 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 5).
Causes of impairment
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit IA 01-MAQ-20 · Official waterbody report · Matched by proximity (1.28 km)
Where this data comes from
43 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2021–2024. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Iowa DNR Surface Water Monitoring Data
21IOWA_WQX43 samples · 2021–2024
Analytical methods
- 2130 B ~ Nephelometric Method
Monitoring station identifiers (1)
Grade thresholds come from the U.S. EPA National Lakes Assessment 2022 Technical Support Document (EPA 841-R-24-006, Table 6-3), applied by ecoregion. See how grades are calculated.
Data Sources
Water quality data from the EPA Water Quality Portal
Impairment status from EPA ATTAINS 303(d) database
Grade thresholds from the EPA National Lakes Assessment (EPA 841-R-24-006, Table 6-3), applied by ecoregion
Most recent sample: 2024-08-28
Monitoring stations: 1