Belcher Branch Lake
Buchanan County, Missouri46 acresView mapDirections
Missouri DNR publishes the water-quality measurements for Belcher Branch Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Impaired · Mercury
- Public access
- Limited data
Belcher Branch Lake in Buchanan County, Missouri has water-quality measurements published by Missouri DNR, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 1 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 44 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 44.9 µg/L. Surface area: 46 acres.
Belcher Branch Lake is a 46-acre lake in Buchanan County, Missouri. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Missouri DNR, last sampled 2023-09-20. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Belcher Branch Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
Swimming conditions
No readingLimited data
Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Belcher Branch Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Belcher Branch Lake is safe to swim in today is a call for the Missouri Department of Natural Resources and the county health department, who post current advisories. LakeQuality does not issue swimming clearances.
Water quality measurements for Belcher Branch Lake
These are the measurements Missouri DNR publishes for Belcher Branch Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Very murky, less than 1 ft of visibility. Phosphorus 44 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 44.9 µg/L. TSI 68.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 1ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 44µg/L | Measured, not scored The nutrient that most limits algae growth in freshwater. More phosphorus, more algae potential. |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 44.9µg/L | Measured, not scored The green pigment in algae — a direct measure of how much algae is in the water. |
| Trophic state (TSI)Carlson's 0–100 index of how much algae a lake can support, from clarity, phosphorus and chlorophyll-a. | 68 | Eutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Ask about Belcher Branch Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Belcher Branch Lake typically sits around 82°F at the surface in July. Summer average is about 79°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 82°F) and coldest in May (about 72°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (72°F) to its warmest (82°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 11 field readings (2013–2023) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Belcher Branch Lake water temperature breakdown →
Lake Details
Surface area
46 acres
Public access
Yes
Listed by Missouri DNR
No bathymetric survey has been published for Belcher Branch Lake, so its depth is not documented here.
Recreation & Access
- Belcher Branch Lake Conservation AreaPublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
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Fishing Belcher Branch Lake
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Belcher Branch Lake is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Belcher Branch Lake Dam (completed 1992), built primarily for fish and wildlife pond on the TR-BELCHER BRANCH; earth-type dam, 47 ft tall and 1,397 ft long.
- Surface area
- 46 ac
- Normal storage
- 626 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 1,765 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 2.18 sq mi
- Hazard class
- High
- Owner
- MO DEPT OF CONSERVATION
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID MO12290 · Operator website
EPA Impairment Status
Belcher Branch Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2022 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 5).
Causes of impairment
Designated uses not supporting: Fish consumption.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit MO_7365.00 · Official waterbody report
Regulated Pollution Sources Nearby
2 EPA-permitted facilities operate within about 5 miles of Belcher Branch Lake under Clean Water Act (NPDES) discharge permits. 2 facilities have a reported Clean Water Act violation in the past three years.
- Pilot Travel Center 1323 WwtfFaucett · 3.5 mi away · NPDES MO0120758Recent violation
- Whispering Pines Mhp WwtpAgency · 4.4 mi away · NPDES MO0118991Recent violation
Facilities permitted to discharge under the Clean Water Act within ~5 miles; proximity does not by itself mean a facility affects this lake. Source: EPA ECHO (ICIS-NPDES), as of 2026-07.
Nearby Lakes in Buchanan County
Frequently asked questions about Belcher Branch Lake
Where is Belcher Branch Lake?
- Belcher Branch Lake is a lake in Buchanan County, Missouri. Its water-quality measurements are published by Missouri DNR and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Belcher Branch Lake?
- Belcher Branch Lake in Buchanan County, Missouri has water-quality measurements published by Missouri DNR, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 1 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 44 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 44.9 µg/L. Surface area: 46 acres.
Is Belcher Branch Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Belcher Branch Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.
What is the water temperature of Belcher Branch Lake?
- Belcher Branch Lake typically sits around 82°F at the surface in July, from 11 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2013–2023). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
Are there boat ramps on Belcher Branch Lake?
- Belcher Branch Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Belcher Branch Lake Conservation Area. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Belcher Branch Lake?
- Belcher Branch Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Seasons, size and bag limits, and whether you need a license are set by Missouri's fish and wildlife agency, so check its current regulations before you go.
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Where this data comes from
3 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2023. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Missouri Dept. of Natural Resources
MDNR3 samples · 2023
Analytical methods
- Depth, Secchi disk in meters
- Nitrogen and Phosphorus, Total, Whole-water, Alkaline Persulfate Digest
- 445.0 ~ EPA; Chlorophyll and Pheophytin in Algae by Fluorescence
Monitoring station identifiers (1)
EPA condition classes from the National Lakes Assessment (EPA 841-R-24-006, Table 6-3), applied by ecoregion. See where the data comes from and data sources.
Other records on this page
Impairment status from EPA ATTAINS 303(d) database
Regulated discharger data from EPA ECHO (ICIS-NPDES)
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory