Polk County, Iowa · Water Quality Report Card
Big Creek Beach Lake
Big Creek Beach Lake in Polk County, Iowa is not rated for water quality — its monitoring record does not meet the evidence bar.
- Trend
- → Stable
Big Creek Beach Lake is a lake in Polk County, Iowa. Water clarity is declining over recent sampling years.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Iowa DNR, last sampled 2024-08-28. Grade methodology: LakeGrade methodology.
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Swimming Safety
Based on E. coli testing, Big Creek Beach Lake frequently exceeded the EPA safe-swimming threshold (235 MPN/100mL) — on 18.3% 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 Big Creek Beach Lake
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Fishing Big Creek Beach Lake
Water Quality Trend: → Stable
Based on 3 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | ↓ Declining | -0.041 m/yr | 3 |
| Phosphorus | ↑ Improving | -7.86 µg/L/yr | 3 |
Location
Nearby Lakes in Polk County
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EPA Impairment Status
Big Creek 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
A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan has been approved.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit IA 04-UDM-1242 · Official waterbody report · Matched by proximity (1.3 km)
Where this data comes from
45 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_WQX45 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