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LakeQuality

Sac County, Iowa · Water Quality Report Card

Black Hawk Beach Lake

Grade Not rated
Limited Data

Black Hawk Beach Lake in Sac County, Iowa is not rated for water quality — its monitoring record does not meet the evidence bar.

Mean depth
~7 ft est.
Trend
Improving

Black Hawk Beach Lake is a lake in Sac County, Iowa with an estimated average depth of about 7 feet. Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years.

Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Iowa DNR, last sampled 2024-08-27. Grade methodology: LakeGrade methodology.

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Swimming Safety

D
Bacteria swim-safety grade: D
from E. coli testing · 91 samples, 7 seasons

Based on E. coli testing, Black Hawk Beach Lake frequently exceeded the EPA safe-swimming threshold (235 MPN/100mL) — on 13.2% of 91 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.

Compare the safest swimming lakes near Des Moines

Water Quality Grade: Not rated

No clarity data.

MetricValueGrade
Water Clarity (Secchi Depth)No data
PhosphorusNo data
Chlorophyll-a (Algae)No data

Lake Details

CharacteristicValue
Average Depth~7 ft est.

Depth marked “est.” is a modeled estimate from HydroLAKES, not a measured survey. Iowa has not published bathymetry for Black Hawk Beach Lake.

Where to stay near Black Hawk Beach Lake

Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Black Hawk Beach Lake in Sac 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.

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Fishing Black Hawk Beach Lake

Water Quality Trend: Improving

Based on 5 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).

MetricTrendChange/YearYears
Water Clarity Declining-0.008 m/yr5
Phosphorus Improving-4.9 µg/L/yr4
Chlorophyll-a Improving-8.26 µg/L/yr5
See year-by-year chart →

Location

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Nearby Lakes in Sac County

More records, surveys & data sources

EPA Impairment Status

Black Hawk 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

Algal growthPathogens (E. coli, fecal)Turbidity

A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan has been approved.

Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit IA 04-RAC-1134 · Official waterbody report · Matched by proximity (1.04 km)

Lake Size & Watershed

Watershed (drainage) area
6 sq mi
Surface area
808 acres
Mean depth (modeled estimate)
~7 ft est.
Shoreline
9.2 mi
Elevation
1,211 ft

Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS). Mean depth here is modelled, not surveyed — HydroLAKES v1.0 estimates lake depth from surrounding terrain rather than from soundings. Treat it as an approximation, and prefer a state bathymetric survey where one exists.

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 Data21IOWA_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

Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)

Grade thresholds from the EPA National Lakes Assessment (EPA 841-R-24-006, Table 6-3), applied by ecoregion

Most recent sample: 2024-08-27

Monitoring stations: 1

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