Skip to main content
LakeQuality

Blue River Parkway Lake

Jackson County, MissouriView mapDirections

F
Algae-prone

Nutrients and algae run well above the regional average.

Water temp
~77°F
Typical for Sep · EPA WQP
Clarity
No reading
No sample
Level
No reading
No gauge
Trend
Declining
3 years of samples
  • Hypereutrophic
  • #21 of 23 in the county

Blue River Parkway Lake in Jackson County, Missouri has a water quality grade of F (Algae-prone). Phosphorus: 194.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 64.2 µg/L.

Typical in September
77°F
Type
Hypereutrophic
Trend
Declining
Loading map…

Stays via Stay22

Stays near Blue River Parkway Lake

Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Blue River Parkway Lake in Jackson County, Missouri — 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. The water-quality grade measures nutrients and algae, not lodging — cabins and rentals around Blue River Parkway Lake are listed below.

Top-rated places to stay near Blue River Parkway Lake

Prices for Sep 11–13, 4 adults. Change dates on the map below.

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 whole trip? See where to stay at Missouri’s top lakes →

Watch Blue River Parkway Lake’s letter

Email me if this lake’s grade moves. Grades stay free.


Or email

Blue River Parkway Lake is a highly nutrient-loaded hypereutrophic lake in Jackson County, Missouri. Water quality is graded F based on 3 sampling years through 2024. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. Compared to the 22 other monitored lakes in Jackson County, Blue River Parkway Lake ranks #21 for water quality.

Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Missouri DNR, last sampled 2024-09-05. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.

Swimming Safety

Grade only

Bacteria C

Based on clarity and algae grades from past sampling — we do not hold live water temperature and a current cyanobacteria reading for this lake. Check your state or county health department before you swim.

C
Bacteria swim-safety grade: C
from E. coli testing · 16 samples, 4 seasons

Based on E. coli testing, Blue River Parkway Lake occasionally exceeded the EPA safe-swimming threshold (235 MPN/100mL) — on 6.3% of 16 samples across 4 seasons.

This is a historical summary of past testing, not a current condition — bacteria levels change quickly, especially after rain. Always check Missouri’s current beach and health-department advisories before swimming.

Compare the safest swimming lakes near Kansas City

Get alerts for Blue River Parkway Lake

Water Quality Grade: F (Algae-prone)

No clarity data. Phosphorus 194.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 64.2 µg/L. TSI 76. The letter is not a swimming clearance.

MetricValueGrade
Water Clarity (Secchi Depth)No recent samples
Phosphorus194.5 µg/LPoor
Chlorophyll-a (Algae)64.2 µg/LPoor
Trophic State Index (TSI)76Hypereutrophic

Very high nutrients, dense algae, poor clarity

Water Temperature

Blue River Parkway Lake typically sits around 77°F at the surface in September. Summer average is about 76°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 80°F) and coldest in Oct (about 66°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.

Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
73°
Jun
73°
Jul
80°
Aug
74°
Sep
77°
Oct
66°
Nov
Dec

Typical surface water temperature by month, from 79 field readings (20102022) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Blue River Parkway Lake water temperature breakdown →

Fishing Blue River Parkway Lake

Based on 3 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).

MetricTrendChange/YearYears
Phosphorus Declining+55.61 µg/L/yr3
Chlorophyll-a Declining+22.81 µg/L/yr3

Regulated Pollution Sources Nearby

7 EPA-permitted facilities operate within about 5 miles of Blue River Parkway Lake under Clean Water Act (NPDES) discharge permits. 2 facilities have a reported Clean Water Act violation in the past three years.

  • Kansas City MS4
    Kansas City · 1.5 mi away · NPDES MO0130516
    Recent violation
  • Bannister Facility
    Kansas City · 2 mi away · NPDES MO0004863
    Recent violation
  • Aventis Pharmaceuticals
    Kansas City · 1.8 mi away · NPDES MO0111180
  • Fedex Express Ojca
    Kansas City · 1.9 mi away · NPDES MONX00550
  • Catalent Cts Llc
    Kansas City · 1.9 mi away · NPDES MONX00797
  • Silgan Dispensing Systems
    Grandview · 2.6 mi away · NPDES MONX00057

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.

County Ranking

Ranked #21 of 23 lakes in Jackson County

Nearby Lakes With Higher Grades

Blue River Parkway Lake holds Grade F. One nearby lake has a higher nutrient-and-algae grade — useful for a swim day, not a reason to skip lodging here.

See full comparison →

Nearby Lakes in Jackson County

Frequently asked questions about Blue River Parkway Lake

Where is Blue River Parkway Lake?

Blue River Parkway Lake is a lake in Jackson County, Missouri. LakeQuality grades it F for nutrients and algae. The letter is not a swimming clearance.

What is the water quality grade for Blue River Parkway Lake?

Blue River Parkway Lake in Jackson County, Missouri has a water quality grade of F (Algae-prone). Phosphorus: 194.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 64.2 µg/L.

Is Blue River Parkway Lake safe to swim in?

Based on E. coli testing, Blue River Parkway Lake occasionally exceeded the EPA safe-swimming threshold (235 MPN/100mL) — on 6.3% of 16 samples across 4 seasons. That works out to a bacteria swim-safety grade of C — a historical summary of past testing, not a current reading. Blue River Parkway Lake has a water quality grade of F (Algae-prone). Bacteria levels can spike quickly after heavy rain, so always check Missouri's current beach and health-department advisories before you swim.

What is the water temperature of Blue River Parkway Lake?

Blue River Parkway Lake typically sits around 77°F at the surface in September, from 79 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2010–2022). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.

Where this data comes from

53 measurements from 3 monitoring stations, 2021–2024. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.

Collected and reported by

  • EPA R7EPA_R7_WQX53 samples · 2021–2024

Analytical methods

  • Total Phosphorus After Block Digestion
  • Nutrient Analysis
  • Chlorophyll a
  • 445.0 ~ EPA; Chlorophyll and Pheophytin in Algae by Fluorescence
  • Total Nitrogen Calculation
Monitoring station identifiers (3)

Grade thresholds from the EPA National Lakes Assessment (EPA 841-R-24-006, Table 6-3), applied by ecoregion. See how grades are calculated and data sources.

Other records on this page

Regulated discharger data from EPA ECHO (ICIS-NPDES)