Harrison County Lake Intake
Harrison County, Missouri292 acresView mapDirections
Missouri DNR publishes the water-quality measurements for Harrison County Lake Intake. Here is what has been measured.
- Eutrophic
- Impaired · Algal growth
Harrison County Lake Intake in Harrison County, Missouri has water-quality measurements published by Missouri DNR, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 1.7 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 66.7 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 27.6 µg/L. Surface area: 292 acres.
Harrison County Lake Intake is a 292-acre productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Harrison County, Missouri. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Missouri DNR, last sampled 2024-07-30. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyAlgae risk
Based on clarity and algae readings from past sampling — there is no live water temperature and a current cyanobacteria reading for this lake. Check your state or county health department before you swim.
Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Harrison County Lake Intake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for algal growth, mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Harrison County Lake Intake 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 Harrison County Lake Intake
These are the measurements Missouri DNR publishes for Harrison County Lake Intake, 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 1.7 ft of visibility. Phosphorus 66.7 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 27.6 µg/L. TSI 66.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 1.7ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 66.7µg/L | Poor GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 27.6µg/L | Poor GoodFairPoor |
| Trophic state (TSI)Carlson's 0–100 index of how much algae a lake can support, from clarity, phosphorus and chlorophyll-a. | 66 | Eutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Ask about Harrison County Lake Intake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Harrison County Lake Intake typically sits around 77°F at the surface in September. Summer average is about 80°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 82°F) and coldest in May (about 70°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (70°F) to its warmest (82°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 60 field readings (2010–2024) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Harrison County Lake Intake water temperature breakdown →
Lake Details
Surface area
292 acres
No bathymetric survey has been published for Harrison County Lake Intake, so its depth is not documented here.
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Harrison County Lake Intake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Harrison County Lake Intake in Harrison 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 readings cover nutrients and algae, not lodging. Cabins and rentals around Harrison County Lake Intake are listed below.
Top-rated places to stay near Harrison County Lake Intake
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Fishing Harrison County Lake Intake
Water Quality Trend: Worsening
Based on 5 years of monitoring (2020–2024).
Water clarity
Stable4 years
Phosphorus
Worsening+7.77 µg/L/yr5 years
Chlorophyll-a
Stable+0.35 µg/L/yr5 years
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Harrison County Lake Intake is a man-made reservoir impounded by the West Fork of Big Creek C-1 Dam (completed 1992), built primarily for flood risk reduction on the LITTLE CREEK; earth-type dam, 49 ft tall and 1,500 ft long.
- Surface area
- 292 ac
- Normal storage
- 2,842 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 9,994 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 17.2 sq mi
- Hazard class
- High
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID MO12370 · Operator website · Matched by proximity (0.08 km)
EPA Impairment Status
Harrison County Lake Intake 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: Aquatic life, Fish consumption.
A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan has been approved.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit MO_7386.00 · Official waterbody report
Nearby Lakes in Harrison County
Frequently asked questions about Harrison County Lake Intake
Where is Harrison County Lake Intake?
- Harrison County Lake Intake is a lake in Harrison County, Missouri. Its water-quality measurements are published by Missouri DNR and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Harrison County Lake Intake?
- Harrison County Lake Intake in Harrison County, Missouri has water-quality measurements published by Missouri DNR, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 1.7 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 66.7 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 27.6 µg/L. Surface area: 292 acres.
Is Harrison County Lake Intake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Harrison County Lake Intake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for algal growth, mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.
What is the water temperature of Harrison County Lake Intake?
- Harrison County Lake Intake typically sits around 77°F at the surface in September, from 60 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2010–2024). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
Explore Harrison County Lake Intake across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
89 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2020–2024. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Univ. of Missouri, Columbia
UMC89 samples · 2020–2024
Analytical methods
- Depth, Secchi disk in meters
- 4500 P E ~ Phosphorus in Water by Colorimetry- Ascorbic Acid Method
- 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