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Adair County, Missouri · Water Quality Report Card

Hazel Creek Lake

C
Grade CFair
Limited DataEutrophic

Hazel Creek Lake in Adair County, Missouri has a water quality grade of C (Fair). Water clarity: 2.8 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 22 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 19 µg/L.

Clarity
2.8 ft
Mean depth
~24 ft est.
Type
Eutrophic
Trend
Improving

Hazel Creek Lake is a productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Adair County, Missouri with an estimated average depth of about 24 feet. Water quality is graded C based on 2 sampling years through 2020. Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. Compared to the 4 other monitored lakes in Adair County, Hazel Creek Lake ranks #5 for water quality.

Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Missouri DNR, last sampled 2020-09-16. Grade methodology: LakeGrade methodology.

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Swimming Safety

Swim with caution, moderate algae may be present

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Water Quality Grade: C (Fair)

Very murky, less than 2.8 ft of visibility. Phosphorus level: 22 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a: 19 µg/L. Trophic State Index: 57.

MetricValueGrade
Water Clarity (Secchi Depth)2.8 ft
Phosphorus22 µg/LGood
Chlorophyll-a (Algae)19 µg/LFair
Trophic State Index (TSI)57Eutrophic

High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity

Lake Details

CharacteristicValue
Average Depth~24 ft est.

Depth marked “est.” is a modeled estimate from HydroLAKES, not a measured survey. Missouri has not published bathymetry for Hazel Creek Lake.

Where to stay near Hazel Creek Lake

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Fishing Hazel Creek Lake

Water Quality Trend: Improving

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

MetricTrendChange/YearYears
Water Clarity Improving+0.078 m/yr5
Phosphorus Stable+0.09 µg/L/yr5
Chlorophyll-a Improving-2.78 µg/L/yr5
See year-by-year chart →

Location

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County Ranking

Ranked #5 of 5 lakes in Adair County

Cleaner Lakes Within 30 Miles

Hazel Creek Lake holds Grade C. 4 nearby lakes hold higher grades.

Nearby Lakes in Adair County

More records, surveys & data sources

EPA Impairment Status

Hazel Creek Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2022 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 5).

Causes of impairment

Algal growthNutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen)

Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit MO_7152.00 · Official waterbody report

Lake Size & Watershed

Watershed (drainage) area
8 sq mi
Surface area
403 acres
Mean depth (modeled estimate)
~24 ft est.
Shoreline
8 mi
Elevation
853 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

24 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2020. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.

Collected and reported by

  • Univ. of Missouri, ColumbiaUMC24 samples · 2020

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)

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: 2020-09-16

Monitoring stations: 1

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