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Crawford County, Missouri · Water Quality Report Card

Indian Hills Lake

D
Grade DPoor
Limited DataEutrophic

Indian Hills Lake in Crawford County, Missouri has a water quality grade of D (Poor). Water clarity: 3.4 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 35 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 28.4 µg/L.

Clarity
3.4 ft
Mean depth
~34 ft est.
Type
Eutrophic

Indian Hills Lake is a productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Crawford County, Missouri with an estimated average depth of about 34 feet. Water quality is graded D based on 2 sampling years through 2020.

Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Missouri DNR, last sampled 2020-09-02. Grade methodology: LakeGrade methodology.

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Swimming Safety

Swimming not recommended, poor water quality with high algae risk

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Water Quality Grade: D (Poor)

Murky, only visible to about 3.4 ft. Phosphorus level: 35 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a: 28.4 µg/L. Trophic State Index: 59.

MetricValueGrade
Water Clarity (Secchi Depth)3.4 ft
Phosphorus35 µg/LPoor
Chlorophyll-a (Algae)28.4 µg/LPoor
Trophic State Index (TSI)59Eutrophic

High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity

Lake Details

CharacteristicValue
Average Depth~34 ft est.

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

Where to stay near Indian Hills Lake

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Location

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County Ranking

Ranked #1 of 1 lakes in Crawford County

Cleaner Lakes Within 30 Miles

Indian Hills Lake holds Grade D. 4 nearby lakes hold higher grades.

Nearby Lakes in Crawford County

More records, surveys & data sources

EPA Impairment Status

Indian Hills 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 growthMercury

Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit MO_7288.00 · Official waterbody report · Matched by proximity (1.52 km)

Lake Size & Watershed

Watershed (drainage) area
14 sq mi
Surface area
262 acres
Mean depth (modeled estimate)
~34 ft est.
Shoreline
4.2 mi
Elevation
886 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

23 measurements from 2 monitoring stations, 2020. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.

Collected and reported by

  • Univ. of Missouri, ColumbiaUMC20 samples · 2020
  • Missouri Dept. of Natural ResourcesMDNR3 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
  • Nitrogen and Phosphorus, Total, Whole-water, Alkaline Persulfate Digest
Monitoring station identifiers (2)

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: 2020-09-02

Monitoring stations: 2

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