Lake of the Woods
Boone County, Missouri9 acresView mapDirections
Not enough samples to grade — no nutrient or algae measurement meets the evidence bar (at least 3 samples within 10 years). No letter yet. Here is what we do have.
- Impaired · Mercury
- Limited data
Lake of the Woods in Boone County, Missouri is not rated for water quality — its monitoring record does not meet the evidence bar. Water clarity: 7 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 20 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 4.9 µg/L. Surface area: 9 acres.
- Clarity
- 7 ft
- Area
- 9 acres
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Watch Lake of the Woods’s letter
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Why Lake of the Woods has no grade
We grade a lake only when the monitoring record supports a letter: at least three phosphorus or chlorophyll-a samples in the last ten years, scored against EPA National Lakes Assessment thresholds for this lake’s ecoregion. For Lake of the Woods, no nutrient or algae measurement meets the evidence bar (at least 3 samples within 10 years). Sampling here has recorded water clarity, phosphorus and algae (chlorophyll-a).
Not Rated is not an F. It is EPA Integrated Reporting Category 3 — insufficient information. The water here may be excellent or poor; nobody has measured enough of it to say. Everything below that has been measured is still reported on this page.
Sampling is run by Missouri DNR and volunteer programs, and published through the EPA Water Quality Portal. Read the full grading methodology.
Lake of the Woods is a 9-acre lake in Boone County, Missouri.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Missouri DNR, last sampled 2022-08-31. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.
Swimming Safety
Not ratedLimited data
The letter is not a swimming clearance. Lake of the Woods is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.
Water quality measurements for Lake of the Woods
These readings exist but are not enough for an A–F grade — see why.
Moderate clarity, visible to about 7 ft. Phosphorus 20 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 4.9 µg/L. TSI 48.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 7 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | 20 µg/L | Not graded |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 4.9 µg/L | Not graded |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 48 | Mesotrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Surface Area | 9 acres |
No bathymetric survey has been published for Lake of the Woods, so its depth is not documented here.
Fishing Lake of the Woods
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Lake of the Woods is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Welch Lake Dam (completed 1960), built primarily for recreation on the HOMINY BRANCH; earth-type dam, 22 ft tall.
- Surface area
- 9 ac
- Normal storage
- 49 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 106 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 2,100 sq mi
- Hazard class
- High
- Owner
- EDW,INC.
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID MO10733 · Operator website · Matched by proximity (0.46 km)
EPA Impairment Status
Lake of the Woods is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2022 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 5).
Causes of impairment
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit MO_7436.00 · Official waterbody report
Regulated Pollution Sources Nearby
36 EPA-permitted facilities operate within about 5 miles of Lake of the Woods under Clean Water Act (NPDES) discharge permits. 9 facilities have a reported Clean Water Act violation in the past three years.
- Eurofins Eag Agroscience, LlcColumbia · 0.8 mi away · NPDES MO0104591Recent violation
- Manchester Heights Subdivision WwtfColumbia · 0.9 mi away · NPDES MO0081922Recent violation
- Bcrsd Highfield Acres WwtfColumbia · 0.9 mi away · NPDES MO0053376Recent violation
- Bcrsd, Sunrise Estates Nw WwtfColumbia · 0.9 mi away · NPDES MO0090824Recent violation
- El Ray Mobile Home ParkColumbia · 1 mi away · NPDES MO0105520Recent violation
- Lake Of The Woods MhpColumbia · 1.3 mi away · NPDES MO0109631Recent violation
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.
Graded lakes near Lake of the Woods
Lake of the Woods has no grade, but these lakes within a short drive do.
Nearby Lakes in Boone County
Frequently asked questions about Lake of the Woods
Where is Lake of the Woods?
- Lake of the Woods is a lake in Boone County, Missouri. LakeQuality has not rated this lake (UNRATED) — no nutrient or algae measurement meets the evidence bar (at least 3 samples within 10 years).
What is the water quality grade for Lake of the Woods?
- Lake of the Woods in Boone County, Missouri is not rated for water quality — its monitoring record does not meet the evidence bar. Water clarity: 7 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 20 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 4.9 µg/L. Surface area: 9 acres.
Is Lake of the Woods safe to swim in?
- The letter is not a swimming clearance. Lake of the Woods is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.
Explore Lake of the Woods across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
3 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2022. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Missouri Dept. of Natural Resources
MDNR3 samples · 2022
Analytical methods
- Depth, Secchi disk in meters
- Nitrogen and Phosphorus, Total, Whole-water, Alkaline Persulfate Digest
- 445.0 ~ EPA; Chlorophyll and Pheophytin in Algae by Fluorescence
Monitoring station identifiers (1)
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
Impairment status from EPA ATTAINS 303(d) database
Regulated discharger data from EPA ECHO (ICIS-NPDES)