Lake Orient
Adair County, Iowa23 acresView mapDirections
Iowa DNR publishes the water-quality measurements for Lake Orient. Here is what has been measured.
- Hypereutrophic
- Impaired · Algal growth
Lake Orient in Adair County, Iowa has water-quality measurements published by Iowa DNR, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 1.3 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 674 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 92.2 µg/L. Surface area: 23.4 acres.
Free interactive depth-contour map of Lake Orient, reaching a maximum surveyed depth of 10 ft. Toggle Depth contours to overlay the bathymetric survey lines. Contour data from Iowa DNR.
Lake Orient is a 23-acre highly nutrient-loaded hypereutrophic lake in Adair County, Iowa. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. Compared to the 4 other monitored lakes in Adair County, Lake Orient ranks #5 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Iowa DNR, last sampled 2024-09-29. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyRecreation use not supported
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. Lake Orient is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for algal growth, pH / acidity, turbidity. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Lake Orient is safe to swim in today is a call for the Iowa Department of Natural Resources and the county health department, who post current advisories. LakeQuality does not issue swimming clearances.
Water quality measurements for Lake Orient
These are the measurements Iowa DNR publishes for Lake Orient, 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 1.3 ft of visibility. Phosphorus 674 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 92.2 µg/L. TSI 82.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 1.3ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 674µg/L | Poor GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 92.2µg/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. | 82 | Hypereutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Very high nutrients, dense algae, poor clarity
Ask about Lake Orient
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Lake Orient typically sits around 70°F at the surface in September. Summer average is about 78°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 80°F) and coldest in Sep (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 (80°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 29 field readings (2010–2023) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Lake Orient water temperature breakdown →
Lake Details
Surface area
23 acres
No bathymetric survey has been published for Lake Orient, so its depth is not documented here.
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Lake Orient
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Lake Orient in Adair County, Iowa — 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 Lake Orient are listed below.
Top-rated places to stay near Lake Orient
Prices for Oct 23–25, 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 Iowa’s top lakes →
Follow Lake Orient’s readings
Email me when new measurements post for this lake. Updates stay free.
Or email
Fishing Lake Orient
Water Quality Trend: Worsening
Based on 5 years of monitoring (2020–2024).
Water clarity
Worsening5 years
Phosphorus
Improving-23.11 µg/L/yr4 years
Chlorophyll-a
Worsening+19.48 µg/L/yr5 years
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Lake Orient is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Orient Lake Dam (completed 1969), built primarily for water supply on the TR-EAST NODAWAY RIVER; earth-type dam, 23 ft tall and 867 ft long.
- Surface area
- 23.4 ac
- Normal storage
- 135 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 398 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 0.94 sq mi
- Hazard class
- Significant
- Owner
- City of Orient
All listed purposes: Water Supply;Recreation.
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID IA00033 · Operator website
EPA Impairment Status
Lake Orient is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2024 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 4A).
Causes of impairment
Designated uses not supporting: Drinking water, Aquatic life, Recreation.
A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan has been approved.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit IA 05-NOD-1396 · Official waterbody report
Regulated Pollution Sources Nearby
1 EPA-permitted facility operate within about 5 miles of Lake Orient under Clean Water Act (NPDES) discharge permits. 1 facility has a reported Clean Water Act violation in the past three years.
- Orient Stp (Sirwa)Orient · 1.5 mi away · NPDES IA0074535Recent 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.
Nearby Lakes in Adair County
Frequently asked questions about Lake Orient
Where is Lake Orient?
- Lake Orient is a lake in Adair County, Iowa. Its water-quality measurements are published by Iowa DNR and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Lake Orient?
- Lake Orient in Adair County, Iowa has water-quality measurements published by Iowa DNR, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 1.3 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 674 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 92.2 µg/L. Surface area: 23.4 acres.
Is Lake Orient safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Lake Orient is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for algal growth, pH / acidity, turbidity. Check local advisories before you swim.
What is the water temperature of Lake Orient?
- Lake Orient typically sits around 70°F at the surface in September, from 29 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2010–2023). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
Explore Lake Orient across LakeQuality
More lakes in Iowa
Other Lakes in Iowa
Hypereutrophic Lakes in Iowa
Where this data comes from
54 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2020–2024. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Iowa DNR Surface Water Monitoring Data
21IOWA_WQX54 samples · 2020–2024
Analytical methods
- Unknown
- Phosphorus by Colorimetry
- 445.0 ~ EPA; Chlorophyll and Pheophytin in Algae by Fluorescence
- In-Vitro Determination of Chlorophyll
- ISU modification of APHA 2130-B
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
Regulated discharger data from EPA ECHO (ICIS-NPDES)