What is the water quality grade for Meadow Lake?

Meadow Lake in Adair County, Iowa received a water quality grade of F (Very Poor). Water clarity: 1.7 ft visibility. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 53.1 µg/L. Surface area: 42 acres.

Is Meadow Lake safe to swim in?

Avoid swimming, very poor water quality, potential algae toxins. Meadow Lake has an overall water quality grade of F. Algae concentration (chlorophyll-a) is 53.1 µg/L. Always check local health department advisories before swimming.

Adair County, Iowa

Meadow Lake

Grade FVery Poor · 1.7 ft clarity

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Eutrophic

Meadow Lake is a 42-acre productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Adair County, Iowa. Water quality is graded F based on 2 sampling years through 2024. Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing. Compared to the 4 other monitored lakes in Adair County, Meadow Lake ranks #4 for water quality.

Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Iowa DNR, last sampled 2024-09-29. Grade methodology: LakeGrade methodology.

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Swimming Safety

Avoid swimming, very poor water quality, potential algae toxins

Compare the safest swimming lakes near Des Moines →

Water Quality Grade: F, Very Poor

Very murky, less than 1.7 ft of visibility. Chlorophyll-a: 53.1 µg/L. Trophic State Index: 69.

Metric	Value	Grade
Water Clarity (Secchi Depth)	1.7 ft	F
Phosphorus	No data
Chlorophyll-a (Algae)	53.1 µg/L	F
Trophic State Index (TSI)	69	Eutrophic

High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity

Lake Details

Characteristic	Value
Surface Area	42 acres
Public Access	Yes

Where to stay near Meadow Lake

Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Meadow Lake 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.

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Fishing Meadow Lake

→ Meadow Lake fishing regulations (limits, seasons, special rules)

Water Quality Trend: ↑ Improving

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

Metric	Trend	Change/Year	Years
Water Clarity	→ Stable	-0.008 m/yr	5
Chlorophyll-a	↑ Improving	-5.36 µg/L/yr	5

See year-by-year chart →

Recreation & Access

Boat Landings

Yes

Public Access

Water Temperature

Meadow Lake averages about 79°F at the surface in summer, usually warmest in Jul (about 82°F) and coldest in Sep (about 71°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.

Jan

—

Feb

—

Mar

—

Apr

—

May

—

Jun

77°

Jul

82°

Aug

79°

Sep

71°

Oct

—

Nov

—

Dec

—

Typical surface water temperature by month, from 29 field readings (2010–2023) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Meadow Lake water temperature breakdown →

Location & Depth Map

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Free interactive depth-contour map of Meadow Lake, reaching a maximum surveyed depth of 16 ft. Toggle Depth contours to overlay the bathymetric survey lines. Contour data from Iowa DNR.

County Ranking

Ranked #4 of 5 lakes in Adair County

Cleaner Lakes Within 30 Miles

Meadow Lake holds Grade F. 2 nearby lakes hold higher grades.

See full comparison →

Nearby Lakes in Adair County

Explore Meadow Lake across LakeGrade

Lake Fishing Forecast

Species activity outlook by water temperature and season

Iowa Lake Trips

Where to stay at Iowa's top lakes, each with its grade

Eutrophic Lakes

High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity

The State of Iowa's Lakes

Iowa's cleanest and most-polluted lakes, ranked

More Iowa Lake Rankings

Cleanest lakes in Iowa

Top 25 by overall water quality score

Clearest lakes in Iowa

Top 25 by Secchi water clarity

Best swimming lakes in Iowa

Grade A/B + low algae filter

Family fishing lakes in Iowa

Panfish-rich, public access

All Iowa lakes

Full state directory

Other Grade F Lakes in Iowa

Beaver Lake

Dallas County · Clarity: 1.9 ft

Green Valley Lake

Union County · Clarity: 1.5 ft

Summit Lake

Union County · Clarity: 1.4 ft

Mckinley Lake

Union County · Clarity: 1 ft

Lake Anita

Cass County · Clarity: 2.2 ft

Twelve Mile Lake

Union County · Clarity: 2.4 ft

Eutrophic Lakes in Iowa

Beaver Lake Lake Anita Twelve Mile Lake Three Mile Lake

More records, surveys & data sources

Reservoir Info (USACE NID)

Meadow Lake is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Meadow Lake Dam (completed 1964), built primarily for recreation on the TR-NORTH TURKEY CREEK; earth-type dam, 39 ft tall and 920 ft long.

Surface area: 42 ac
Normal storage: 293 ac-ft
Max storage: 770 ac-ft
Drainage area: 1.31 sq mi
Hazard class: Significant
Owner: Iowa Department of Natural Resources

Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID IA00020 · Operator website

EPA Impairment Status

Meadow Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2024 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 5).

Causes of impairment

Algal growthTurbidity

A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan has been approved.

Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit IA 04-LDM-1089 · Official waterbody report

Data Sources

Water quality data from the EPA Water Quality Portal

Impairment status from EPA ATTAINS 303(d) database

Grading methodology based on Metropolitan Council standards

Public boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory

Most recent sample: 2024-09-29

Monitoring stations: 1

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