Peaceful Valley Lake
Gasconade County, Missouri164 acresView mapDirections
Nutrients and algae sit mid-range for this region.
- Eutrophic
- Impaired · Algal growth
- #3 of 3 in the county
- 45 ft max depth
Peaceful Valley Lake in Gasconade County, Missouri has a water quality grade of C (Fair). Water clarity: 3.9 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 25.7 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 11.2 µg/L. Surface area: 164 acres.
- Clarity
- 3.9 ft
- Typical in August
- 83°F
- Max depth
- ~45 ft est.
- Area
- 164 acres
- Type
- Eutrophic
- Phosphorus
- 25.7 µg/L
- Chlorophyll-a
- 11.2 µg/L
- Trend
- ↓ Declining
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Watch Peaceful Valley Lake’s letter
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Peaceful Valley Lake is a 164-acre productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Gasconade County, Missouri with an estimated average depth of about 45 feet. Water quality is graded C based on 2 sampling years through 2024. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. Compared to the 2 other monitored lakes in Gasconade County, Peaceful Valley Lake ranks #3 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Missouri DNR, last sampled 2024-08-08. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.
Swimming Safety
Grade onlyModerate
Based on clarity and algae grades from past sampling — we do not hold live water temperature and a current cyanobacteria reading for this lake. Check your state or county health department before you swim.
The C is nutrients and algae, not a swimming clearance. Peaceful Valley Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for algal growth. Check local advisories before you swim.
Water Quality Grade: C (Fair)
Murky, only visible to about 3.9 ft. Phosphorus 25.7 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 11.2 µg/L. TSI 54. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 3.9 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | 25.7 µg/L | Fair |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 11.2 µg/L | Fair |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 54 | Eutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Water Temperature
Peaceful Valley Lake typically sits around 83°F at the surface in August. Summer average is about 83°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 84°F) and coldest in Jun (about 82°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 16 field readings (2020–2024) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Peaceful Valley Lake water temperature breakdown →
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | ~45 ft est. |
| Average Depth | ~21 ft est. |
| Surface Area | 164 acres |
Depth marked “est.” is a modeled maximum from GLOBathy (Khazaei et al. 2022, CC0), not a measured survey. Missouri has not published bathymetry for Peaceful Valley Lake.
Lake Size & Watershed
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.
Fishing Peaceful Valley Lake
Water Quality Trend: ↓ Declining
Based on 4 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | ↓ Declining | -0.027 m/yr | 3 |
| Phosphorus | ↓ Declining | +0.6 µg/L/yr | 4 |
| Chlorophyll-a | ↑ Improving | -3.57 µg/L/yr | 4 |
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Peaceful Valley Lake is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Peaceful Valley Lake Dam (completed 1965), built primarily for recreation on the TR-CEDAR BRANCH CREEK; earth-type dam, 64 ft tall and 1,100 ft long.
- Surface area
- 164 ac
- Normal storage
- 4,128 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 4,784 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 4.91 sq mi
- Hazard class
- High
- Owner
- PEACEFUL VALLEY POA
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID MO30196 · Operator website
EPA Impairment Status
Peaceful Valley Lake 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_7241.00 · Official waterbody report
Regulated Pollution Sources Nearby
9 EPA-permitted facilities operate within about 5 miles of Peaceful Valley Lake under Clean Water Act (NPDES) discharge permits. 2 facilities have a reported Clean Water Act violation in the past three years.
- Pwsd NO1 Of Gasconade County WwtfOwensville · 0.2 mi away · NPDES MO0041467Recent violation
- Owensville WwtfOwensville · 4.4 mi away · NPDES MO0041068Recent violation
- Parker Hannifin Sporlan Owensville PlantOwensville · 2.6 mi away · NPDES MONX00097
- Lsc Communications Book OwensvilleOwensville · 2.6 mi away · NPDES MONX00548
- Parker Hannifin Sporlan Owensville 2Owensville · 2.8 mi away · NPDES MONX00216
- Lsc Communications Book, OwensvilleOwensville · 2.8 mi away · NPDES MONX00546
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.
County Ranking
Ranked #3 of 3 lakes in Gasconade County
Nearby Lakes With Higher Grades
Peaceful Valley Lake holds Grade C. One nearby lake has a higher nutrient-and-algae grade — useful for a swim day, not a reason to skip lodging here.
See full comparison →Nearby Lakes in Gasconade County
Frequently asked questions about Peaceful Valley Lake
Where is Peaceful Valley Lake?
- Peaceful Valley Lake is a lake in Gasconade County, Missouri. LakeQuality grades it C for nutrients and algae. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
What is the water quality grade for Peaceful Valley Lake?
- Peaceful Valley Lake in Gasconade County, Missouri has a water quality grade of C (Fair). Water clarity: 3.9 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 25.7 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 11.2 µg/L. Surface area: 164 acres.
Is Peaceful Valley Lake safe to swim in?
- The C is nutrients and algae, not a swimming clearance. Peaceful Valley Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for algal growth. Check local advisories before you swim.
What is the water temperature of Peaceful Valley Lake?
- Peaceful Valley Lake typically sits around 83°F at the surface in August, from 16 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2020–2024). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Peaceful Valley Lake?
- No published bathymetric survey covers Peaceful Valley Lake, so its depth has not been measured. The HydroLAKES global model estimates an average depth of about 45 feet, but that is a modelled estimate derived from surrounding terrain rather than a measurement on the water, so treat it as approximate. The lake covers 164 acres.
Explore Peaceful Valley Lake across LakeQuality
More Missouri Lake Rankings
Other Grade C Lakes in Missouri
Eutrophic Lakes in Missouri
Where this data comes from
66 measurements from 3 monitoring stations, 2020–2024. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Univ. of Missouri, Columbia
UMC63 samples · 2020–2024 - Missouri Dept. of Natural Resources
MDNR3 samples · 2023
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 (3)
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)
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)