Shelby County, Iowa · Water Quality Report Card
Prairie Rose Beach Lake
Prairie Rose Beach Lake in Shelby County, Iowa is not rated for water quality — its monitoring record does not meet the evidence bar.
- Mean depth
- ~13 ft est.
- Trend
- ↓ Declining
Prairie Rose Beach Lake is a lake in Shelby County, Iowa with an estimated average depth of about 13 feet. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Iowa DNR, last sampled 2024-08-27. Grade methodology: LakeGrade methodology.
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Swimming Safety
Based on E. coli testing, Prairie Rose Beach Lake routinely exceeded the EPA safe-swimming threshold (235 MPN/100mL) — on 25.5% of 110 samples across 7 seasons.
This is a historical summary of past testing, not a current condition — bacteria levels change quickly, especially after rain. Always check Iowa’s current beach and health-department advisories before swimming.
Water Quality Grade: Not rated
No clarity data.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | No data | |
| Phosphorus | No data | |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | No data |
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Average Depth | ~13 ft est. |
Depth marked “est.” is a modeled estimate from HydroLAKES, not a measured survey. Iowa has not published bathymetry for Prairie Rose Beach Lake.
Where to stay near Prairie Rose Beach Lake
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Fishing Prairie Rose Beach Lake
Water Quality Trend: ↓ Declining
Based on 5 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | ↓ Declining | -0.044 m/yr | 5 |
| Phosphorus | ↓ Declining | +27.3 µg/L/yr | 4 |
| Chlorophyll-a | ↑ Improving | -4.13 µg/L/yr | 5 |
Location
Nearby Lakes in Shelby County
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EPA Impairment Status
Prairie Rose Beach Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2024 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 4A).
Causes of impairment
A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan has been approved.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit IA 05-NSH-1462 · Official waterbody report · Matched by proximity (0.15 km)
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.
Where this data comes from
43 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2021–2024. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Iowa DNR Surface Water Monitoring Data
21IOWA_WQX43 samples · 2021–2024
Analytical methods
- 2130 B ~ Nephelometric Method
Monitoring station identifiers (1)
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: 2024-08-27
Monitoring stations: 1