Shepard Mountain Lake Intake
Iron County, Missouri21 acresView mapDirections
Missouri DNR publishes the water-quality measurements for Shepard Mountain Lake Intake. Here is what has been measured.
- Eutrophic
- Impaired · Algal growth
- Limited data
Shepard Mountain Lake Intake in Iron County, Missouri has water-quality measurements published by Missouri DNR, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 2.8 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 37 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 18.3 µg/L. Surface area: 21 acres.
Shepard Mountain Lake Intake is a 21-acre productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Iron County, Missouri. Compared to the 1 other monitored lakes in Iron County, Shepard Mountain Lake Intake ranks #2 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Missouri DNR, last sampled 2020-09-01. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyLimited data
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. Shepard Mountain Lake Intake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for algal growth. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Shepard Mountain Lake Intake is safe to swim in today is a call for the Missouri Department of Natural Resources and the county health department, who post current advisories. LakeQuality does not issue swimming clearances.
Water quality measurements for Shepard Mountain Lake Intake
These are the measurements Missouri DNR publishes for Shepard Mountain Lake Intake, 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 2.8 ft of visibility. Phosphorus 37 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 18.3 µg/L. TSI 59.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 2.8ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 37µg/L | Poor GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 18.3µg/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. | 59 | Eutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Ask about Shepard Mountain Lake Intake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Shepard Mountain Lake Intake typically sits around 80°F at the surface in August. Summer average is about 80°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 84°F) and coldest in May (about 74°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (74°F) to its warmest (84°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 33 field readings (2012–2020) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Shepard Mountain Lake Intake water temperature breakdown →
Lake Details
Surface area
21 acres
No bathymetric survey has been published for Shepard Mountain Lake Intake, so its depth is not documented here.
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Stays near Shepard Mountain Lake Intake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Shepard Mountain Lake Intake in Iron County, Missouri — 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 Shepard Mountain Lake Intake are listed below.
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Fishing Shepard Mountain Lake Intake
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Shepard Mountain Lake Intake is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Shepard Mountain Dam (completed 1955), built primarily for recreation on the TR-STOUTS CREEK; gravity-type dam, 33 ft tall.
- Surface area
- 21 ac
- Normal storage
- 168 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 371 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 4,525 sq mi
- Hazard class
- High
- Owner
- CITY OF IRONTON
All listed purposes: Recreation;Water Supply.
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID MO30324 · Operator website · Matched by proximity (0.04 km)
EPA Impairment Status
Shepard Mountain Lake Intake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2022 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 5).
Causes of impairment
Designated uses not supporting: Aquatic life.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit MO_7333.00 · Official waterbody report
Regulated Pollution Sources Nearby
5 EPA-permitted facilities operate within about 5 miles of Shepard Mountain Lake Intake under Clean Water Act (NPDES) discharge permits. 5 facilities have a reported Clean Water Act violation in the past three years.
- Arcadia West WwtfArcadia · 1.6 mi away · NPDES MO0050687Recent violation
- Arcadia East WwtfArcadia · 1.9 mi away · NPDES MO0080667Recent violation
- Mawc, Ironton WwtfIronton · 2.3 mi away · NPDES MO0026514Recent violation
- The Baptist Home WwtfIronton · 3 mi away · NPDES MO0051217Recent violation
- Stricklin WwtfIronton · 4.2 mi away · NPDES MO0122319Recent 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 Iron County
Frequently asked questions about Shepard Mountain Lake Intake
Where is Shepard Mountain Lake Intake?
- Shepard Mountain Lake Intake is a lake in Iron County, Missouri. Its water-quality measurements are published by Missouri DNR and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Shepard Mountain Lake Intake?
- Shepard Mountain Lake Intake in Iron County, Missouri has water-quality measurements published by Missouri DNR, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 2.8 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 37 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 18.3 µg/L. Surface area: 21 acres.
Is Shepard Mountain Lake Intake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Shepard Mountain Lake Intake 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 Shepard Mountain Lake Intake?
- Shepard Mountain Lake Intake typically sits around 80°F at the surface in August, from 33 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2012–2020). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
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Where this data comes from
20 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2020. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Univ. of Missouri, Columbia
UMC20 samples · 2020
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
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)