Hailing from the land of 10,000 lakes, I found it a HUGE surprise to learn that America’s cleanest lake is found in…Washington State.
According to a New Report Lake Chelan Is the Cleanest Lake in the Country
The study, conducted by vacation rental platform Lake.com, analyzed all the available chemical data from the National Water Quality Monitoring Council (NWQMC) for 100 of America’s largest lakes, sampled from January 1st, 2021, until July 30th, 2026.
Lake Chelan is extremely clear. Reaching a depth of 1,486 feet, Lake Chelan is also the third deepest lake in the United States. Oregon’s Crater Lake is the deepest and Lake Tahoe is the second deepest. Lake Superior is the second CLEANEST lake in the country.
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The Study Was Based on 8 Characteristics Indicating the Cleanliness of a Lake:
• pH levels
• Dissolved oxygen
• Ammonia
• Lead
• Phosphorus
• Sulfate
• Turbidity
• Total dissolved solids
In all, 67 lakes reported at least 3 of the above pollution factors, therefore qualified for the study. The results were put into an index to produce a pollution score out of 10 to determine the safest and most dangerous lakes. So, which lake is the dirtiest?
The Great Salt Lake in Utah is America’s Dirtiest Lake
Its water carries an extremely high mineral load, with the total dissolved solids (TDS) of 134,500 mg/L which is much more than any other lake in the study. TDS refers to the total minerals within water, including sulfates, chlorides, calcium, magnesium, potassium, bicarbonates and sodium, and indicates the general quality of water.
The Great Salt Lake is also the MOST POORLY oxygenated lake in the ranking.
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Gallery Credit: Stacker