America’s Dirtiest Lakes Exposed and Texas Has Three In The Top 10

When it comes to cooling off in Texas during the brutal summer heat, millions of people will flock to pools, lakes, and other watering holes.  But, according to a recent report, some of our swimming holes are not necessarily the cleanest on the planet as Texas has three lakes that are tops in America when it comes to the dirtiest.

READ MORE: 10 Amazing Water Falls In Texas

The study was conducted by lake.com and they used chemical data from the National Water Quality Monitoring Council (NWQMC) for several lakes across America. The researchers used 8 common measuring characteristics that can tell how clean a lake is. These are dissolved oxygen, ammonia, lead, phosphorus, sulfate, total dissolved solids, turbidity, and pH.

Where Are The Dirtiest Lakes In Texas?

According to the study, the dirtiest lake in America is Utah Lake. But, Texas has three lakes that made it in America's top 10 dirtiest lakes. It's important to note that even though these lakes have been listed as the dirtiest, they are not necessarily the worst lakes to visit. We're just talking about water and not the lake's landscape or beauty.

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Lake J.B. Thomas

Lake J.B. Thomas near Snyder Texas is the second dirtiest lake in America. The lake has above-average Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) with low oxygen and high mineral count.

Lake Wichita

Wichita Lake in Wichita Falls, Texas comes in as the third dirtiest lake in America. The water has super high TDS levels making it very cloudy. It also is a bit smelly.

Lake Buchanan

Beautiful Lake Buchanan near Austin Texas was surprisingly number 6 on this list due to dissolved oxygen measurements. I will say, that this lake is one of the coolest lakes to visit. Also, I don't think I've ever seen a lake with so many houses around it. Still, it's pretty dirty.

Did Texas Make The Top 10 For Cleanest Lakes?

The short answer is, no. Texas did not have one lake in the top 10. But, just in case you're curious about where the cleanest lakes are in America, you can head over to Water Online.

This is one of the many reasons I prefer a swimming pool over a lake any day when it comes to cooling off. In a swimming pool, you know the water is clean (for the most part) and you can see if there is some weird creature lurking below you.