Lake Of The Ozarks Is One Of The Cleanest Large Lakes In The Country, New Data Crunch Finds

Among the 100 largest lakes in the country, Lake of the Ozarks ranks near the top when it comes to cleanliness, according to a new data analysis published by Lake.com.

The group used specific pollution data from the National Water Quality Monitoring Council to analyze the reported pollution levels in the nation's 100 largest lakes. With 84 square miles of surface area and 1,150 miles of shoreline, Lake of the Ozarks falls within the country's 100 biggest lakes.

Among those 100, Lake of the Ozarks ranked #4. Above it: Lake Hartwell, Lake Chelan, and Lake Superior.

At the bottom of the list? Lake Okeechobee, in Florida.

Check out the site's methodology here.

It's worth noting the site measured the "cleanest," which is distinct from the "clearest."

Lake of the Ozarks' water is not as clear as some other lakes, but that's not an indicator of "pollution."

Lake of the Ozarks becomes much more turbid following heavy rainfall, due to immense amounts of runoff: the watershed drains around 14,000 square miles into the Lake, through countless creeks and tributaries. The Lake's winding, snakelike shape (it's often referred to as the Magic Dragon Lake) means sediment-laden runoff is often more noticeable than it would be on broader lakes with much greater distances from shore to shore.

The breakdown of the Top 10 Cleanest and Top 10 Dirtiest Lakes is below.

Here's a look at the pollution metrics and how Lake of the Ozarks measured up in the top-5, in the Lake.com analysis.