Central Illinois swimming lake

March 29, 2016 10:36 AM

My wife and I are looking for a vacation home roughly between Springfield IL and St Louis MO on a lake which is clean enough for swimming. I haven't been able to find good sources regarding which lakes in the area are safe. We are primarily concerned about agricultural chemical run off of herbicides and pesticides.
posted by grahahw to Sports, Hobbies, & Recreation (1 answer total)

Satisfying yourself will more likely be a function of your definition of "safe". Do you mean "safe" as in people swim in it regularly? If so, check out Lake Lou Yaeger near Litchfield where people have been swimming since it was completed 50 years ago.

Or, does your definition of "safe" revolve around a particular threshold measurement of herbicides and pesticides in the water? In this case, you might reach out to the Soil Conservation Service or Agricultural Extension offices in the county where you seek that data.

Keep in mind that the area between Springfield and St. Louis includes prime, Illinois farmland which has seen at least some (if not heavy) use of herbicides and pesticides for many, many years. Calibrate your expectations accordingly.
posted by John Borrowman at 9:21 AM on March 31, 2016