Las Animas County Lake Quality

Las Animas County holds 12 monitored lakes. With a sample that small the county-level summary describes those specific waters, not necessarily every water body in the county. 1 of those lake carry an A–F grade. The county-level summary describes that subset, not every water body listed. The county average is C — the middle of the rubric, with one or two lakes pulling the average up or down depending on year.

Most of the county's monitored lakes are shallow — under 50 feet — which means wind keeps the water column mixed all summer and sediment-bound phosphorus releases back into the surface layer whenever the bottom is disturbed. Trinidad Reservoir (C) is the cleanest in the county.