Rio Arriba County Lake Quality
New Mexico, 16 lakes, average grade B (Good)
Rio Arriba County's 16 graded lakes fall in the moderate-density bracket for {{stateName}}. The county-level average smooths over real differences — a single agricultural watershed near the southwest corner can pull the average down even if the rest of the county runs clean. The county-wide average lands at B — solid water quality with most lakes carrying clear summer transparency and low-to-moderate phosphorus.
The county's lakes lean shallow, which makes the grades sensitive to wind, sediment-resuspension, and any nutrient inputs from the watershed. The cleanest lake on the books is Navajo Reservoir Canon Bancos Confluence (A); the most-stressed is Hopewell Lake (D).
Quick Answers for Rio Arriba County
Planning a trip? Check special fishing regulations for Navajo Reservoir Canon Bancos Confluence — or check the official New Mexico fishing regulations.
All Lakes in Rio Arriba County
| Rank | Lake | Grade | Clarity | Phosphorus |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Navajo Reservoir Canon Bancos Confluence | A | 9.1 ft | - |
| 2 | Navajo Reservoir la Jara Confluence | A | 13.5 ft | - |
| 3 | Navajo Reservoir | B | - | 21 µg/L |
| 4 | Heron Lake Deep Dam | B | 3.7 ft | 29 µg/L |
| 5 | Abiquiu Reservoir | B | 3.3 ft | 40 µg/L |
| 6 | El Vado Reservoir-Shallow | B | 3.3 ft | - |
| 7 | Abiquiu Reservoir Chama R Inlet | B | 3.3 ft | 36 µg/L |
| 8 | El Vado Reservoir | B | 2.9 ft | - |
| 9 | Heron Lake Shallow | B | 2.5 ft | 32 µg/L |
| 10 | Canjilon Lake | B | 5.2 ft | - |
| 11 | Nla Lake | B | 3.9 ft | 43.8 µg/L |
| 12 | Nla Lake | C | 19 ft | 56000 µg/L |
| 13 | Nla Lake | C | 3.3 ft | 36.9 µg/L |
| 14 | San Gregorio Deep Lake | C | 4.3 ft | - |
| 15 | Burns Lake Deep | D | 2.3 ft | - |
| 16 | Hopewell Lake | D | 3.9 ft | 76 µg/L |
Other Counties in New Mexico
See how Rio Arriba County stacks up in the national county water-quality rankings, or browse the full directory of graded lakes across all 34 states.
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Source: EPA National Aquatic Resource Surveys, 2026.