Ada Hayden Heritage Park Lake
Story County, IowaView mapDirections
Clarity, phosphorus, and algae all sit in the cleanest band for this region.
↑ up from B at the last regrade
- Mesotrophic
- #1 of 2 in the county
- 25 ft max depth
- Public access
Ada Hayden Heritage Park Lake in Story County, Iowa has a water quality grade of A (Excellent). Water clarity: 6.8 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 19 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 5.2 µg/L.
- Clarity
- 6.8 ft
- Typical in September
- 70°F
- Max depth
- ~25 ft est.
- Type
- Mesotrophic
- Phosphorus
- 19 µg/L
- Chlorophyll-a
- 5.2 µg/L
- Trend
- ↓ Declining
- Public access
- Yes
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Watch Ada Hayden Heritage Park Lake’s letter
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Ada Hayden Heritage Park Lake is a mesotrophic lake in Story County, Iowa with an estimated average depth of about 25 feet. Water quality is graded A based on 2 sampling years through 2024. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available. Compared to the 1 other monitored lakes in Story County, Ada Hayden Heritage Park Lake ranks #1 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Iowa DNR, last sampled 2024-10-30. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.
Swimming Safety
Grade onlyLow algae
Based on clarity and algae grades from past sampling — we do not hold live water temperature and a current cyanobacteria reading for this lake. Check your state or county health department before you swim.
The A is nutrients and algae, not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
Water Quality Grade: A (Excellent)
Moderate clarity, visible to about 6.8 ft. Phosphorus 19 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 5.2 µg/L. TSI 48. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 6.8 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | 19 µg/L | Good |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 5.2 µg/L | Good |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 48 | Mesotrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Water Temperature
Ada Hayden Heritage Park Lake typically sits around 70°F at the surface in September. Summer average is about 78°F. Usually warmest in Jun (about 78°F) and coldest in Sep (about 70°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 9 field readings (2018–2023) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Ada Hayden Heritage Park Lake water temperature breakdown →
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | ~25 ft est. |
| Average Depth | ~11 ft est. |
| Public Access | Yes |
Depth marked “est.” is a modeled maximum from GLOBathy (Khazaei et al. 2022, CC0), not a measured survey. Iowa has not published bathymetry for Ada Hayden Heritage Park Lake.
Lake Size & Watershed
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS). Mean depth here is modelled, not surveyed — HydroLAKES v1.0 estimates lake depth from surrounding terrain rather than from soundings. Treat it as an approximation, and prefer a state bathymetric survey where one exists.
Fishing Ada Hayden Heritage Park Lake
Water Quality Trend: ↓ Declining
Based on 4 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | ↓ Declining | -0.556 m/yr | 4 |
| Phosphorus | ↓ Declining | +7.84 µg/L/yr | 4 |
| Chlorophyll-a | ↓ Declining | +2.43 µg/L/yr | 4 |
Regulated Pollution Sources Nearby
11 EPA-permitted facilities operate within about 5 miles of Ada Hayden Heritage Park Lake under Clean Water Act (NPDES) discharge permits. 6 facilities have a reported Clean Water Act violation in the past three years.
- South Squaw Valley AssociationAmes · 2.1 mi away · NPDES IA0068276Recent violation
- Hickory Grove Court, LlcAmes · 2.6 mi away · NPDES IA0067814Recent violation
- Iowa State University Power PlantAmes · 2.7 mi away · NPDES IA0032697Recent violation
- Gilbert, City Of StpGilbert · 2.8 mi away · NPDES IA0025968Recent violation
- City Of Ames Steam Electric PlantAmes · 3.2 mi away · NPDES IA0033235Recent violation
- Home City IceAmes · 3.5 mi away · NPDES IA0072061Recent violation
Facilities permitted to discharge under the Clean Water Act within ~5 miles; proximity does not by itself mean a facility affects this lake. Source: EPA ECHO (ICIS-NPDES), as of 2026-07.
County Ranking
Ranked #1 of 2 lakes in Story County
Nearby Lakes in Story County
Frequently asked questions about Ada Hayden Heritage Park Lake
Where is Ada Hayden Heritage Park Lake?
- Ada Hayden Heritage Park Lake is a lake in Story County, Iowa. LakeQuality grades it A for nutrients and algae. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
What is the water quality grade for Ada Hayden Heritage Park Lake?
- Ada Hayden Heritage Park Lake in Story County, Iowa has a water quality grade of A (Excellent). Water clarity: 6.8 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 19 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 5.2 µg/L.
Is Ada Hayden Heritage Park Lake safe to swim in?
- The A is nutrients and algae, not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
What is the water temperature of Ada Hayden Heritage Park Lake?
- Ada Hayden Heritage Park Lake typically sits around 70°F at the surface in September, from 9 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2018–2023). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Ada Hayden Heritage Park Lake?
- No published bathymetric survey covers Ada Hayden Heritage Park Lake, so its depth has not been measured. The HydroLAKES global model estimates an average depth of about 25 feet, but that is a modelled estimate derived from surrounding terrain rather than a measurement on the water, so treat it as approximate.
Explore Ada Hayden Heritage Park Lake across LakeQuality
More Iowa Lake Rankings
Other Grade A Lakes in Iowa
Mesotrophic Lakes in Iowa
Where this data comes from
69 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2020–2024. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Iowa DNR Surface Water Monitoring Data
21IOWA_WQX69 samples · 2020–2024
Analytical methods
- Unknown
- Phosphorus by Colorimetry
- 445.0 ~ EPA; Chlorophyll and Pheophytin in Algae by Fluorescence
- In-Vitro Determination of Chlorophyll
- ISU modification of APHA 2130-B
Monitoring station identifiers (1)
Grade thresholds from the EPA National Lakes Assessment (EPA 841-R-24-006, Table 6-3), applied by ecoregion. See how grades are calculated and data sources.
Other records on this page
Regulated discharger data from EPA ECHO (ICIS-NPDES)
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)