Augusta Santa Fe Lake
Butler County, KansasView mapDirections
Nutrients and algae run well above the regional average.
↓ down from D at the last regrade
- Hypereutrophic
- Impaired · Nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen)
- #3 of 3 in the county
- 44 ft max depth
- Limited data
Augusta Santa Fe Lake in Butler County, Kansas has a water quality grade of F (Algae-prone). Water clarity: 1 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 195 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 42.9 µg/L.
- Clarity
- 1 ft
- Max depth
- ~44 ft est.
- Type
- Hypereutrophic
- Phosphorus
- 195 µg/L
- Chlorophyll-a
- 42.9 µg/L
- Trend
- → Stable
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Augusta Santa Fe Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Augusta Santa Fe Lake in Butler County, Kansas — live availability and prices for your trip. Switch the map to Satellite to see the lake and how close each stay is to the water. The water-quality grade measures nutrients and algae, not lodging — cabins and rentals around Augusta Santa Fe Lake are listed below.
Top-rated places to stay near Augusta Santa Fe Lake
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Watch Augusta Santa Fe Lake’s letter
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Augusta Santa Fe Lake is a highly nutrient-loaded hypereutrophic lake in Butler County, Kansas with an estimated average depth of about 44 feet. Water quality is graded F based on 1 sampling years through 2018. Water clarity is declining over recent sampling years. Compared to the 2 other monitored lakes in Butler County, Augusta Santa Fe Lake ranks #3 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, KDHE, last sampled 2018-07-31. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.
Swimming Safety
Grade onlyLimited data
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 F is nutrients and algae, not a swimming clearance. Augusta Santa Fe Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen), oxygen depletion (low DO), sediment / turbidity. Check local advisories before you swim.
Water Quality Grade: F (Algae-prone)
Very murky, less than 1 ft of visibility. Phosphorus 195 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 42.9 µg/L. TSI 75. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 1 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | 195 µg/L | Not graded |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 42.9 µg/L | Poor |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 75 | Hypereutrophic |
Very high nutrients, dense algae, poor clarity
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | ~44 ft est. |
| Average Depth | ~9 ft est. |
Depth marked “est.” is a modeled maximum from GLOBathy (Khazaei et al. 2022, CC0), not a measured survey. Kansas has not published bathymetry for Augusta Santa Fe 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 Augusta Santa Fe Lake
Water Quality Trend: → Stable
Based on 2 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | ↓ Declining | -0.01 m/yr | 2 |
| Phosphorus | → Stable | -1.25 µg/L/yr | 2 |
| Chlorophyll-a | ↑ Improving | -1.5 µg/L/yr | 2 |
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Augusta Santa Fe Lake is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Santa Fe Lake Dam (completed 1927), built primarily for recreation on the Dry Creek; earth-type dam, 38 ft tall and 1,100 ft long.
- Normal storage
- 0 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 8,650 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 37.19 sq mi
- Hazard class
- High
- Owner
- AUGUSTA, CITY OF
All listed purposes: Recreation;Water Supply.
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID KS00310 · Operator website · Matched by proximity (0.19 km)
EPA Impairment Status
Augusta Santa Fe Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2024 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 4A).
Causes of impairment
A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan has been approved.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit KS-LM041601 · Official waterbody report
County Ranking
Ranked #3 of 3 lakes in Butler County
Nearby Lakes in Butler County
Frequently asked questions about Augusta Santa Fe Lake
Where is Augusta Santa Fe Lake?
- Augusta Santa Fe Lake is a lake in Butler County, Kansas. LakeQuality grades it F for nutrients and algae. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
What is the water quality grade for Augusta Santa Fe Lake?
- Augusta Santa Fe Lake in Butler County, Kansas has a water quality grade of F (Algae-prone). Water clarity: 1 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 195 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 42.9 µg/L.
Is Augusta Santa Fe Lake safe to swim in?
- The F is nutrients and algae, not a swimming clearance. Augusta Santa Fe Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen), oxygen depletion (low DO), sediment / turbidity. Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Augusta Santa Fe Lake?
- No published bathymetric survey covers Augusta Santa Fe Lake, so its depth has not been measured. The HydroLAKES global model estimates an average depth of about 44 feet, but that is a modelled estimate derived from surrounding terrain rather than a measurement on the water, so treat it as approximate.
Explore Augusta Santa Fe Lake across LakeQuality
More Kansas Lake Rankings
Other Grade F Lakes in Kansas
Hypereutrophic Lakes in Kansas
Where this data comes from
8 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2014–2018. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Kansas Department Of Health And Environment
21KAN001_WQX8 samples · 2014–2018
Analytical methods
- Depth, Secchi disk depth
- Phosphorus by Colorimetry
- 10200 H ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination
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
Impairment status from EPA ATTAINS 303(d) database
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)