Barr Lake
Adams County, Colorado1,830 acresView mapDirections
Not Rated: one monitoring station are on record, but they measured water clarity only. LakeQuality’s A–F method grades total phosphorus, total nitrogen, chlorophyll-a, and turbidity; clarity is shown, not scored.
- Public access
- Limited data
Barr Lake in Adams County, Colorado is not rated for water quality — its monitoring record does not meet the evidence bar. Water clarity: 3.9 ft visibility. Surface area: 1830 acres.
- Clarity
- 3.9 ft
- Area
- 1,830 acres
- Trend
- ↑ Improving
- Public access
- Yes
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Stays near Barr Lake
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Watch Barr Lake’s letter
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Why Barr Lake has no grade
Barr Lake has monitoring on record from one station, but only water clarity was measured. LakeQuality’s A–F letter uses total phosphorus, total nitrogen, chlorophyll-a, and turbidity against EPA National Lakes Assessment condition classes. With none of those grading measurements on record, Barr Lake is Not Rated — not an F. Its 3.9-foot median from 4 readings collected 2022–2024 is still shown as clarity, but clarity alone cannot earn a letter.
Not Rated is EPA Integrated Reporting Category 3 — insufficient information. Everything below that has been measured is still reported on this page.
Sampling is run by CDPHE and volunteer programs, and published through the EPA Water Quality Portal. Read the full grading methodology.
Barr Lake is a 1,830-acre lake in Adams County, Colorado. Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, CDPHE, last sampled 2024-07-09. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.
What Barr Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Big water1,830 acres
Swimming Safety
Not ratedLimited data
The letter is not a swimming clearance. Barr Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for metals (other than mercury), oxygen depletion (low DO), pH / acidity. Check local advisories before you swim.
Water quality measurements for Barr Lake
These readings exist but are not enough for an A–F grade — see why.
Murky, only visible to about 3.9 ft. TSI 58.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 3.9 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | No recent samples | |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | No recent samples | |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 58 | Eutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Surface Area | 1,830 acres |
| Public Access | Yes |
No bathymetric survey has been published for Barr Lake, so its depth is not documented here.
Fishing Barr Lake
Water Quality Trend: ↑ Improving
Based on 6 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | ↑ Improving | +0.94 m/yr | 2 |
| Phosphorus | ↑ Improving | -41.86 µg/L/yr | 6 |
| Chlorophyll-a | ↓ Declining | +5.14 µg/L/yr | 6 |
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Barr Lake is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Barr Lake (completed 1893), built primarily for irrigation on the Beebe Draw; earth-type dam, 43 ft tall and 7,150 ft long.
- Surface area
- 1,830 ac
- Normal storage
- 31,645 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 47,000 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 13 sq mi
- Hazard class
- High
- Owner
- FARMERS RESERVOIR AND IRRIGATION COMPANY (EDGAR, S
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID CO01888 · Operator website
EPA Impairment Status
Barr Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2024 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 5).
Causes of impairment
A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan has been approved.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit COSPMS04_A · Official waterbody report
Graded lakes near Barr Lake
Barr Lake has no grade, but these lakes within a short drive do.
Nearby Lakes in Adams County
Frequently asked questions about Barr Lake
Where is Barr Lake?
- Barr Lake is a lake in Adams County, Colorado. LakeQuality has not rated this lake (UNRATED) — the only measurement available is water clarity, which is not a water-quality indicator on its own — EPA's National Lakes Assessment does not grade clarity.
What is the water quality grade for Barr Lake?
- Barr Lake in Adams County, Colorado is not rated for water quality — its monitoring record does not meet the evidence bar. Water clarity: 3.9 ft visibility. Surface area: 1830 acres.
Is Barr Lake safe to swim in?
- The letter is not a swimming clearance. Barr Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for metals (other than mercury), oxygen depletion (low DO), pH / acidity. Check local advisories before you swim.
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Where this data comes from
4 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2022–2024. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- North American Lake Management Society
NALMS4 samples · 2022–2024
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