Brough Reservoir
Uintah County, UtahView mapDirections
Clarity, phosphorus, and algae all sit in the cleanest band for this region.
↑ up from B at the last regrade
- Mesotrophic
- Impaired · Mercury
- #4 of 14 in the county
- 16 ft max depth
- Limited data
Brough Reservoir in Uintah County, Utah has a water quality grade of A (Excellent). Water clarity: 6.2 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 15.7 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 3.4 µg/L.
- Clarity
- 6.2 ft
- Max depth
- ~16 ft est.
- Type
- Mesotrophic
- Phosphorus
- 15.7 µg/L
- Chlorophyll-a
- 3.4 µg/L
- Trend
- ↑ Improving
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Watch Brough Reservoir’s letter
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Brough Reservoir is a mesotrophic lake in Uintah County, Utah with an estimated average depth of about 16 feet. Water quality is graded A based on 2 sampling years through 2023. Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. Compared to the 13 other monitored lakes in Uintah County, Brough Reservoir ranks #4 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Utah DWQ, last sampled 2023-09-05. 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 A is nutrients and algae, not a swimming clearance. Brough Reservoir is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for mercury, oxygen depletion (low DO), temperature. Check local advisories before you swim.
Water Quality Grade: A (Excellent)
Murky, only visible to about 6.2 ft. Phosphorus 15.7 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 3.4 µg/L. TSI 46. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 6.2 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | 15.7 µg/L | Good |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 3.4 µg/L | Good |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 46 | Mesotrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | ~16 ft est. |
| Average Depth | ~12 ft est. |
Depth marked “est.” is a modeled maximum from GLOBathy (Khazaei et al. 2022, CC0), not a measured survey. Utah has not published bathymetry for Brough Reservoir.
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 Brough Reservoir
Water Quality Trend: ↑ Improving
Based on 2 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | ↑ Improving | +0.092 m/yr | 2 |
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Brough Reservoir is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Brough (completed 1975), built primarily for irrigation on the Whiterocks River--Offstream; earth-type dam, 75 ft tall and 740 ft long.
- Normal storage
- 4,000 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 4,061 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 1 sq mi
- Hazard class
- High
- Owner
- OURAY PARK IRRIGATION COMPANY
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID UT00353 · Operator website
EPA Impairment Status
Brough Reservoir 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 UT-L-14060010-002_00 · Official waterbody report
County Ranking
Ranked #4 of 14 lakes in Uintah County
Nearby Lakes in Uintah County
Frequently asked questions about Brough Reservoir
Where is Brough Reservoir?
- Brough Reservoir is a lake in Uintah County, Utah. LakeQuality grades it A for nutrients and algae. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
What is the water quality grade for Brough Reservoir?
- Brough Reservoir in Uintah County, Utah has a water quality grade of A (Excellent). Water clarity: 6.2 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 15.7 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 3.4 µg/L.
Is Brough Reservoir safe to swim in?
- The A is nutrients and algae, not a swimming clearance. Brough Reservoir is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for mercury, oxygen depletion (low DO), temperature. Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Brough Reservoir?
- No published bathymetric survey covers Brough Reservoir, so its depth has not been measured. The HydroLAKES global model estimates an average depth of about 16 feet, but that is a modelled estimate derived from surrounding terrain rather than a measurement on the water, so treat it as approximate.
Explore Brough Reservoir across LakeQuality
More Utah Lake Rankings
Other Grade A Lakes in Utah
Mesotrophic Lakes in Utah
Where this data comes from
61 measurements from 2 monitoring stations, 2017–2023. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Utah Department Of Environmental Quality
UTAHDWQ_WQX61 samples · 2017–2023
Analytical methods
- Field Measurements
- Phosphorus by Colorimetry
- 10200 H ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination
Monitoring station identifiers (2)
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)