Catnip Reservoir
Washoe County, Nevada69 acresView mapDirections
NDEP publishes the water-quality measurements for Catnip Reservoir. Here is what has been measured.
- Limited data
Catnip Reservoir in Washoe County, Nevada has water-quality measurements published by NDEP, shown here as reported. Phosphorus: 100 µg/L. Surface area: 69 acres.
Catnip Reservoir is a 69-acre lake in Washoe County, Nevada. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, NDEP, last sampled 2019-07-23. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
Swimming conditions
No readingLimited data
Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Catnip Reservoir is safe to swim in today is a call for the Nevada Division of Environmental Protection and the county health department, who post current advisories. LakeQuality does not issue swimming clearances.
Water quality measurements for Catnip Reservoir
These are the measurements NDEP publishes for Catnip Reservoir, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
No clarity data. Phosphorus 100 µg/L. TSI 71.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | No reading How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. | |
| Total phosphorus | 100µg/L | Measured, not scored The nutrient that most limits algae growth in freshwater. More phosphorus, more algae potential. |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | No reading The green pigment in algae — a direct measure of how much algae is in the water. | |
| Trophic state (TSI)Carlson's 0–100 index of how much algae a lake can support, from clarity, phosphorus and chlorophyll-a. | 71 | Hypereutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Very high nutrients, dense algae, poor clarity
Ask about Catnip Reservoir
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Lake Details
Surface area
69 acres
No bathymetric survey has been published for Catnip Reservoir, so its depth is not documented here.
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Fishing Catnip Reservoir
Water quality readings over time
3 seasons of samples on record (2017–2019). Calling a direction takes at least 4 years of the same measurement.
Phosphorus
Worsening+4.8 µg/L/yr3 years
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Catnip Reservoir is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Catnip Dam (completed 1910), built primarily for fish and wildlife pond on the Catnip Creek; earth-type dam, 19 ft tall and 270 ft long.
- Surface area
- 69 ac
- Normal storage
- 243 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 937 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 43.5 sq mi
- Hazard class
- Low
- Owner
- US FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID NV10127 · Operator website
Nearby Lakes in Washoe County
Frequently asked questions about Catnip Reservoir
Where is Catnip Reservoir?
- Catnip Reservoir is a lake in Washoe County, Nevada. Its water-quality measurements are published by NDEP and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Catnip Reservoir?
- Catnip Reservoir in Washoe County, Nevada has water-quality measurements published by NDEP, shown here as reported. Phosphorus: 100 µg/L. Surface area: 69 acres.
Is Catnip Reservoir safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
Explore Catnip Reservoir across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
2 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2018–2019. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Nevada Division of Environmental Protection
21NEV1_WQX2 samples · 2018–2019
Analytical methods
- 4500 P E ~ Phosphorus by Ascorbic Acid
Monitoring station identifiers (1)
EPA condition classes from the National Lakes Assessment (EPA 841-R-24-006, Table 6-3), applied by ecoregion. See where the data comes from and data sources.