Chanute Santa Fe Lake
Neosho 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
- 29 ft max depth
- Limited data
Chanute Santa Fe Lake in Neosho County, Kansas has a water quality grade of F (Algae-prone). Water clarity: 1.8 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 185 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 95.5 µg/L.
- Clarity
- 1.8 ft
- Max depth
- ~29 ft est.
- Type
- Hypereutrophic
- Phosphorus
- 185 µg/L
- Chlorophyll-a
- 95.5 µg/L
- Trend
- ↓ Declining
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Chanute Santa Fe Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Chanute Santa Fe Lake in Neosho 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 Chanute Santa Fe Lake are listed below.
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Watch Chanute Santa Fe Lake’s letter
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Chanute Santa Fe Lake is a highly nutrient-loaded hypereutrophic lake in Neosho County, Kansas with an estimated average depth of about 29 feet. Water quality is graded F based on 1 sampling years through 2018. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. Compared to the 2 other monitored lakes in Neosho County, Chanute Santa Fe Lake ranks #3 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, KDHE, last sampled 2018-07-23. 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. Chanute Santa Fe Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen), oxygen depletion (low DO), pH / acidity. Check local advisories before you swim.
Water Quality Grade: F (Algae-prone)
Very murky, less than 1.8 ft of visibility. Phosphorus 185 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 95.5 µg/L. TSI 75. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 1.8 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | 185 µg/L | Not graded |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 95.5 µg/L | Poor |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 75 | Hypereutrophic |
Very high nutrients, dense algae, poor clarity
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | ~29 ft est. |
| Average Depth | ~6 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 Chanute 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 Chanute Santa Fe Lake
Water Quality Trend: ↓ Declining
Based on 2 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | ↓ Declining | -0.11 m/yr | 2 |
| Phosphorus | ↑ Improving | -13.33 µg/L/yr | 2 |
| Chlorophyll-a | ↓ Declining | +12 µg/L/yr | 2 |
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Chanute Santa Fe Lake is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Santa Fe Lake (completed 1911), built primarily for recreation on the Little Turkey Creek, 20 ft tall.
- Normal storage
- 540 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 700 ac-ft
- Hazard class
- Low
- Owner
- SANTAFE RAILROAD CO
All listed purposes: Recreation;Irrigation.
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID KS03881 · Operator website · Matched by proximity (0.16 km)
EPA Impairment Status
Chanute 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-LM044401 · Official waterbody report
County Ranking
Ranked #3 of 3 lakes in Neosho County
Nearby Lakes in Neosho County
Frequently asked questions about Chanute Santa Fe Lake
Where is Chanute Santa Fe Lake?
- Chanute Santa Fe Lake is a lake in Neosho County, Kansas. LakeQuality grades it F for nutrients and algae. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
What is the water quality grade for Chanute Santa Fe Lake?
- Chanute Santa Fe Lake in Neosho County, Kansas has a water quality grade of F (Algae-prone). Water clarity: 1.8 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 185 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 95.5 µg/L.
Is Chanute Santa Fe Lake safe to swim in?
- The F is nutrients and algae, not a swimming clearance. Chanute Santa Fe Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen), oxygen depletion (low DO), pH / acidity. Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Chanute Santa Fe Lake?
- No published bathymetric survey covers Chanute Santa Fe Lake, so its depth has not been measured. The HydroLAKES global model estimates an average depth of about 29 feet, but that is a modelled estimate derived from surrounding terrain rather than a measurement on the water, so treat it as approximate.
Explore Chanute 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, 2015–2018. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Kansas Department Of Health And Environment
21KAN001_WQX8 samples · 2015–2018
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)