Cherry Creek Reservoir Top
Arapahoe County, Colorado852 acresView mapDirections
Colorado WQCD publishes the water-quality measurements for Cherry Creek Reservoir Top. Here is what has been measured.
- Impaired · Algal growth
- Public access
- Limited data
Ask about Cherry Creek Reservoir Top
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Cherry Creek Reservoir Top in Arapahoe County, Colorado has water-quality measurements published by Colorado WQCD, shown here as reported. Phosphorus: 59 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 3.1 µg/L. Surface area: 852 acres.
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Cherry Creek Reservoir Top is a 852-acre lake in Arapahoe County, Colorado. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, CDPHE, last sampled 2020-09-23. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.
What Cherry Creek Reservoir Top is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
Swimming conditions
No readingLimited data
Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Cherry Creek Reservoir Top is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for algal growth, oxygen depletion (low DO). Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Cherry Creek Reservoir Top is safe to swim in today is a call for the Water Quality Control Division of the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment and the county health department, who post current advisories. LakeQuality does not issue swimming clearances.
Water quality measurements for Cherry Creek Reservoir Top
These are the measurements Colorado WQCD publishes for Cherry Creek Reservoir Top, 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 59 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 3.1 µg/L. TSI 52.
| Metric | Value | EPA condition class |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | No recent samples | |
| Phosphorus | 59 µg/L | Measured, not scored |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 3.1 µg/L | Measured, not scored |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 52 | Eutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Surface Area | 852 acres |
| Public Access | Yes |
No bathymetric survey has been published for Cherry Creek Reservoir Top, so its depth is not documented here.
Recreation & Access
- Cherry Creek State ParkPublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Fishing Cherry Creek Reservoir Top
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Cherry Creek Reservoir Top is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Cherry Creek Dam (completed 1953), built primarily for flood risk reduction on the Cherry Creek; earth-type dam, 189 ft tall and 14,300 ft long.
- Surface area
- 852 ac
- Normal storage
- 13,960 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 134,470 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 385 sq mi
- Hazard class
- High
- Owner
- USACE - Omaha District
All listed purposes: Flood Risk Reduction;Recreation.
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID CO01280 · Operator website · Matched by proximity (0.24 km)
EPA Impairment Status
Cherry Creek Reservoir Top 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 COSPCH02_A · Official waterbody report · Matched by proximity (1.05 km)
Nearby Lakes in Arapahoe County
Frequently asked questions about Cherry Creek Reservoir Top
Where is Cherry Creek Reservoir Top?
- Cherry Creek Reservoir Top is a lake in Arapahoe County, Colorado. Its water-quality measurements are published by Colorado WQCD and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Cherry Creek Reservoir Top?
- Cherry Creek Reservoir Top in Arapahoe County, Colorado has water-quality measurements published by Colorado WQCD, shown here as reported. Phosphorus: 59 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 3.1 µg/L. Surface area: 852 acres.
Is Cherry Creek Reservoir Top safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Cherry Creek Reservoir Top is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for algal growth, oxygen depletion (low DO). Check local advisories before you swim.
Are there boat ramps on Cherry Creek Reservoir Top?
- Cherry Creek Reservoir Top has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Cherry Creek State Park. Public access is listed as yes.
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Where this data comes from
3 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2020. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Colorado Dept. of Public Health & Environment-WQCD
21COL001_WQX3 samples · 2020
Analytical methods
- Phosphorus by Colorimetry
- 10200 H ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination
- Nitrogen in Water by Pyrolysis Detection
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.
Other records on this page
Impairment status from EPA ATTAINS 303(d) database
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory