Clayton Lake Deep Dam
Union County, New Mexico175 acresView mapDirections
Not enough samples to grade — no nutrient or algae measurement meets the evidence bar (at least 3 samples within 10 years). No letter yet. Here is what we do have.
- Impaired · Mercury
- 14 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
Clayton Lake Deep Dam in Union County, New Mexico is not rated for water quality — its monitoring record does not meet the evidence bar. Water clarity: 3.9 ft visibility. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 10.3 µg/L. Surface area: 175 acres.
- Clarity
- 3.9 ft
- Max depth
- ~14 ft est.
- Area
- 175 acres
- Chlorophyll-a
- 10.3 µg/L
- Public access
- Yes
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Watch Clayton Lake Deep Dam’s letter
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Why Clayton Lake Deep Dam has no grade
We grade a lake only when the monitoring record supports a letter: at least three phosphorus or chlorophyll-a samples in the last ten years, scored against EPA National Lakes Assessment thresholds for this lake’s ecoregion. For Clayton Lake Deep Dam, no nutrient or algae measurement meets the evidence bar (at least 3 samples within 10 years). Sampling here has recorded water clarity and algae (chlorophyll-a), but not phosphorus.
Not Rated is not an F. It is EPA Integrated Reporting Category 3 — insufficient information. The water here may be excellent or poor; nobody has measured enough of it to say. Everything below that has been measured is still reported on this page.
Sampling is run by NMED and volunteer programs, and published through the EPA Water Quality Portal. Read the full grading methodology.
Clayton Lake Deep Dam is a 175-acre lake in Union County, New Mexico with an estimated average depth of about 14 feet. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, NMED, last sampled 2016-11-02. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.
What Clayton Lake Deep Dam is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
Swimming Safety
Not ratedLimited data
The letter is not a swimming clearance. Clayton Lake Deep Dam is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for mercury, nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen). Check local advisories before you swim.
Water quality measurements for Clayton Lake Deep Dam
These readings exist but are not enough for an A–F grade — see why.
Murky, only visible to about 3.9 ft. Chlorophyll-a 10.3 µg/L. TSI 55.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 3.9 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | No recent samples | |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 10.3 µg/L | Not graded |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 55 | Eutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | ~14 ft est. |
| Average Depth | ~11 ft est. |
| Surface Area | 175 acres |
| Public Access | Yes |
Depth marked “est.” is a modeled maximum from GLOBathy (Khazaei et al. 2022, CC0), not a measured survey. New Mexico has not published bathymetry for Clayton Lake Deep Dam.
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.
Recreation & Access
- Clayton Lake State ParkPublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Fishing Clayton Lake Deep Dam
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Clayton Lake Deep Dam is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Clayton Dam (completed 1955), built primarily for recreation on the Cimarron River-Tr; earth-type dam, 82 ft tall and 720 ft long.
- Surface area
- 175 ac
- Normal storage
- 4,080 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 6,630 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 112 sq mi
- Hazard class
- Low
- Owner
- NEW MEXICO DEPARTMENT OF GAME AND FISH
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID NM00294 · Operator website · Matched by proximity (0.16 km)
EPA Impairment Status
Clayton Lake Deep Dam is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2024 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 5).
Causes of impairment
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit NM-9000.B_030 · Official waterbody report · Matched by proximity (1 km)
Nearby Lakes in Union County
Frequently asked questions about Clayton Lake Deep Dam
Where is Clayton Lake Deep Dam?
- Clayton Lake Deep Dam is a lake in Union County, New Mexico. LakeQuality has not rated this lake (UNRATED) — no nutrient or algae measurement meets the evidence bar (at least 3 samples within 10 years).
What is the water quality grade for Clayton Lake Deep Dam?
- Clayton Lake Deep Dam in Union County, New Mexico is not rated for water quality — its monitoring record does not meet the evidence bar. Water clarity: 3.9 ft visibility. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 10.3 µg/L. Surface area: 175 acres.
Is Clayton Lake Deep Dam safe to swim in?
- The letter is not a swimming clearance. Clayton Lake Deep Dam is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for mercury, nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen). Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Clayton Lake Deep Dam?
- No published bathymetric survey covers Clayton Lake Deep Dam, so its depth has not been measured. The HydroLAKES global model estimates an average depth of about 14 feet, but that is a modelled estimate derived from surrounding terrain rather than a measurement on the water, so treat it as approximate. The lake covers 175 acres.
Are there boat ramps on Clayton Lake Deep Dam?
- Clayton Lake Deep Dam has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Clayton Lake State Park. Public access is listed as yes.
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Where this data comes from
9 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2014–2016. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- NM Environmental Dept./SWQB
21NMEX_WQX9 samples · 2014–2016
Analytical methods
- 10200 H 2 ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination by spectrophotometer
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)
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory