Grindstone Canyon Reservoir Deep
Lincoln County, New Mexico39 acresView mapDirections
NMED publishes the water-quality measurements for Grindstone Canyon Reservoir Deep. Here is what has been measured.
- Oligotrophic
- Limited data
Grindstone Canyon Reservoir Deep in Lincoln County, New Mexico has water-quality measurements published by NMED, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 9 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 38 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 2 µg/L. Surface area: 38.8 acres.
Grindstone Canyon Reservoir Deep is a 39-acre cold, clear oligotrophic lake in Lincoln County, New Mexico. Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. Compared to the 2 other monitored lakes in Lincoln County, Grindstone Canyon Reservoir Deep ranks #1 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, NMED, last sampled 2024-09-26. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyLimited data
Based on clarity and algae readings from past sampling — there is no live water temperature and a current cyanobacteria reading for this lake. Check your state or county health department before you swim.
Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Grindstone Canyon Reservoir Deep is safe to swim in today is a call for the New Mexico Environment Department and the county health department, who post current advisories. LakeQuality does not issue swimming clearances.
Water quality measurements for Grindstone Canyon Reservoir Deep
These are the measurements NMED publishes for Grindstone Canyon Reservoir Deep, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Moderate clarity, visible to about 9 ft. Phosphorus 38 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 2 µg/L. TSI 46.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 9ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 38µg/L | Fair GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 2µg/L | Fair GoodFairPoor |
| Trophic state (TSI)Carlson's 0–100 index of how much algae a lake can support, from clarity, phosphorus and chlorophyll-a. | 46 | Oligotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Low nutrients, clear water. No reading is a swimming clearance.
Ask about Grindstone Canyon Reservoir Deep
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Lake Details
Surface area
39 acres
No bathymetric survey has been published for Grindstone Canyon Reservoir Deep, so its depth is not documented here.
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Fishing Grindstone Canyon Reservoir Deep
Water quality readings over time
3 seasons of samples on record (2012–2024). Calling a direction takes at least 4 years of the same measurement.
Water clarity
Improving3 years
Chlorophyll-a
0 µg/L/yr3 years
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Grindstone Canyon Reservoir Deep is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Grindstone Canyon Dam (completed 1987), built primarily for water supply on the Grindstone Canyon; roller-compacted concrete-type dam, 133 ft tall and 1,304 ft long.
- Surface area
- 38.8 ac
- Normal storage
- 1,549.8 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 1,700 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 1.23 sq mi
- Hazard class
- High
- Owner
- VILLAGE OF RUIDOSO
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID NM00513 · Operator website · Matched by proximity (0.15 km)
Nearby Lakes in Lincoln County
Frequently asked questions about Grindstone Canyon Reservoir Deep
Where is Grindstone Canyon Reservoir Deep?
- Grindstone Canyon Reservoir Deep is a lake in Lincoln County, New Mexico. Its water-quality measurements are published by NMED and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Grindstone Canyon Reservoir Deep?
- Grindstone Canyon Reservoir Deep in Lincoln County, New Mexico has water-quality measurements published by NMED, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 9 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 38 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 2 µg/L. Surface area: 38.8 acres.
Is Grindstone Canyon Reservoir Deep safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
Explore Grindstone Canyon Reservoir Deep across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
23 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2012–2024. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- NM Environmental Dept./SWQB
21NMEX_WQX23 samples · 2012–2024
Analytical methods
- Phosphorus by Colorimetry
- 10200 H 2 ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination by spectrophotometer
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.