Hawk Springs Reservoir
Goshen County, Wyoming1,328 acresView mapDirections
Nutrients and algae run above the regional average.
- Eutrophic
- #1 of 3 in the county
- 71 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
Hawk Springs Reservoir in Goshen County, Wyoming has a water quality grade of D (Nutrient-rich). Water clarity: 1.1 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 50 µg/L. Surface area: 1328 acres.
- Clarity
- 1.1 ft
- Max depth
- ~71 ft est.
- Area
- 1,328 acres
- Type
- Eutrophic
- Phosphorus
- 50 µg/L
- Trend
- ↓ Declining
- Public access
- Yes
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Hawk Springs Reservoir is a 1,328-acre productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Goshen County, Wyoming with an estimated average depth of about 71 feet. Water quality is graded D based on 1 sampling years through 2018. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing. Compared to the 2 other monitored lakes in Goshen County, Hawk Springs Reservoir ranks #1 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Wyoming DEQ, last sampled 2018-09-04. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.
What Hawk Springs Reservoir is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
- Big water1,328 acres
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 D is nutrients and algae, not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
Water Quality Grade: D (Nutrient-rich)
Very murky, less than 1.1 ft of visibility. Phosphorus 50 µg/L. TSI 68. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 1.1 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | 50 µg/L | Poor |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | No recent samples | |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 68 | Eutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | ~71 ft est. |
| Average Depth | ~27 ft est. |
| Surface Area | 1,328 acres |
| Public Access | Yes |
Depth marked “est.” is a modeled maximum from GLOBathy (Khazaei et al. 2022, CC0), not a measured survey. Wyoming has not published bathymetry for Hawk Springs Reservoir.
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
- Hawk Springs ReservoirPublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Fishing Hawk Springs Reservoir
Water Quality Trend: ↓ Declining
Based on 2 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | → Stable | 0 m/yr | 2 |
| Phosphorus | ↓ Declining | +10.07 µg/L/yr | 2 |
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Hawk Springs Reservoir is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Hawk Springs (completed 1925), built primarily for irrigation on the Horse Creek; earth-type dam, 64 ft tall and 2,400 ft long.
- Surface area
- 1,328 ac
- Normal storage
- 16,735 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 24,500 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 21.1 sq mi
- Hazard class
- High
- Owner
- HORSE CREEK CONSERVATION DISTRICT
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID WY00003 · Operator website
County Ranking
Ranked #1 of 3 lakes in Goshen County
Nearby Lakes in Goshen County
Frequently asked questions about Hawk Springs Reservoir
Where is Hawk Springs Reservoir?
- Hawk Springs Reservoir is a lake in Goshen County, Wyoming. LakeQuality grades it D for nutrients and algae. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
What is the water quality grade for Hawk Springs Reservoir?
- Hawk Springs Reservoir in Goshen County, Wyoming has a water quality grade of D (Nutrient-rich). Water clarity: 1.1 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 50 µg/L. Surface area: 1328 acres.
Is Hawk Springs Reservoir safe to swim in?
- The D is nutrients and algae, not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Hawk Springs Reservoir?
- No published bathymetric survey covers Hawk Springs Reservoir, so its depth has not been measured. The HydroLAKES global model estimates an average depth of about 71 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 1328 acres.
Are there boat ramps on Hawk Springs Reservoir?
- Hawk Springs Reservoir has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Hawk Springs Reservoir. Public access is listed as yes.
Explore Hawk Springs Reservoir across LakeQuality
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Other Grade D Lakes in Wyoming
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Where this data comes from
22 measurements from 2 monitoring stations, 2015–2018. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- State of Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality Watershed Program
WYDEQ_WATERSHED22 samples · 2015–2018
Analytical methods
- Secchi
- Total Phosphorus After Block Digestion
Monitoring station identifiers (2)
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
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory