Herington Reservoir
Dickinson County, Kansas100 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 · Nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen)
- 39 ft max depth
- Limited data
Herington Reservoir in Dickinson County, Kansas is not rated for water quality — its monitoring record does not meet the evidence bar. Water clarity: 2.2 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 240 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 11.5 µg/L. Surface area: 100 acres.
- Clarity
- 2.2 ft
- Max depth
- ~39 ft est.
- Area
- 100 acres
- Phosphorus
- 240 µg/L
- Chlorophyll-a
- 11.5 µg/L
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Watch Herington Reservoir’s letter
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Why Herington Reservoir 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 Herington Reservoir, no nutrient or algae measurement meets the evidence bar (at least 3 samples within 10 years). Sampling here has recorded water clarity, phosphorus and algae (chlorophyll-a).
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 KDHE and volunteer programs, and published through the EPA Water Quality Portal. Read the full grading methodology.
Herington Reservoir is a 100-acre lake in Dickinson County, Kansas with an estimated average depth of about 39 feet.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, KDHE, last sampled 2017-08-01. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.
Swimming Safety
Not ratedLimited data
The letter is not a swimming clearance. Herington Reservoir is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen), oxygen depletion (low DO), pesticides, sediment / turbidity. Check local advisories before you swim.
Water quality measurements for Herington Reservoir
These readings exist but are not enough for an A–F grade — see why.
Very murky, less than 2.2 ft of visibility. Phosphorus 240 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 11.5 µg/L. TSI 68.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 2.2 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | 240 µg/L | Not graded |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 11.5 µg/L | Not graded |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 68 | Eutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | ~39 ft est. |
| Average Depth | ~11 ft est. |
| Surface Area | 100 acres |
Depth marked “est.” is a modeled maximum from GLOBathy (Khazaei et al. 2022, CC0), not a measured survey. Kansas has not published bathymetry for Herington 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.
Fishing Herington Reservoir
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Herington Reservoir is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Lake Herington (completed 1923), built primarily for recreation on the Kohls Creek; earth-type dam, 40 ft tall and 4,000 ft long.
- Surface area
- 100 ac
- Normal storage
- 1,750 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 3,677 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 17.5 sq mi
- Hazard class
- High
- Owner
- HERINGTON, CITY OF
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID KS02468 · Operator website
EPA Impairment Status
Herington Reservoir 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 KS-LM047201 · Official waterbody report
Graded lakes near Herington Reservoir
Herington Reservoir has no grade, but these lakes within a short drive do.
Nearby Lakes in Dickinson County
Frequently asked questions about Herington Reservoir
Where is Herington Reservoir?
- Herington Reservoir is a lake in Dickinson County, Kansas. 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 Herington Reservoir?
- Herington Reservoir in Dickinson County, Kansas is not rated for water quality — its monitoring record does not meet the evidence bar. Water clarity: 2.2 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 240 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 11.5 µg/L. Surface area: 100 acres.
Is Herington Reservoir safe to swim in?
- The letter is not a swimming clearance. Herington Reservoir is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen), oxygen depletion (low DO), pesticides, sediment / turbidity. Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Herington Reservoir?
- No published bathymetric survey covers Herington Reservoir, so its depth has not been measured. The HydroLAKES global model estimates an average depth of about 39 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 100 acres.
Explore Herington Reservoir across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
5 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2017. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Kansas Department Of Health And Environment
21KAN001_WQX5 samples · 2017
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)