Heron Lake Deep Dam
Rio Arriba County, New MexicoView mapDirections
NMED publishes the water-quality measurements for Heron Lake Deep Dam. Here is what has been measured.
- Oligotrophic
- Impaired · Temperature
- Public access
- Limited data
Heron Lake Deep Dam in Rio Arriba County, New Mexico has water-quality measurements published by NMED, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 3.7 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 29 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 1.6 µg/L.
Heron Lake Deep Dam is a cold, clear oligotrophic lake in Rio Arriba County, New Mexico. Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available with 2 public boat landings. Compared to the 4 other monitored lakes in Rio Arriba County, Heron Lake Deep Dam ranks #3 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, NMED, last sampled 2024-09-17. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
Heron Lake Deep Dam has 2 public boat landings, so a lakefront rental is not the only way to get a boat on the water. For a place on the water, look through cabin and lake-house rentals near Heron Lake Deep Dam on Vrbo. For a hotel or motel room, Booking.com and Expedia both search around the lake.
What Heron Lake Deep Dam is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch2 documented ramps
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. Heron Lake Deep Dam is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for temperature. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Heron Lake Deep Dam 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 Heron Lake Deep Dam
These are the measurements NMED publishes for Heron Lake Deep Dam, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Murky, only visible to about 3.7 ft. Phosphorus 29 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 1.6 µg/L. TSI 49.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 3.7ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 29µg/L | Fair GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 1.6µg/L | Good GoodFairPoor |
| Trophic state (TSI)Carlson's 0–100 index of how much algae a lake can support, from clarity, phosphorus and chlorophyll-a. | 49 | Oligotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Low nutrients, clear water. No reading is a swimming clearance.
Ask about Heron Lake Deep Dam
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Recreation & Access
- Heron Lake State ParkPublic
- Heron Lake State ParkPublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Heron Lake Deep Dam
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Top-rated places to stay near Heron Lake Deep Dam
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Fishing Heron Lake Deep Dam
Water Quality Trend: Improving
Based on 4 years of monitoring (2012–2024).
Water clarity
Worsening4 years
Phosphorus
Improving-2.11 µg/L/yr2 years
Chlorophyll-a
Improving-0.77 µg/L/yr2 years
EPA Impairment Status
Heron 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
Designated uses not supporting: Aquatic life.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit NM-2117_10 · Official waterbody report
Nearby Lakes in Rio Arriba County
Frequently asked questions about Heron Lake Deep Dam
Where is Heron Lake Deep Dam?
- Heron Lake Deep Dam is a lake in Rio Arriba County, New Mexico. Its water-quality measurements are published by NMED and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Heron Lake Deep Dam?
- Heron Lake Deep Dam in Rio Arriba County, New Mexico has water-quality measurements published by NMED, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 3.7 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 29 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 1.6 µg/L.
Is Heron Lake Deep Dam safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Heron Lake Deep Dam is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for temperature. Check local advisories before you swim.
Are there boat ramps on Heron Lake Deep Dam?
- Heron Lake Deep Dam has 2 documented boat landings in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Heron Lake State Park, Heron Lake State Park. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Heron Lake Deep Dam?
- Heron Lake Deep Dam has 2 documented boat landings in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Seasons, size and bag limits, and whether you need a license are set by New Mexico's fish and wildlife agency, so check its current regulations before you go.
Explore Heron Lake Deep Dam across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
21 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_WQX21 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.
Other records on this page
Impairment status from EPA ATTAINS 303(d) database
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory