Heron Lake Shallow
Rio Arriba County, New MexicoView mapDirections
NMED publishes the water-quality measurements for Heron Lake Shallow. Here is what has been measured.
- Mesotrophic
- Impaired · Temperature
- Limited data
Heron Lake Shallow in Rio Arriba County, New Mexico has water-quality measurements published by NMED, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 2.5 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 32 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 2.1 µg/L.
Heron Lake Shallow is a mesotrophic lake in Rio Arriba County, New Mexico. Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. Compared to the 4 other monitored lakes in Rio Arriba County, Heron Lake Shallow ranks #4 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, NMED, last sampled 2024-09-17. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
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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 Shallow is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for temperature. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Heron Lake Shallow 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 Shallow
These are the measurements NMED publishes for Heron Lake Shallow, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Very murky, less than 2.5 ft of visibility. Phosphorus 32 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 2.1 µg/L. TSI 52.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 2.5ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 32µg/L | Fair GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 2.1µg/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. | 52 | Mesotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
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Fishing Heron Lake Shallow
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
Worsening3 years
Phosphorus
Improving-1.69 µg/L/yr2 years
Chlorophyll-a
Improving-0.77 µg/L/yr2 years
EPA Impairment Status
Heron Lake Shallow 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 Shallow
Where is Heron Lake Shallow?
- Heron Lake Shallow 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 Shallow?
- Heron Lake Shallow in Rio Arriba County, New Mexico has water-quality measurements published by NMED, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 2.5 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 32 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 2.1 µg/L.
Is Heron Lake Shallow safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Heron Lake Shallow is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for temperature. Check local advisories before you swim.
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Where this data comes from
15 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_WQX15 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