Jal Lake
Lea County, New MexicoView mapDirections
NMED publishes the water-quality measurements for Jal Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Impaired · Nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen)
- Limited data
Jal Lake in Lea County, New Mexico has water-quality measurements published by NMED, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 3.9 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 35 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 62.3 µg/L.
Jal Lake is a lake in Lea County, New Mexico.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, NMED, last sampled 2022-04-13. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
Swimming conditions
No readingLimited data
Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Jal Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen). Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Jal Lake 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 Jal Lake
These are the measurements NMED publishes for Jal Lake, 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 3.9 ft. Phosphorus 35 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 62.3 µg/L. TSI 61.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 3.9ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 35µg/L | Measured, not scored The nutrient that most limits algae growth in freshwater. More phosphorus, more algae potential. |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 62.3µg/L | Measured, not scored The green pigment in algae — a direct measure of how much algae is in the water. |
| Trophic state (TSI)Carlson's 0–100 index of how much algae a lake can support, from clarity, phosphorus and chlorophyll-a. | 61 | Eutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
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Fishing Jal Lake
EPA Impairment Status
Jal Lake 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-2201_01 · Official waterbody report
Nearby Lakes in Lea County
Frequently asked questions about Jal Lake
Where is Jal Lake?
- Jal Lake is a lake in Lea County, New Mexico. Its water-quality measurements are published by NMED and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Jal Lake?
- Jal Lake in Lea County, New Mexico has water-quality measurements published by NMED, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 3.9 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 35 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 62.3 µg/L.
Is Jal Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Jal Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen). Check local advisories before you swim.
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Where this data comes from
9 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2021–2022. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- NM Environmental Dept./SWQB
21NMEX_WQX9 samples · 2021–2022
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