Kenney Reservoir
Rio Blanco County, Colorado615 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.
- 37 ft max depth
- Limited data
Kenney Reservoir in Rio Blanco County, Colorado is not rated for water quality — its monitoring record does not meet the evidence bar. Water clarity: 6 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 96.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 2.1 µg/L. Surface area: 615 acres.
- Clarity
- 6 ft
- Max depth
- ~37 ft est.
- Area
- 615 acres
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Watch Kenney Reservoir’s letter
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Why Kenney 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 Kenney 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 CDPHE and volunteer programs, and published through the EPA Water Quality Portal. Read the full grading methodology.
Kenney Reservoir is a 615-acre lake in Rio Blanco County, Colorado with an estimated average depth of about 37 feet.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, CDPHE, last sampled 2023-09-14. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.
Swimming Safety
Not ratedLimited data
The letter is not a swimming clearance. Kenney Reservoir is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for metals (other than mercury). Check local advisories before you swim.
Water quality measurements for Kenney Reservoir
These readings exist but are not enough for an A–F grade — see why.
Murky, only visible to about 6 ft. Phosphorus 96.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 2.1 µg/L. TSI 53.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 6 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | 96.5 µg/L | Not graded |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 2.1 µg/L | Not graded |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 53 | Eutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | ~37 ft est. |
| Surface Area | 615 acres |
Depth marked “est.” is a modeled maximum from GLOBathy (Khazaei et al. 2022, CC0), not a measured survey. Colorado has not published bathymetry for Kenney 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 Kenney Reservoir
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Kenney Reservoir is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Taylor Draw (completed 1984), built primarily for hydroelectric on the White River; earth-type dam, 81 ft tall and 1,130 ft long.
- Surface area
- 615 ac
- Normal storage
- 13,800 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 22,200 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 2,788 sq mi
- Hazard class
- High
- Owner
- Rio Blanco Water Conservancy District
All listed purposes: Hydroelectric;Irrigation;Fish and Wildlife Pond;Recreation;Water Supply.
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID CO02572 · Operator website
EPA Impairment Status
Kenney Reservoir is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2024 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 5).
Causes of impairment
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit COLCWH11_A · Official waterbody report · Matched by proximity (1.04 km)
Graded lakes near Kenney Reservoir
Kenney Reservoir has no grade, but these lakes within a short drive do.
Nearby Lakes in Rio Blanco County
Frequently asked questions about Kenney Reservoir
Where is Kenney Reservoir?
- Kenney Reservoir is a lake in Rio Blanco County, Colorado. 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 Kenney Reservoir?
- Kenney Reservoir in Rio Blanco County, Colorado is not rated for water quality — its monitoring record does not meet the evidence bar. Water clarity: 6 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 96.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 2.1 µg/L. Surface area: 615 acres.
Is Kenney Reservoir safe to swim in?
- The letter is not a swimming clearance. Kenney Reservoir is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for metals (other than mercury). Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Kenney Reservoir?
- No published bathymetric survey covers Kenney Reservoir, so its depth has not been measured. The HydroLAKES global model estimates an average depth of about 37 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 615 acres.
Explore Kenney Reservoir across LakeQuality
Planning a trip around Dinosaur?
Kenney Reservoir is about 30 miles from Dinosaur National Monument. Crowds there swing hard by season, so the month you pick changes both how busy the park is and what lodging costs.
Best time to visit Dinosaur →More Colorado Lake Rankings
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Where this data comes from
6 measurements from 2 monitoring stations, 2023. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Colorado Dept. of Public Health & Environment-WQCD
21COL001_WQX6 samples · 2023
Analytical methods
- Secchi disk depth measurement
- Phosphorus by Colorimetry
- 10200 H ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination
- Nitrogen in Water by Pyrolysis Detection
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
Impairment status from EPA ATTAINS 303(d) database
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)