Little Creek Reservoir
Rich County, UtahView mapDirections
Not enough samples to grade — the only measurement available is water clarity, which is not a water-quality indicator on its own — EPA's National Lakes Assessment does not grade clarity. No letter yet. Here is what we do have.
- Impaired · pH / acidity
- 13 ft max depth
- Limited data
Little Creek Reservoir in Rich County, Utah is not rated for water quality — its monitoring record does not meet the evidence bar. Water clarity: 9.8 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 11.6 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 2.5 µg/L.
- Clarity
- 9.8 ft
- Max depth
- ~13 ft est.
- Phosphorus
- 11.6 µg/L
- Chlorophyll-a
- 2.5 µg/L
- Trend
- → Stable
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Watch Little Creek Reservoir’s letter
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Why Little Creek 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 Little Creek Reservoir, the only measurement available is water clarity, which is not a water-quality indicator on its own — EPA's National Lakes Assessment does not grade clarity. 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 Utah DWQ and volunteer programs, and published through the EPA Water Quality Portal. Read the full grading methodology.
Little Creek Reservoir is a lake in Rich County, Utah with an estimated average depth of about 13 feet.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Utah DWQ, last sampled 2021-07-13. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.
What Little Creek Reservoir is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Clear water9.8 ft of visibility
- Camping1 public campground nearby
Swimming Safety
Not ratedLimited data
The letter is not a swimming clearance. Little Creek Reservoir is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for pH / acidity, temperature. Check local advisories before you swim.
Water quality measurements for Little Creek Reservoir
These readings exist but are not enough for an A–F grade — see why.
Moderate clarity, visible to about 9.8 ft. Phosphorus 11.6 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 2.5 µg/L. TSI 41.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 9.8 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | 11.6 µg/L | Not graded |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 2.5 µg/L | Not graded |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 41 | Mesotrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | ~13 ft est. |
Depth marked “est.” is a modeled maximum from GLOBathy (Khazaei et al. 2022, CC0), not a measured survey. Utah has not published bathymetry for Little Creek 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.
Recreation & Access
Public campgrounds near Little Creek Reservoir
- Little Creek0.4 km
Nearest public campgrounds in the USGS National Map inventory, within about 3 miles. An empty list means USGS records no campground that close, which is not the same as camping being unavailable. Where the source gives an official reservation link, it is used; the cabin and hotel search does not cover campsites. More camping lakes
Fishing Little Creek Reservoir
Water Quality Trend: → Stable
Based on 2 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | → Stable | +0.033 m/yr | 2 |
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Little Creek Reservoir is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Little Creek (completed 1929), built primarily for irrigation on the Little Creek; earth-type dam, 22 ft tall and 1,850 ft long.
- Normal storage
- 852 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 1,108 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 32 sq mi
- Hazard class
- Significant
- Owner
- LITTLE CREEK IRRIGATION & RESERVOIR CO.
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID UT00179 · Operator website
EPA Impairment Status
Little Creek 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 UT-L-16010101-007_00 · Official waterbody report
Graded lakes near Little Creek Reservoir
Little Creek Reservoir has no grade, but these lakes within a short drive do.
Nearby Lakes in Rich County
Frequently asked questions about Little Creek Reservoir
Where is Little Creek Reservoir?
- Little Creek Reservoir is a lake in Rich County, Utah. LakeQuality has not rated this lake (UNRATED) — the only measurement available is water clarity, which is not a water-quality indicator on its own — EPA's National Lakes Assessment does not grade clarity.
What is the water quality grade for Little Creek Reservoir?
- Little Creek Reservoir in Rich County, Utah is not rated for water quality — its monitoring record does not meet the evidence bar. Water clarity: 9.8 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 11.6 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 2.5 µg/L.
Is Little Creek Reservoir safe to swim in?
- The letter is not a swimming clearance. Little Creek Reservoir is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for pH / acidity, temperature. Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Little Creek Reservoir?
- No published bathymetric survey covers Little Creek Reservoir, so its depth has not been measured. The HydroLAKES global model estimates an average depth of about 13 feet, but that is a modelled estimate derived from surrounding terrain rather than a measurement on the water, so treat it as approximate.
Are there campgrounds on Little Creek Reservoir?
- Little Creek Reservoir has 1 public campground from USGS The National Map within 5 km, including Little Creek. This is a location join, not a booking. Cabins and hotels are listed separately; campsite reservations use the official link when the source provides one.
Explore Little Creek Reservoir across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
11 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2015–2021. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Utah Department Of Environmental Quality
UTAHDWQ_WQX11 samples · 2015–2021
Analytical methods
- Field Measurements
- 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)
Public campgrounds from USGS The National Map Structures, within about 3 miles