Little Dell Reservoir
Salt Lake County, UtahView mapDirections
Clarity, phosphorus, and algae all sit in the cleanest band for this region.
- Oligotrophic
- #1 of 3 in the county
- 69 ft max depth
- Limited data
Little Dell Reservoir in Salt Lake County, Utah has a water quality grade of A (Excellent). Water clarity: 14.8 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 12.6 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 0.9 µg/L.
- Clarity
- 14.8 ft
- Max depth
- ~69 ft est.
- Type
- Oligotrophic
- Phosphorus
- 12.6 µg/L
- Chlorophyll-a
- 0.9 µg/L
- Trend
- ↓ Declining
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Watch Little Dell Reservoir’s letter
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Little Dell Reservoir is a cold, clear oligotrophic lake in Salt Lake County, Utah with an estimated average depth of about 69 feet. Water quality is graded A based on 2 sampling years through 2024. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. Compared to the 2 other monitored lakes in Salt Lake County, Little Dell Reservoir ranks #1 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Utah DWQ, last sampled 2024-09-16. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.
What Little Dell Reservoir is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Clear water14.8 ft of visibility
Swimming Safety
Grade onlyLimited data
Based on clarity and algae grades from past sampling — we do not hold live water temperature and a current cyanobacteria reading for this lake. Check your state or county health department before you swim.
The A is nutrients and algae, not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
Water Quality Grade: A (Excellent)
Good clarity, visible to about 14.8 ft. Phosphorus 12.6 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 0.9 µg/L. TSI 36. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 14.8 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | 12.6 µg/L | Good |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 0.9 µg/L | Good |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 36 | Oligotrophic |
Low nutrients, clear water. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | ~69 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 Dell 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 Little Dell Reservoir
Water Quality Trend: ↓ Declining
Based on 3 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | ↓ Declining | -0.292 m/yr | 3 |
| Chlorophyll-a | ↓ Declining | +0.08 µg/L/yr | 2 |
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Little Dell Reservoir is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Little Dell (completed 1993), built primarily for water supply on the Mountain Dell; earth-type dam, 224 ft tall and 1,700 ft long.
- Normal storage
- 20,500 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 25,000 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 16 sq mi
- Hazard class
- High
- Owner
- SALT LAKE CITY CORPORATION
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID UT00755 · Operator website
County Ranking
Ranked #1 of 3 lakes in Salt Lake County
Nearby Lakes in Salt Lake County
Frequently asked questions about Little Dell Reservoir
Where is Little Dell Reservoir?
- Little Dell Reservoir is a lake in Salt Lake County, Utah. LakeQuality grades it A for nutrients and algae. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
What is the water quality grade for Little Dell Reservoir?
- Little Dell Reservoir in Salt Lake County, Utah has a water quality grade of A (Excellent). Water clarity: 14.8 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 12.6 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 0.9 µg/L.
Is Little Dell Reservoir safe to swim in?
- The A is nutrients and algae, not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Little Dell Reservoir?
- No published bathymetric survey covers Little Dell Reservoir, so its depth has not been measured. The HydroLAKES global model estimates an average depth of about 69 feet, but that is a modelled estimate derived from surrounding terrain rather than a measurement on the water, so treat it as approximate.
Explore Little Dell Reservoir across LakeQuality
3 thermal springs within 16.7 mi, nearest Wasatch Hot Springs
Species activity outlook by water temperature and season
Where to stay at Utah's top lakes, each with its grade
Low nutrients, clear water. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
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Other Grade A Lakes in Utah
Oligotrophic Lakes in Utah
Where this data comes from
20 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2012–2024. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Utah Department Of Environmental Quality
UTAHDWQ_WQX20 samples · 2012–2024
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
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)