Livingston Reservoir
Polk County, TexasView mapDirections
Nutrients and algae run above the regional average.
↑ up from F at the last regrade
- Hypereutrophic
- Impaired · Dioxins
- #1 of 1 in the county
- 181 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
Livingston Reservoir in Polk County, Texas has a water quality grade of D (Nutrient-rich). Water clarity: 1.6 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 140 µg/L.
- Clarity
- 1.6 ft
- Max depth
- ~181 ft est.
- Type
- Hypereutrophic
- Phosphorus
- 140 µg/L
- Public access
- Yes
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Stays near Livingston Reservoir
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Livingston Reservoir in Polk County, Texas — live availability and prices for your trip. Switch the map to Satellite to see the lake and how close each stay is to the water. The water-quality grade measures nutrients and algae, not lodging — cabins and rentals around Livingston Reservoir are listed below.
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Livingston Reservoir is a highly nutrient-loaded hypereutrophic lake in Polk County, Texas with an estimated average depth of about 181 feet. Water quality is graded D based on 1 sampling years through 2023. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available with 15 public boat landings.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, TCEQ, last sampled 2023-10-17. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.
What Livingston Reservoir is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch15 documented ramps
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 D is nutrients and algae, not a swimming clearance. Livingston Reservoir is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for dioxins, pCBs. Check local advisories before you swim.
Water Quality Grade: D (Nutrient-rich)
Very murky, less than 1.6 ft of visibility. Phosphorus 140 µg/L. TSI 73. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 1.6 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | 140 µg/L | Poor |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | No recent samples | |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 73 | Hypereutrophic |
Very high nutrients, dense algae, poor clarity
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | ~181 ft est. |
| Average Depth | ~38 ft est. |
| Public Access | Yes |
Depth marked “est.” is a modeled maximum from GLOBathy (Khazaei et al. 2022, CC0), not a measured survey. Texas has not published bathymetry for Livingston 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
- Point BlankPublic
- Wolf Creek ParkPublic
- Lake Livingston Dam Tailwaters (West)Public
- BlanchardPublic
- Tigerville ParkPublic
- Lake Livingston State ParkPublic
Showing 6 of 15 documented landings from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory.
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Fishing Livingston Reservoir
EPA Impairment Status
Livingston 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 TX-0803_03 · Official waterbody report
County Ranking
Ranked #1 of 1 lakes in Polk County
Nearby Lakes in Polk County
Frequently asked questions about Livingston Reservoir
Where is Livingston Reservoir?
- Livingston Reservoir is a lake in Polk County, Texas. LakeQuality grades it D for nutrients and algae. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
What is the water quality grade for Livingston Reservoir?
- Livingston Reservoir in Polk County, Texas has a water quality grade of D (Nutrient-rich). Water clarity: 1.6 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 140 µg/L.
Is Livingston Reservoir safe to swim in?
- The D is nutrients and algae, not a swimming clearance. Livingston Reservoir is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for dioxins, pCBs. Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Livingston Reservoir?
- No published bathymetric survey covers Livingston Reservoir, so its depth has not been measured. The HydroLAKES global model estimates an average depth of about 181 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 boat ramps on Livingston Reservoir?
- Livingston Reservoir has 15 documented boat landings in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Point Blank, Wolf Creek Park, Lake Livingston Dam Tailwaters (West), Blanchard, among others. Public access is listed as yes.
Explore Livingston Reservoir across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
70 measurements from 9 monitoring stations, 2020–2023. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- USGS Texas Water Science Center
USGS-TX70 samples · 2020–2023
Monitoring station identifiers (9)
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)
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory