Lower Charette Lake
Mora County, New MexicoView 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.
- Impaired · Mercury
- 20 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
Lower Charette Lake in Mora County, New Mexico is not rated for water quality — its monitoring record does not meet the evidence bar. Water clarity: 6.9 ft visibility. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 3.7 µg/L.
- Clarity
- 6.9 ft
- Max depth
- ~20 ft est.
- Chlorophyll-a
- 3.7 µg/L
- Trend
- ↓ Declining
- Public access
- Yes
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Watch Lower Charette Lake’s letter
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Why Lower Charette Lake 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 Lower Charette Lake, no nutrient or algae measurement meets the evidence bar (at least 3 samples within 10 years). Sampling here has recorded water clarity and algae (chlorophyll-a), but not phosphorus.
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 NMED and volunteer programs, and published through the EPA Water Quality Portal. Read the full grading methodology.
Lower Charette Lake is a lake in Mora County, New Mexico with an estimated average depth of about 20 feet. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, NMED, last sampled 2016-10-18. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.
Swimming Safety
Not ratedLimited data
The letter is not a swimming clearance. Lower Charette Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for mercury, temperature. Check local advisories before you swim.
Water quality measurements for Lower Charette Lake
These readings exist but are not enough for an A–F grade — see why.
Moderate clarity, visible to about 6.9 ft. Chlorophyll-a 3.7 µg/L. TSI 46.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 6.9 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | No recent samples | |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 3.7 µg/L | Not graded |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 46 | Mesotrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | ~20 ft est. |
| Average Depth | ~9 ft est. |
| Public Access | Yes |
Depth marked “est.” is a modeled maximum from GLOBathy (Khazaei et al. 2022, CC0), not a measured survey. New Mexico has not published bathymetry for Lower Charette Lake.
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 Lower Charette Lake
Water Quality Trend: ↓ Declining
Based on 2 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | ↓ Declining | -1.27 m/yr | 2 |
| Chlorophyll-a | ↓ Declining | +4.4 µg/L/yr | 2 |
EPA Impairment Status
Lower Charette Lake 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 NM-2305.5_10 · Official waterbody report · Matched by proximity (0.09 km)
Nearby Lakes in Mora County
Frequently asked questions about Lower Charette Lake
Where is Lower Charette Lake?
- Lower Charette Lake is a lake in Mora County, New Mexico. 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 Lower Charette Lake?
- Lower Charette Lake in Mora County, New Mexico is not rated for water quality — its monitoring record does not meet the evidence bar. Water clarity: 6.9 ft visibility. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 3.7 µg/L.
Is Lower Charette Lake safe to swim in?
- The letter is not a swimming clearance. Lower Charette Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for mercury, temperature. Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Lower Charette Lake?
- No published bathymetric survey covers Lower Charette Lake, so its depth has not been measured. The HydroLAKES global model estimates an average depth of about 20 feet, but that is a modelled estimate derived from surrounding terrain rather than a measurement on the water, so treat it as approximate.
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Where this data comes from
7 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2015–2016. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- NM Environmental Dept./SWQB
21NMEX_WQX7 samples · 2015–2016
Analytical methods
- 10200 H 2 ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination by spectrophotometer
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)