Lower Gooseberry Reservoir
Sanpete County, Utah52 acresView mapDirections
Nutrients and algae sit mid-range for this region.
↓ down from B at the last regrade
- Mesotrophic
- Impaired · Nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen)
- #7 of 11 in the county
- 12 ft max depth
- Limited data
Lower Gooseberry Reservoir in Sanpete County, Utah has a water quality grade of C (Fair). Water clarity: 7.4 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 34 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 3.3 µg/L. Surface area: 52 acres.
- Clarity
- 7.4 ft
- Max depth
- ~12 ft est.
- Area
- 52 acres
- Type
- Mesotrophic
- Phosphorus
- 34 µg/L
- Chlorophyll-a
- 3.3 µg/L
- Trend
- ↓ Declining
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Watch Lower Gooseberry Reservoir’s letter
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Lower Gooseberry Reservoir is a 52-acre mesotrophic lake in Sanpete County, Utah with an estimated average depth of about 12 feet. Water quality is graded C based on 2 sampling years through 2025. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. Compared to the 10 other monitored lakes in Sanpete County, Lower Gooseberry Reservoir ranks #7 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Utah DWQ, last sampled 2025-09-22. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.
What Lower Gooseberry Reservoir is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Camping1 public campground nearby
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 C is nutrients and algae, not a swimming clearance. Lower Gooseberry Reservoir is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen). Check local advisories before you swim.
Water Quality Grade: C (Fair)
Moderate clarity, visible to about 7.4 ft. Phosphorus 34 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 3.3 µg/L. TSI 49. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 7.4 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | 34 µg/L | Fair |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 3.3 µg/L | Fair |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 49 | Mesotrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | ~12 ft est. |
| Surface Area | 52 acres |
Depth marked “est.” is a modeled maximum from GLOBathy (Khazaei et al. 2022, CC0), not a measured survey. Utah has not published bathymetry for Lower Gooseberry 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 Lower Gooseberry Reservoir
- Gooseberry Reservoir Campground0.4 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 Lower Gooseberry Reservoir
Water Quality Trend: ↓ Declining
Based on 6 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | ↓ Declining | -0.085 m/yr | 6 |
| Chlorophyll-a | ↓ Declining | +0.18 µg/L/yr | 4 |
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Lower Gooseberry Reservoir is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Gooseberry (Lower) Dam (Fs) (completed 1937), built primarily for recreation on the Gooseberry Creek; earth-type dam, 29 ft tall and 520 ft long.
- Surface area
- 52 ac
- Normal storage
- 190 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 820 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 15 sq mi
- Hazard class
- Significant
- Owner
- USDA FS
All listed purposes: Recreation;Fish and Wildlife Pond.
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID UT10142 · Operator website · Matched by proximity (0.2 km)
EPA Impairment Status
Lower Gooseberry 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-14060007-004_00 · Official waterbody report
County Ranking
Ranked #7 of 11 lakes in Sanpete County
Nearby Lakes in Sanpete County
Frequently asked questions about Lower Gooseberry Reservoir
Where is Lower Gooseberry Reservoir?
- Lower Gooseberry Reservoir is a lake in Sanpete County, Utah. LakeQuality grades it C for nutrients and algae. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
What is the water quality grade for Lower Gooseberry Reservoir?
- Lower Gooseberry Reservoir in Sanpete County, Utah has a water quality grade of C (Fair). Water clarity: 7.4 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 34 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 3.3 µg/L. Surface area: 52 acres.
Is Lower Gooseberry Reservoir safe to swim in?
- The C is nutrients and algae, not a swimming clearance. Lower Gooseberry Reservoir is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen). Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Lower Gooseberry Reservoir?
- No published bathymetric survey covers Lower Gooseberry Reservoir, so its depth has not been measured. The HydroLAKES global model estimates an average depth of about 12 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 52 acres.
Are there campgrounds on Lower Gooseberry Reservoir?
- Lower Gooseberry Reservoir has 1 public campground from USGS The National Map within 5 km, including Gooseberry Reservoir Campground. 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 Lower Gooseberry Reservoir across LakeQuality
More Utah Lake Rankings
Other Grade C Lakes in Utah
Mesotrophic Lakes in Utah
Where this data comes from
37 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2013–2025. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Utah Department Of Environmental Quality
UTAHDWQ_WQX37 samples · 2013–2025
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