Mill Meadow Reservoir
Wayne County, UtahView mapDirections
Nutrients and algae run above the regional average.
- Eutrophic
- Impaired · Algal growth
- #1 of 2 in the county
- 27 ft max depth
Mill Meadow Reservoir in Wayne County, Utah has a water quality grade of D (Nutrient-rich). Water clarity: 5.9 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 66 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 22.7 µg/L.
- Clarity
- 5.9 ft
- Max depth
- ~27 ft est.
- Type
- Eutrophic
- Phosphorus
- 66 µg/L
- Chlorophyll-a
- 22.7 µg/L
- Trend
- → Stable
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Stays near Mill Meadow Reservoir
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Mill Meadow Reservoir in Wayne County, Utah — 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 Mill Meadow Reservoir are listed below.
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Watch Mill Meadow Reservoir’s letter
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Mill Meadow Reservoir is a productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Wayne County, Utah with an estimated average depth of about 27 feet. Water quality is graded D based on 2 sampling years through 2025. Water clarity is declining over recent sampling years. Compared to the 1 other monitored lakes in Wayne County, Mill Meadow Reservoir ranks #1 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Utah DWQ, last sampled 2025-09-08. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.
Swimming Safety
Grade onlyAlgae risk
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. Mill Meadow Reservoir is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for algal growth, nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen). Check local advisories before you swim.
Water Quality Grade: D (Nutrient-rich)
Murky, only visible to about 5.9 ft. Phosphorus 66 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 22.7 µg/L. TSI 59. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 5.9 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | 66 µg/L | Poor |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 22.7 µg/L | Poor |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 59 | Eutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | ~27 ft est. |
| Average Depth | ~24 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 Mill Meadow 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 Mill Meadow Reservoir
Water Quality Trend: → Stable
Based on 4 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | ↓ Declining | -0.086 m/yr | 4 |
| Chlorophyll-a | ↑ Improving | -2.85 µg/L/yr | 2 |
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Mill Meadow Reservoir is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Mill Meadow (completed 1954), built primarily for irrigation on the Fremont River; earth-type dam, 115 ft tall and 700 ft long.
- Normal storage
- 5,231 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 6,870 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 178 sq mi
- Hazard class
- High
- Owner
- FREMONT IRRIGATION COMPANY
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID UT00208 · Operator website
EPA Impairment Status
Mill Meadow Reservoir is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2024 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 5).
Causes of impairment
A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan has been approved.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit UT-L-14070003-015_00 · Official waterbody report
County Ranking
Ranked #1 of 2 lakes in Wayne County
Nearby Lakes in Wayne County
Frequently asked questions about Mill Meadow Reservoir
Where is Mill Meadow Reservoir?
- Mill Meadow Reservoir is a lake in Wayne County, Utah. LakeQuality grades it D for nutrients and algae. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
What is the water quality grade for Mill Meadow Reservoir?
- Mill Meadow Reservoir in Wayne County, Utah has a water quality grade of D (Nutrient-rich). Water clarity: 5.9 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 66 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 22.7 µg/L.
Is Mill Meadow Reservoir safe to swim in?
- The D is nutrients and algae, not a swimming clearance. Mill Meadow Reservoir is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for algal growth, nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen). Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Mill Meadow Reservoir?
- No published bathymetric survey covers Mill Meadow Reservoir, so its depth has not been measured. The HydroLAKES global model estimates an average depth of about 27 feet, but that is a modelled estimate derived from surrounding terrain rather than a measurement on the water, so treat it as approximate.
Explore Mill Meadow Reservoir across LakeQuality
Planning a trip around Capitol Reef?
Mill Meadow Reservoir is about 23 miles from Capitol Reef National Park. Crowds there swing hard by season, so the month you pick changes both how busy the park is and what lodging costs.
Best time to visit Capitol Reef →More Utah Lake Rankings
Other Grade D Lakes in Utah
Eutrophic Lakes in Utah
Where this data comes from
52 measurements from 2 monitoring stations, 2013–2025. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Utah Department Of Environmental Quality
UTAHDWQ_WQX52 samples · 2013–2025
Analytical methods
- Field Measurements
- Phosphorus by Colorimetry
- 10200 H ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination
Monitoring station identifiers (2)
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)