Milton Reservoir
Weld County, Colorado2,660 acresView mapDirections
Not Rated: one monitoring station are on record, but they measured water clarity only. LakeQuality’s A–F method grades total phosphorus, total nitrogen, chlorophyll-a, and turbidity; clarity is shown, not scored.
- Limited data
Milton Reservoir in Weld County, Colorado is not rated for water quality — its monitoring record does not meet the evidence bar. Water clarity: 2.6 ft visibility. Surface area: 2660 acres.
- Clarity
- 2.6 ft
- Area
- 2,660 acres
- Trend
- ↑ Improving
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Watch Milton Reservoir’s letter
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Why Milton Reservoir has no grade
Milton Reservoir has monitoring on record from one station, but only water clarity was measured. LakeQuality’s A–F letter uses total phosphorus, total nitrogen, chlorophyll-a, and turbidity against EPA National Lakes Assessment condition classes. With none of those grading measurements on record, Milton Reservoir is Not Rated — not an F. Its 2.6-foot median from 1 readings collected 2024 is still shown as clarity, but clarity alone cannot earn a letter.
Not Rated is EPA Integrated Reporting Category 3 — insufficient information. Everything below that has been measured is still reported on this page.
Sampling is run by CDPHE and volunteer programs, and published through the EPA Water Quality Portal. Read the full grading methodology.
Milton Reservoir is a 2,660-acre lake in Weld County, Colorado. Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, CDPHE, last sampled 2024-07-09. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.
What Milton Reservoir is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Big water2,660 acres
Swimming Safety
Not ratedLimited data
The letter is not a swimming clearance. Milton Reservoir is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for metals (other than mercury), oxygen depletion (low DO), pH / acidity. Check local advisories before you swim.
Water quality measurements for Milton Reservoir
These readings exist but are not enough for an A–F grade — see why.
Very murky, less than 2.6 ft of visibility. TSI 63.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 2.6 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | No recent samples | |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | No recent samples | |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 63 | Eutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Surface Area | 2,660 acres |
No bathymetric survey has been published for Milton Reservoir, so its depth is not documented here.
Fishing Milton Reservoir
Water Quality Trend: ↑ Improving
Based on 6 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Phosphorus | ↑ Improving | -45.57 µg/L/yr | 6 |
| Chlorophyll-a | ↑ Improving | -5.47 µg/L/yr | 6 |
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Milton Reservoir is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Milton Lake (completed 1911), built primarily for irrigation on the Beebe Seep Canal; earth-type dam, 55 ft tall and 6,099 ft long.
- Surface area
- 2,660 ac
- Normal storage
- 21,695 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 44,650 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 120 sq mi
- Hazard class
- High
- Owner
- FARMERS RESERVOIR AND IRRIGATION COMPANY (EDGAR, S
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID CO01899 · Operator website
EPA Impairment Status
Milton 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 COSPMS04_B · Official waterbody report
Graded lakes near Milton Reservoir
Milton Reservoir has no grade, but these lakes within a short drive do.
Nearby Lakes in Weld County
Frequently asked questions about Milton Reservoir
Where is Milton Reservoir?
- Milton Reservoir is a lake in Weld County, Colorado. 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 Milton Reservoir?
- Milton Reservoir in Weld County, Colorado is not rated for water quality — its monitoring record does not meet the evidence bar. Water clarity: 2.6 ft visibility. Surface area: 2660 acres.
Is Milton Reservoir safe to swim in?
- The letter is not a swimming clearance. Milton Reservoir is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for metals (other than mercury), oxygen depletion (low DO), pH / acidity. Check local advisories before you swim.
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Where this data comes from
1 measurement from 1 monitoring station, 2024. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- North American Lake Management Society
NALMS1 sample · 2024
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