Piute Reservoir
Piute County, UtahView mapDirections
Utah DWQ publishes the water-quality measurements for Piute Reservoir. Here is what has been measured.
- Eutrophic
- Impaired · Nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen)
- Public access
- Limited data
Piute Reservoir in Piute County, Utah has water-quality measurements published by Utah DWQ, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 1 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 33.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 11.8 µg/L.
Piute Reservoir is a productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Piute County, Utah. Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing. Compared to the 7 other monitored lakes in Piute County, Piute Reservoir ranks #2 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Utah DWQ, last sampled 2020-08-12. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Piute Reservoir is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyLimited data
Based on clarity and algae readings from past sampling — there is no live water temperature and a current cyanobacteria reading for this lake. Check your state or county health department before you swim.
Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Piute Reservoir is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen), oxygen depletion (low DO), pH / acidity, temperature. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Piute Reservoir is safe to swim in today is a call for the Utah Division of Water Quality and the county health department, who post current advisories. LakeQuality does not issue swimming clearances.
Water quality measurements for Piute Reservoir
These are the measurements Utah DWQ publishes for Piute Reservoir, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Very murky, less than 1 ft of visibility. Phosphorus 33.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 11.8 µg/L. TSI 62.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 1ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 33.5µg/L | Fair GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 11.8µg/L | Poor GoodFairPoor |
| Trophic state (TSI)Carlson's 0–100 index of how much algae a lake can support, from clarity, phosphorus and chlorophyll-a. | 62 | Eutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Ask about Piute Reservoir
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Recreation & Access
- Piute State ParkPublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Piute Reservoir
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Piute Reservoir in Piute 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 readings cover nutrients and algae, not lodging. Cabins and rentals around Piute Reservoir are listed below.
Top-rated places to stay near Piute Reservoir
Prices for Oct 30–Nov 1, 4 adults. Change dates on the map below.
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Fishing Piute Reservoir
Water quality readings over time
3 seasons of samples on record (2014–2020). Calling a direction takes at least 4 years of the same measurement.
Water clarity
Improving3 years
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Piute Reservoir is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Piute (completed 1938), built primarily for irrigation on the Sevier River; earth-type dam, 90 ft tall and 1,403 ft long.
- Normal storage
- 71,826 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 136,855 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 2,440 sq mi
- Hazard class
- High
- Owner
- PIUTE RESERVOIR & IRRIGATION COMPANY
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID UT00249 · Operator website
EPA Impairment Status
Piute Reservoir is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2024 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 5).
Causes of impairment
Designated uses not supporting: Aquatic life.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit UT-L-16030001-011_00 · Official waterbody report
Nearby Lakes in Piute County
Frequently asked questions about Piute Reservoir
Where is Piute Reservoir?
- Piute Reservoir is a lake in Piute County, Utah. Its water-quality measurements are published by Utah DWQ and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Piute Reservoir?
- Piute Reservoir in Piute County, Utah has water-quality measurements published by Utah DWQ, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 1 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 33.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 11.8 µg/L.
Is Piute Reservoir safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Piute Reservoir is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen), oxygen depletion (low DO), pH / acidity, temperature. Check local advisories before you swim.
Are there boat ramps on Piute Reservoir?
- Piute Reservoir has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Piute State Park. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Piute Reservoir?
- Piute Reservoir has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Seasons, size and bag limits, and whether you need a license are set by Utah's fish and wildlife agency, so check its current regulations before you go.
Explore Piute Reservoir across LakeQuality
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Species activity outlook by water temperature and season
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Where this data comes from
19 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2014–2020. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Utah Department Of Environmental Quality
UTAHDWQ_WQX19 samples · 2014–2020
Analytical methods
- Field Measurements
- Phosphorus by Colorimetry
- 10200 H ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination
Monitoring station identifiers (1)
EPA condition classes from the National Lakes Assessment (EPA 841-R-24-006, Table 6-3), applied by ecoregion. See where the data comes from and data sources.
Other records on this page
Impairment status from EPA ATTAINS 303(d) database
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory