Quivira Lake
Wyandotte County, Kansas207 acresView mapDirections
Nutrients and algae run above the regional average.
- Eutrophic
- #2 of 4 in the county
- 31 ft max depth
- Limited data
Quivira Lake in Wyandotte County, Kansas has a water quality grade of D (Nutrient-rich). Water clarity: 3 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 50 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 22.4 µg/L. Surface area: 207 acres.
- Clarity
- 3 ft
- Max depth
- ~31 ft est.
- Area
- 207 acres
- Type
- Eutrophic
- Phosphorus
- 50 µg/L
- Chlorophyll-a
- 22.4 µg/L
- Trend
- ↑ Improving
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Stays near Quivira Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Quivira Lake in Wyandotte County, Kansas — 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 Quivira Lake are listed below.
Top-rated places to stay near Quivira Lake
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Watch Quivira Lake’s letter
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Quivira Lake is a 207-acre productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Wyandotte County, Kansas with an estimated average depth of about 31 feet. Water quality is graded D based on 2 sampling years through 2018. Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. Compared to the 3 other monitored lakes in Wyandotte County, Quivira Lake ranks #2 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, KDHE, last sampled 2018-09-17. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.
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 D is nutrients and algae, not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
Water Quality Grade: D (Nutrient-rich)
Very murky, less than 3 ft of visibility. Phosphorus 50 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 22.4 µg/L. TSI 61. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 3 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | 50 µg/L | Fair |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 22.4 µg/L | Poor |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 61 | Eutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | ~31 ft est. |
| Average Depth | ~18 ft est. |
| Surface Area | 207 acres |
Depth marked “est.” is a modeled maximum from GLOBathy (Khazaei et al. 2022, CC0), not a measured survey. Kansas has not published bathymetry for Quivira 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 Quivira Lake
Water Quality Trend: ↑ Improving
Based on 3 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | ↑ Improving | +1.25 m/yr | 2 |
| Phosphorus | ↑ Improving | -15 µg/L/yr | 3 |
| Chlorophyll-a | ↑ Improving | -9.95 µg/L/yr | 3 |
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Quivira Lake is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Lake Quivira Dam (completed 1935), built primarily for recreation on the Tooley Creek; rockfill-type dam, 36 ft tall and 1,600 ft long.
- Surface area
- 207 ac
- Normal storage
- 766 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 1,977 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 4.5 sq mi
- Hazard class
- High
- Owner
- LAKE QUIVIRA, CITY OF
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID KS02974 · Operator website
County Ranking
Ranked #2 of 4 lakes in Wyandotte County
Nearby Lakes With Higher Grades
Quivira Lake holds Grade D. One nearby lake has a higher nutrient-and-algae grade — useful for a swim day, not a reason to skip lodging here.
Nearby Lakes in Wyandotte County
Frequently asked questions about Quivira Lake
Where is Quivira Lake?
- Quivira Lake is a lake in Wyandotte County, Kansas. LakeQuality grades it D for nutrients and algae. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
What is the water quality grade for Quivira Lake?
- Quivira Lake in Wyandotte County, Kansas has a water quality grade of D (Nutrient-rich). Water clarity: 3 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 50 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 22.4 µg/L. Surface area: 207 acres.
Is Quivira Lake safe to swim in?
- The D is nutrients and algae, not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Quivira Lake?
- No published bathymetric survey covers Quivira Lake, so its depth has not been measured. The HydroLAKES global model estimates an average depth of about 31 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 207 acres.
Explore Quivira Lake across LakeQuality
More Kansas Lake Rankings
Other Grade D Lakes in Kansas
Eutrophic Lakes in Kansas
Where this data comes from
42 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2016–2018. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- USGS Kansas Water Science Center
USGS-KS42 samples · 2016–2018
Analytical methods
- Phosphorus, wu, microKJ ASF, H+
- Plant pigments, sonication & 445
- Pigments, algae, EPA445.0 w/ACTN
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
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)