Rita Blanca Lake
Hartley County, Texas498 acresView mapDirections
Not enough samples to grade — no nutrient or algae measurement meets the evidence bar (at least 3 samples within 10 years). No letter yet. Here is what we do have.
- Impaired · Oxygen depletion (low DO)
- 30 ft max depth
- Limited data
Rita Blanca Lake in Hartley County, Texas is not rated for water quality — its monitoring record does not meet the evidence bar. Phosphorus: 710 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 345 µg/L. Surface area: 498 acres.
- Max depth
- ~30 ft est.
- Area
- 498 acres
- Phosphorus
- 710 µg/L
- Chlorophyll-a
- 345 µg/L
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Watch Rita Blanca Lake’s letter
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Why Rita Blanca Lake has no grade
We grade a lake only when the monitoring record supports a letter: at least three phosphorus or chlorophyll-a samples in the last ten years, scored against EPA National Lakes Assessment thresholds for this lake’s ecoregion. For Rita Blanca Lake, no nutrient or algae measurement meets the evidence bar (at least 3 samples within 10 years). Sampling here has recorded phosphorus and algae (chlorophyll-a), but not water clarity.
Not Rated is not an F. It is EPA Integrated Reporting Category 3 — insufficient information. The water here may be excellent or poor; nobody has measured enough of it to say. Everything below that has been measured is still reported on this page.
Sampling is run by TCEQ and volunteer programs, and published through the EPA Water Quality Portal. Read the full grading methodology.
Rita Blanca Lake is a 498-acre lake in Hartley County, Texas with an estimated average depth of about 30 feet.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, TCEQ, last sampled 2023-04-17. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.
Swimming Safety
Not ratedLimited data
The letter is not a swimming clearance. Rita Blanca Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for oxygen depletion (low DO), pH / acidity. Check local advisories before you swim.
Water quality measurements for Rita Blanca Lake
These readings exist but are not enough for an A–F grade — see why.
No clarity data. Phosphorus 710 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 345 µg/L. TSI 93.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | No recent samples | |
| Phosphorus | 710 µg/L | Not graded |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 345 µg/L | Not graded |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 93 | Hypereutrophic |
Very high nutrients, dense algae, poor clarity
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | ~30 ft est. |
| Surface Area | 498 acres |
Depth marked “est.” is a modeled maximum from GLOBathy (Khazaei et al. 2022, CC0), not a measured survey. Texas has not published bathymetry for Rita Blanca 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 Rita Blanca Lake
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Rita Blanca Lake is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Rita Blanca Creek Reservoir Dam (completed 1940), built primarily for recreation on the Rita Blanca Creek; earth-type dam, 75 ft tall and 2,200 ft long.
- Surface area
- 498 ac
- Normal storage
- 11,507 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 13,600 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 1,062 sq mi
- Hazard class
- High
- Owner
- CITY OF DALHART
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID TX03746 · Operator website · Matched by proximity (0.41 km)
EPA Impairment Status
Rita Blanca Lake 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 TX-0105_01 · Official waterbody report
Graded lakes near Rita Blanca Lake
Rita Blanca Lake has no grade, but these lakes within a short drive do.
Nearby Lakes in Hartley County
Frequently asked questions about Rita Blanca Lake
Where is Rita Blanca Lake?
- Rita Blanca Lake is a lake in Hartley County, Texas. 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 Rita Blanca Lake?
- Rita Blanca Lake in Hartley County, Texas is not rated for water quality — its monitoring record does not meet the evidence bar. Phosphorus: 710 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 345 µg/L. Surface area: 498 acres.
Is Rita Blanca Lake safe to swim in?
- The letter is not a swimming clearance. Rita Blanca Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for oxygen depletion (low DO), pH / acidity. Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Rita Blanca Lake?
- No published bathymetric survey covers Rita Blanca Lake, so its depth has not been measured. The HydroLAKES global model estimates an average depth of about 30 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 498 acres.
Explore Rita Blanca Lake across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
3 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2020–2023. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Texas Commission on Environmental Quality
TCEQMAIN3 samples · 2020–2023
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)