Sabetha City Lake
Nemaha County, KansasView 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 · Nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen)
- 49 ft max depth
- Limited data
Sabetha City Lake in Nemaha County, Kansas is not rated for water quality — its monitoring record does not meet the evidence bar. Water clarity: 2.1 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 175 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 11 µg/L.
- Clarity
- 2.1 ft
- Max depth
- ~49 ft est.
- Phosphorus
- 175 µg/L
- Chlorophyll-a
- 11 µg/L
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Watch Sabetha City Lake’s letter
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Why Sabetha City 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 Sabetha City Lake, no nutrient or algae measurement meets the evidence bar (at least 3 samples within 10 years). Sampling here has recorded water clarity, phosphorus and algae (chlorophyll-a).
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 KDHE and volunteer programs, and published through the EPA Water Quality Portal. Read the full grading methodology.
Sabetha City Lake is a lake in Nemaha County, Kansas with an estimated average depth of about 49 feet.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, KDHE, last sampled 2013-07-15. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.
Swimming Safety
Not ratedLimited data
The letter is not a swimming clearance. Sabetha City Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen). Check local advisories before you swim.
Water quality measurements for Sabetha City Lake
These readings exist but are not enough for an A–F grade — see why.
Very murky, less than 2.1 ft of visibility. Phosphorus 175 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 11 µg/L. TSI 66.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 2.1 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | 175 µg/L | Not graded |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 11 µg/L | Not graded |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 66 | Eutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | ~49 ft est. |
| Average Depth | ~12 ft est. |
Depth marked “est.” is a modeled maximum from GLOBathy (Khazaei et al. 2022, CC0), not a measured survey. Kansas has not published bathymetry for Sabetha City 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 Sabetha City Lake
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Sabetha City Lake is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Sabetha City Lake Dam (completed 1936), built primarily for water supply on the Deer Creek; earth-type dam, 58 ft tall and 1,360 ft long.
- Normal storage
- 1,255 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 2,911 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 9.19 sq mi
- Hazard class
- Low
- Owner
- SABETHA, CITY OF
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID KS02513 · Operator website
EPA Impairment Status
Sabetha City Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2024 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 4A).
Causes of impairment
A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan has been approved.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit KS-LM011501 · Official waterbody report
Graded lakes near Sabetha City Lake
Sabetha City Lake has no grade, but these lakes within a short drive do.
Nearby Lakes in Nemaha County
Frequently asked questions about Sabetha City Lake
Where is Sabetha City Lake?
- Sabetha City Lake is a lake in Nemaha County, Kansas. 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 Sabetha City Lake?
- Sabetha City Lake in Nemaha County, Kansas is not rated for water quality — its monitoring record does not meet the evidence bar. Water clarity: 2.1 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 175 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 11 µg/L.
Is Sabetha City Lake safe to swim in?
- The letter is not a swimming clearance. Sabetha City Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen). Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Sabetha City Lake?
- No published bathymetric survey covers Sabetha City Lake, so its depth has not been measured. The HydroLAKES global model estimates an average depth of about 49 feet, but that is a modelled estimate derived from surrounding terrain rather than a measurement on the water, so treat it as approximate.
Explore Sabetha City Lake across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
5 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2013. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Kansas Department Of Health And Environment
21KAN001_WQX5 samples · 2013
Analytical methods
- Depth, Secchi disk depth
- Phosphorus by Colorimetry
- 10200 H ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination
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)