Salton Sea Lake
Imperial County, CaliforniaView mapDirections
SWRCB publishes the water-quality measurements for Salton Sea Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Eutrophic
- Impaired · Ammonia
- Limited data
Salton Sea Lake in Imperial County, California has water-quality measurements published by SWRCB, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 1.8 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 260.5 µg/L.
Salton Sea Lake is a productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Imperial County, California.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, your state environmental agency, last sampled 2018-09-11. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyBacteria advisory
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. Salton Sea Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for ammonia, metals (other than mercury), nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen), oxygen depletion (low DO), pathogens (E. coli, fecal), pesticides, salinity / chlorides, total toxics. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Salton Sea Lake is safe to swim in today is a call for the California State Water Resources Control Board and the county health department, who post current advisories. LakeQuality does not issue swimming clearances.
Water quality measurements for Salton Sea Lake
These are the measurements SWRCB publishes for Salton Sea Lake, 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 1.8 ft of visibility. Phosphorus 260.5 µg/L. TSI 69.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 1.8ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 261µg/L | Poor GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | No reading The green pigment in algae — a direct measure of how much algae is in the water. | |
| Trophic state (TSI)Carlson's 0–100 index of how much algae a lake can support, from clarity, phosphorus and chlorophyll-a. | 69 | Eutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Ask about Salton Sea Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Salton Sea Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Salton Sea Lake in Imperial County, California — 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 Salton Sea Lake are listed below.
Top-rated places to stay near Salton Sea Lake
Prices for Oct 9–11, 4 adults. Change dates on the map below.
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Fishing Salton Sea Lake
EPA Impairment Status
Salton Sea Lake 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, Fish consumption, Recreation.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit CAS7280000019990205133504 · Official waterbody report
Nearby Lakes in Imperial County
Frequently asked questions about Salton Sea Lake
Where is Salton Sea Lake?
- Salton Sea Lake is a lake in Imperial County, California. Its water-quality measurements are published by SWRCB and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Salton Sea Lake?
- Salton Sea Lake in Imperial County, California has water-quality measurements published by SWRCB, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 1.8 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 260.5 µg/L.
Is Salton Sea Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Salton Sea Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for ammonia, metals (other than mercury), nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen), oxygen depletion (low DO), pathogens (E. coli, fecal), pesticides, salinity / chlorides, total toxics. Check local advisories before you swim.
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Where this data comes from
2 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2024. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-21.
Collected and reported by
- North American Lake Management Society
NALMS2 samples · 2024
Monitoring station identifiers (1)
- NALMS-F248771
- CEDEN-723NRSCHP
- CEDEN-723REDHIL
- CEDEN-728PSS171
- CEDEN-728SSGS02
- CEDEN-728SSGS03
- CEDEN-728SSGS05
- CEDEN-728SSGS07
- CEDEN-728SSGS09
- CEDEN-728SSGS10
- CEDEN-728ST1359
- CEDEN-728ST1360
- CEDEN-728ST1361
- USGS-10254005
- USGS-330727115415001
- USGS-331010115385301
- USGS-331103115363101
- USGS-331106115373301
- USGS-331122115363101
- USGS-331153115360901
- USGS-331158115370501
- USGS-331159115370901
- USGS-331200115420001
- USGS-331204115385701
- USGS-331209115371701
- USGS-331210115370901
- USGS-331216115370501
- USGS-331223115365001
- USGS-331223115365301
- USGS-331224115365201
- USGS-331226115364301
- USGS-331233115381301
- USGS-331238115365001
- USGS-331240115364801
- USGS-331240115370201
- USGS-331251115373101
- USGS-331307115363401
- USGS-331312115375501
- USGS-331341115364101
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