Sands Timber Lake
Taylor County, Iowa70 acresView mapDirections
Nutrients and algae run well above the regional average.
- Hypereutrophic
- Impaired · Turbidity
- #1 of 4 in the county
- 23 ft max depth
- Limited data
Sands Timber Lake in Taylor County, Iowa has a water quality grade of F (Algae-prone). Water clarity: 1.8 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 98 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 70.1 µg/L. Surface area: 70 acres.
- Clarity
- 1.8 ft
- Typical in August
- 80°F
- Max depth
- ~23 ft est.
- Area
- 70 acres
- Type
- Hypereutrophic
- Phosphorus
- 98 µg/L
- Chlorophyll-a
- 70.1 µg/L
- Trend
- ↑ Improving
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Stays near Sands Timber Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Sands Timber Lake in Taylor County, Iowa — 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 Sands Timber Lake are listed below.
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Free interactive depth-contour map of Sands Timber Lake, reaching a maximum surveyed depth of 14 ft. Toggle Depth contours to overlay the bathymetric survey lines. Contour data from Iowa DNR.
Sands Timber Lake is a 70-acre highly nutrient-loaded hypereutrophic lake in Taylor County, Iowa with an estimated average depth of about 23 feet. Water quality is graded F based on 2 sampling years through 2022. Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. Compared to the 3 other monitored lakes in Taylor County, Sands Timber Lake ranks #1 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Iowa DNR, last sampled 2022-09-06. 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 F is nutrients and algae, not a swimming clearance. Sands Timber Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for turbidity. Check local advisories before you swim.
Water Quality Grade: F (Algae-prone)
Very murky, less than 1.8 ft of visibility. Phosphorus 98 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 70.1 µg/L. TSI 70. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 1.8 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | 98 µg/L | Poor |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 70.1 µg/L | Poor |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 70 | Hypereutrophic |
Very high nutrients, dense algae, poor clarity
Water Temperature
Sands Timber Lake typically sits around 80°F at the surface in August. Summer average is about 81°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 82°F) and coldest in May (about 67°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 9 field readings (2018–2022) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Sands Timber Lake water temperature breakdown →
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | ~23 ft est. |
| Average Depth | ~12 ft est. |
| Surface Area | 70 acres |
Depth marked “est.” is a modeled maximum from GLOBathy (Khazaei et al. 2022, CC0), not a measured survey. Iowa has not published bathymetry for Sands Timber 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 Sands Timber Lake
Water Quality Trend: ↑ Improving
Based on 3 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | ↑ Improving | +0.175 m/yr | 3 |
| Phosphorus | ↑ Improving | -28.2 µg/L/yr | 3 |
| Chlorophyll-a | ↑ Improving | -31.2 µg/L/yr | 3 |
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Sands Timber Lake is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Blockton Watershed Site S-5 (completed 1993), built primarily for flood risk reduction on the TR-PLATTE RIVER; earth-type dam, 41 ft tall and 1,170 ft long.
- Surface area
- 70 ac
- Normal storage
- 435 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 3,021 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 6.4 sq mi
- Hazard class
- Significant
- Owner
- Taylor County SWCD
All listed purposes: Flood Risk Reduction;Recreation.
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID IA02665 · Operator website · Matched by proximity (0.06 km)
EPA Impairment Status
Sands Timber 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 IA 05-PLA-2064 · Official waterbody report · Matched by proximity (0.48 km)
Regulated Pollution Sources Nearby
1 EPA-permitted facility operate within about 5 miles of Sands Timber Lake under Clean Water Act (NPDES) discharge permits.
- Blockton City Of (Southern Ia Rural Water Assn.)Blockton · 2.4 mi away · NPDES IA0076023
Facilities permitted to discharge under the Clean Water Act within ~5 miles; proximity does not by itself mean a facility affects this lake. Source: EPA ECHO (ICIS-NPDES), as of 2026-07.
County Ranking
Ranked #1 of 4 lakes in Taylor County
Nearby Lakes in Taylor County
Frequently asked questions about Sands Timber Lake
Where is Sands Timber Lake?
- Sands Timber Lake is a lake in Taylor County, Iowa. LakeQuality grades it F for nutrients and algae. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
What is the water quality grade for Sands Timber Lake?
- Sands Timber Lake in Taylor County, Iowa has a water quality grade of F (Algae-prone). Water clarity: 1.8 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 98 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 70.1 µg/L. Surface area: 70 acres.
Is Sands Timber Lake safe to swim in?
- The F is nutrients and algae, not a swimming clearance. Sands Timber Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for turbidity. Check local advisories before you swim.
What is the water temperature of Sands Timber Lake?
- Sands Timber Lake typically sits around 80°F at the surface in August, from 9 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2018–2022). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Sands Timber Lake?
- No published bathymetric survey covers Sands Timber Lake, so its depth has not been measured. The HydroLAKES global model estimates an average depth of about 23 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 70 acres.
Explore Sands Timber Lake across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
36 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2020–2022. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Iowa DNR Surface Water Monitoring Data
21IOWA_WQX36 samples · 2020–2022
Analytical methods
- Unknown
- Phosphorus by Colorimetry
- 445.0 ~ EPA; Chlorophyll and Pheophytin in Algae by Fluorescence
- ISU modification of APHA 2130-B
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
Regulated discharger data from EPA ECHO (ICIS-NPDES)
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)