Sands Timber Lake is a 70-acre highly nutrient-loaded hypereutrophic lake in Taylor County, Iowa. Water quality is graded F based on 2 sampling years through 2022. Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available. 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: LakeGrade methodology.
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Swimming Safety
Avoid swimming, very poor water quality, potential algae toxins
Water Quality Grade: F, Very Poor
Very murky, less than 1.8 ft of visibility. Chlorophyll-a: 70.1 µg/L. Trophic State Index: 70.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 1.8 ft | F |
| Phosphorus | No data | |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 70.1 µg/L | F |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 70 | Hypereutrophic |
Very high nutrients, dense algae, poor clarity
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Surface Area | 70 acres |
| Public Access | Yes |
Where to stay near Sands Timber Lake
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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 |
| Chlorophyll-a | ↑ Improving | -31.2 µg/L/yr | 3 |
Water Temperature
Sands Timber Lake averages about 81°F at the surface in summer, 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 →
Location & Depth Map
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.
County Ranking
Ranked #1 of 4 lakes in Taylor County
Cleaner Lakes Within 30 Miles
Sands Timber Lake holds Grade F. One nearby lake has a higher grade.
See full comparison →Nearby Lakes in Taylor County
Explore Sands Timber Lake across LakeGrade
More Iowa Lake Rankings
Other Grade F Lakes in Iowa
Hypereutrophic Lakes in Iowa
More records, surveys & data sources
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)
Lake Size & Watershed
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS). Mean depth is a modeled estimate.
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.
Data Sources
Water quality data from the EPA Water Quality Portal
Impairment status from EPA ATTAINS 303(d) database
Regulated discharger data from EPA ECHO (ICIS-NPDES)
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)
Grading methodology based on Metropolitan Council standards
Most recent sample: 2022-09-06
Monitoring stations: 1