Santa Fe County, New Mexico · Water Quality Report Card
Santa Cruz Lake
Santa Cruz Lake in Santa Fe County, New Mexico is not rated for water quality — its monitoring record does not meet the evidence bar. Water clarity: 6.3 ft visibility.
- Clarity
- 6.3 ft
- Mean depth
- ~24 ft est.
- Type
- Eutrophic
- Trend
- ↑ Improving
Santa Cruz Lake is a productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Santa Fe County, New Mexico with an estimated average depth of about 24 feet. Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, NMED, last sampled 2018-07-24. Grade methodology: LakeGrade methodology.
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Swimming Safety
Not rated for swimming — there is not enough monitoring data to judge this lake
Water Quality Grade: Not rated
Murky, only visible to about 6.3 ft. Trophic State Index: 51.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 6.3 ft | |
| Phosphorus | No data | |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | No data | |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 51 | Eutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Average Depth | ~24 ft est. |
Depth marked “est.” is a modeled estimate from HydroLAKES, not a measured survey. New Mexico has not published bathymetry for Santa Cruz Lake.
Where to stay near Santa Cruz Lake
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Fishing Santa Cruz Lake
Water Quality Trend: ↑ Improving
Based on 3 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | ↓ Declining | -0.12 m/yr | 3 |
| Phosphorus | ↑ Improving | -4.06 µg/L/yr | 2 |
| Chlorophyll-a | ↑ Improving | -1.98 µg/L/yr | 2 |
Location
Nearby Lakes in Santa Fe County
Explore Santa Cruz Lake across LakeGrade
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High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
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More records, surveys & data sources
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.
Where this data comes from
7 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2017–2018. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- NM Environmental Dept./SWQB
21NMEX_WQX7 samples · 2017–2018
Analytical methods
- 10200 H 2 ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination by spectrophotometer
Monitoring station identifiers (1)
Grade thresholds come from the U.S. EPA National Lakes Assessment 2022 Technical Support Document (EPA 841-R-24-006, Table 6-3), applied by ecoregion. See how grades are calculated.
Data Sources
Water quality data from the EPA Water Quality Portal
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)
Grade thresholds from the EPA National Lakes Assessment (EPA 841-R-24-006, Table 6-3), applied by ecoregion
Most recent sample: 2018-07-24
Monitoring stations: 1