Scofield Reservoir
Carbon County, Utah2,810 acresView mapDirections
Utah DWQ publishes the water-quality measurements for Scofield Reservoir. Here is what has been measured.
- Eutrophic
- Impaired · Algal growth
- Limited data
Scofield Reservoir in Carbon County, Utah has water-quality measurements published by Utah DWQ, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 12.5 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 26.3 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 7.6 µg/L. Surface area: 2810 acres.
Scofield Reservoir is a 2,810-acre productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Carbon County, Utah. Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. Compared to the 3 other monitored lakes in Carbon County, Scofield Reservoir ranks #4 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Utah DWQ, last sampled 2020-09-10. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
Scofield Reservoir covers about 2,800 acres in Carbon County. For a place on the water, look through cabin and lake-house rentals near Scofield Reservoir on Vrbo. For a hotel or motel room, Booking.com and Expedia both search around the lake.
What Scofield Reservoir is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Clear water12.5 ft of visibility
- Big water2,810 acres
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyRecreation use not supported
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. Scofield Reservoir is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for algal growth, nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen), oxygen depletion (low DO), pH / acidity. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Scofield Reservoir is safe to swim in today is a call for the Utah Division of Water Quality and the county health department, who post current advisories. LakeQuality does not issue swimming clearances.
Water quality measurements for Scofield Reservoir
These are the measurements Utah DWQ publishes for Scofield Reservoir, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Good clarity, visible to about 12.5 ft. Phosphorus 26.3 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 7.6 µg/L. TSI 48.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 12.5ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 26.3µg/L | Fair GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 7.6µg/L | Poor GoodFairPoor |
| Trophic state (TSI)Carlson's 0–100 index of how much algae a lake can support, from clarity, phosphorus and chlorophyll-a. | 48 | Eutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Ask about Scofield Reservoir
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Lake Details
Surface area
2,810 acres
No bathymetric survey has been published for Scofield Reservoir, so its depth is not documented here.
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Scofield Reservoir
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Scofield Reservoir in Carbon County, Utah — 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 Scofield Reservoir are listed below.
Top-rated places to stay near Scofield Reservoir
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Fishing Scofield Reservoir
Water Quality Trend: Improving
Based on 10 years of monitoring (2013–2025).
Water clarity
Improving10 years
Phosphorus
Worsening+8.42 µg/L/yr4 years
Chlorophyll-a
Improving-3.09 µg/L/yr5 years
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Scofield Reservoir is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Scofield Dam (completed 1946), built primarily for irrigation on the Price River; earth-type dam, 125 ft tall and 575 ft long.
- Surface area
- 2,810 ac
- Normal storage
- 73,600 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 73,600 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 156.18 sq mi
- Hazard class
- High
- Owner
- BUREAU OF RECLAMATION
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID UT10133 · Operator website
EPA Impairment Status
Scofield Reservoir 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, Recreation.
A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan has been approved.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit UT-L-14060007-005_00 · Official waterbody report
Nearby Lakes in Carbon County
Frequently asked questions about Scofield Reservoir
Where is Scofield Reservoir?
- Scofield Reservoir is a lake in Carbon County, Utah. Its water-quality measurements are published by Utah DWQ and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Scofield Reservoir?
- Scofield Reservoir in Carbon County, Utah has water-quality measurements published by Utah DWQ, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 12.5 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 26.3 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 7.6 µg/L. Surface area: 2810 acres.
Is Scofield Reservoir safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Scofield Reservoir is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for algal growth, nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen), oxygen depletion (low DO), pH / acidity. Check local advisories before you swim.
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Where this data comes from
85 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2013–2020. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Utah Department Of Environmental Quality
UTAHDWQ_WQX85 samples · 2013–2020
Analytical methods
- Field Measurements
- Phosphorus by Colorimetry
- 10200 H ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination
Monitoring station identifiers (1)
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