Sheep Creek Middle Reservoir
Elko County, NevadaView mapDirections
NDEP publishes the water-quality measurements for Sheep Creek Middle Reservoir. Here is what has been measured.
- Limited data
Sheep Creek Middle Reservoir in Elko County, Nevada has water-quality measurements published by NDEP, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 3 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 164.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 63.7 µg/L.
Sheep Creek Middle Reservoir is a lake in Elko County, Nevada. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, NDEP, last sampled 2018-08-30. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
Swimming conditions
No readingLimited data
Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Sheep Creek Middle Reservoir is safe to swim in today is a call for the Nevada Division of Environmental Protection and the county health department, who post current advisories. LakeQuality does not issue swimming clearances.
Water quality measurements for Sheep Creek Middle Reservoir
These are the measurements NDEP publishes for Sheep Creek Middle Reservoir, 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 3 ft of visibility. Phosphorus 164.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 63.7 µg/L. TSI 70.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 3ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 165µg/L | Measured, not scored The nutrient that most limits algae growth in freshwater. More phosphorus, more algae potential. |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 63.7µg/L | Measured, not scored 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. | 70 | Hypereutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Very high nutrients, dense algae, poor clarity
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Fishing Sheep Creek Middle Reservoir
Water Quality Trend: Worsening
Based on 10 years of monitoring (2012–2023).
Phosphorus
Stable+0.71 µg/L/yr10 years
Chlorophyll-a
Worsening+1.92 µg/L/yr9 years
Nearby Lakes in Elko County
Frequently asked questions about Sheep Creek Middle Reservoir
Where is Sheep Creek Middle Reservoir?
- Sheep Creek Middle Reservoir is a lake in Elko County, Nevada. Its water-quality measurements are published by NDEP and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Sheep Creek Middle Reservoir?
- Sheep Creek Middle Reservoir in Elko County, Nevada has water-quality measurements published by NDEP, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 3 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 164.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 63.7 µg/L.
Is Sheep Creek Middle Reservoir safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
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Where this data comes from
4 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2018. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Bureau of Reclamation
1119USBR_WQX4 samples · 2018
Analytical methods
- Depth, Secchi disk depth
- Phosphorus by Single Reagent 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.