Short Creek Dam Lake
Burke County, North Dakota112 acresView mapDirections
Not enough samples to grade — no nutrient or algae measurement meets the evidence bar (at least 3 samples within 10 years). No letter yet. Here is what we do have.
- Impaired · Nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen)
- 19 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
Short Creek Dam Lake in Burke County, North Dakota is not rated for water quality — its monitoring record does not meet the evidence bar. Water clarity: 3.8 ft visibility. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 9.3 µg/L. Surface area: 112 acres.
- Clarity
- 3.8 ft
- Typical in September
- 58°F
- Max depth
- ~19 ft est.
- Area
- 112 acres
- Chlorophyll-a
- 9.3 µg/L
- Public access
- Yes
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Watch Short Creek Dam Lake’s letter
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Why Short Creek Dam Lake has no grade
We grade a lake only when the monitoring record supports a letter: at least three phosphorus or chlorophyll-a samples in the last ten years, scored against EPA National Lakes Assessment thresholds for this lake’s ecoregion. For Short Creek Dam Lake, no nutrient or algae measurement meets the evidence bar (at least 3 samples within 10 years). Sampling here has recorded water clarity and algae (chlorophyll-a), but not phosphorus.
Not Rated is not an F. It is EPA Integrated Reporting Category 3 — insufficient information. The water here may be excellent or poor; nobody has measured enough of it to say. Everything below that has been measured is still reported on this page.
Sampling is run by NDDEQ and volunteer programs, and published through the EPA Water Quality Portal. Read the full grading methodology.
Short Creek Dam Lake is a 112-acre lake in Burke County, North Dakota with an estimated average depth of about 19 feet. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, NDDEQ, last sampled 2021-10-12. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.
What Short Creek Dam Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
Swimming Safety
Not ratedLimited data
The letter is not a swimming clearance. Short Creek Dam Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen), oxygen depletion (low DO). Check local advisories before you swim.
Water quality measurements for Short Creek Dam Lake
These readings exist but are not enough for an A–F grade — see why.
Murky, only visible to about 3.8 ft. Chlorophyll-a 9.3 µg/L. TSI 55.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 3.8 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | No recent samples | |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 9.3 µg/L | Not graded |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 55 | Eutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Current Conditions
USGS snapshot Jul 6, 2026, 5:00 AM from gauge 05113750 (E. Branch Short Creek Reservoir Near Columbus, ND). Station page ↗ — a live reading replaces this snapshot when the gauge responds. Missing live data is not an all-clear.
Water Temperature
Short Creek Dam Lake typically sits around 58°F at the surface in September. Summer average is about 68°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 71°F) and coldest in Jan (about 39°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 68 field readings (2010–2021) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Short Creek Dam Lake water temperature breakdown →
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | ~19 ft est. |
| Average Depth | ~7 ft est. |
| Surface Area | 112 acres |
| Public Access | Yes |
Depth marked “est.” is a modeled maximum from GLOBathy (Khazaei et al. 2022, CC0), not a measured survey. North Dakota has not published bathymetry for Short Creek Dam 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.
Recreation & Access
- Short Creek DamPublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Fishing Short Creek Dam Lake
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Short Creek Dam Lake is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Short Creek Dam 1 (completed 1962), built primarily for recreation on the East Branch Short Creek; earth-type dam, 38 ft tall and 1,018 ft long.
- Surface area
- 112 ac
- Normal storage
- 1,200 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 2,765 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 164 sq mi
- Hazard class
- Significant
- Owner
- ND Game & Fish
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID ND00018 · Operator website · Matched by proximity (0.39 km)
EPA Impairment Status
Short Creek Dam Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2022 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 4A).
Causes of impairment
A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan has been approved.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit ND-09010007-001-L_00 · Official waterbody report
Graded lakes near Short Creek Dam Lake
Short Creek Dam Lake has no grade, but these lakes within a short drive do.
Nearby Lakes in Burke County
Frequently asked questions about Short Creek Dam Lake
Where is Short Creek Dam Lake?
- Short Creek Dam Lake is a lake in Burke County, North Dakota. LakeQuality has not rated this lake (UNRATED) — no nutrient or algae measurement meets the evidence bar (at least 3 samples within 10 years).
What is the water quality grade for Short Creek Dam Lake?
- Short Creek Dam Lake in Burke County, North Dakota is not rated for water quality — its monitoring record does not meet the evidence bar. Water clarity: 3.8 ft visibility. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 9.3 µg/L. Surface area: 112 acres.
Is Short Creek Dam Lake safe to swim in?
- The letter is not a swimming clearance. Short Creek Dam Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen), oxygen depletion (low DO). Check local advisories before you swim.
What is the water temperature of Short Creek Dam Lake?
- Short Creek Dam Lake typically sits around 58°F at the surface in September, from 68 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2010–2021). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is Short Creek Dam Lake?
- No published bathymetric survey covers Short Creek Dam Lake, so its depth has not been measured. The HydroLAKES global model estimates an average depth of about 19 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 112 acres.
What is the water level at Short Creek Dam Lake?
- The USGS snapshot on this page for Short Creek Dam Lake is 1888 ft of water-surface elevation, recorded Jul 6, 2026, 5:00 AM at gauge 05113750. Current Conditions hydrates a live NWIS reading from that same station when the gauge responds. A missed live fetch is not an all-clear.
Are there boat ramps on Short Creek Dam Lake?
- Short Creek Dam Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Short Creek Dam. Public access is listed as yes.
Explore Short Creek Dam Lake across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
8 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2021. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- North Dakota Department Of Environmental Quality
21NDHDWQ_WQX8 samples · 2021
Analytical methods
- 447.0 ~ EPA; Chlorophyll a and b in phytoplankton by HPLC/UV
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
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)
Depth, fish, and access data from North Dakota Game & Fish
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory