Steamboat Creek Lake
Washoe County, NevadaView 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 · Metals (other than mercury)
- Limited data
Steamboat Creek Lake in Washoe County, Nevada is not rated for water quality — its monitoring record does not meet the evidence bar. Phosphorus: 246 µg/L.
- Phosphorus
- 246 µg/L
- Trend
- ↓ Declining
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Watch Steamboat Creek Lake’s letter
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Why Steamboat Creek 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 Steamboat Creek Lake, no nutrient or algae measurement meets the evidence bar (at least 3 samples within 10 years). Sampling here has recorded phosphorus, but not water clarity and algae (chlorophyll-a).
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 NDEP and volunteer programs, and published through the EPA Water Quality Portal. Read the full grading methodology.
Steamboat Creek Lake is a lake in Washoe County, Nevada. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, NDEP, last sampled 2014-01-15. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.
Swimming Safety
Not ratedLimited data
The letter is not a swimming clearance. Steamboat Creek Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for metals (other than mercury), temperature. Check local advisories before you swim.
Water quality measurements for Steamboat Creek Lake
These readings exist but are not enough for an A–F grade — see why.
No clarity data. Phosphorus 246 µg/L. TSI 84.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | No recent samples | |
| Phosphorus | 246 µg/L | Not graded |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | No recent samples | |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 84 | Hypereutrophic |
Very high nutrients, dense algae, poor clarity
Fishing Steamboat Creek Lake
Water Quality Trend: ↓ Declining
Based on 2 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Phosphorus | ↓ Declining | +145.5 µg/L/yr | 2 |
EPA Impairment Status
Steamboat Creek Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2022 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 5).
Causes of impairment
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit NV06-TR-03_00 · Official waterbody report · Matched by proximity (2.51 km)
Graded lakes near Steamboat Creek Lake
Steamboat Creek Lake has no grade, but these lakes within a short drive do.
Nearby Lakes in Washoe County
Frequently asked questions about Steamboat Creek Lake
Where is Steamboat Creek Lake?
- Steamboat Creek Lake is a lake in Washoe County, Nevada. 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 Steamboat Creek Lake?
- Steamboat Creek Lake in Washoe County, Nevada is not rated for water quality — its monitoring record does not meet the evidence bar. Phosphorus: 246 µg/L.
Is Steamboat Creek Lake safe to swim in?
- The letter is not a swimming clearance. Steamboat Creek Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for metals (other than mercury), temperature. Check local advisories before you swim.
Explore Steamboat Creek Lake across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
12 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2012–2014. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Nevada Division of Environmental Protection
21NEV1_WQX12 samples · 2012–2014
Analytical methods
- 4500 P F ~ Phosphorus in Water by Colorimetry Automated Ascorbic Acid Method
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