Sweetwater Lake
Garfield County, ColoradoView 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.
- 15 ft max depth
- Limited data
Sweetwater Lake in Garfield County, Colorado is not rated for water quality — its monitoring record does not meet the evidence bar. Water clarity: 8 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 128 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 8.5 µg/L.
- Clarity
- 8 ft
- Max depth
- ~15 ft est.
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Watch Sweetwater Lake’s letter
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Why Sweetwater 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 Sweetwater Lake, no nutrient or algae measurement meets the evidence bar (at least 3 samples within 10 years). Sampling here has recorded water clarity, phosphorus 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 CDPHE and volunteer programs, and published through the EPA Water Quality Portal. Read the full grading methodology.
Sweetwater Lake is a lake in Garfield County, Colorado with an estimated average depth of about 15 feet.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, CDPHE, last sampled 2021-07-29. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.
What Sweetwater Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Camping1 public campground nearby
Swimming Safety
Not ratedLimited data
The letter is not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
Water quality measurements for Sweetwater Lake
These readings exist but are not enough for an A–F grade — see why.
Moderate clarity, visible to about 8 ft. Phosphorus 128 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 8.5 µg/L. TSI 58.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 8 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | 128 µg/L | Not graded |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 8.5 µg/L | Not graded |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 58 | Eutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | ~15 ft est. |
Depth marked “est.” is a modeled maximum from GLOBathy (Khazaei et al. 2022, CC0), not a measured survey. Colorado has not published bathymetry for Sweetwater 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
Public campgrounds near Sweetwater Lake
- Sweetwater Lake Cg0.6 km
Nearest public campgrounds in the USGS National Map inventory, within about 3 miles. An empty list means USGS records no campground that close, which is not the same as camping being unavailable. Where the source gives an official reservation link, it is used; the cabin and hotel search does not cover campsites. More camping lakes
Fishing Sweetwater Lake
Graded lakes near Sweetwater Lake
Sweetwater Lake has no grade, but these lakes within a short drive do.
Nearby Lakes in Garfield County
Frequently asked questions about Sweetwater Lake
Where is Sweetwater Lake?
- Sweetwater Lake is a lake in Garfield County, Colorado. 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 Sweetwater Lake?
- Sweetwater Lake in Garfield County, Colorado is not rated for water quality — its monitoring record does not meet the evidence bar. Water clarity: 8 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 128 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 8.5 µg/L.
Is Sweetwater Lake safe to swim in?
- The letter is not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Sweetwater Lake?
- No published bathymetric survey covers Sweetwater Lake, so its depth has not been measured. The HydroLAKES global model estimates an average depth of about 15 feet, but that is a modelled estimate derived from surrounding terrain rather than a measurement on the water, so treat it as approximate.
Are there campgrounds on Sweetwater Lake?
- Sweetwater Lake has 1 public campground from USGS The National Map within 5 km, including Sweetwater Lake Cg. This is a location join, not a booking. Cabins and hotels are listed separately; campsite reservations use the official link when the source provides one.
Explore Sweetwater Lake across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
7 measurements from 2 monitoring stations, 2021. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Colorado Dept. of Public Health & Environment-WQCD
21COL001_WQX7 samples · 2021
Analytical methods
- Secchi disk depth measurement
- Phosphorus by Colorimetry
- 10200 H ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination
- Nitrogen in Water by Pyrolysis Detection
Monitoring station identifiers (2)
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
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)
Public campgrounds from USGS The National Map Structures, within about 3 miles