Turks Pond
Baca County, Colorado33 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.
- Public access
- Limited data
Turks Pond in Baca County, Colorado is not rated for water quality — its monitoring record does not meet the evidence bar. Water clarity: 0.7 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 85 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 139.7 µg/L. Surface area: 33 acres.
- Clarity
- 0.7 ft
- Area
- 33 acres
- Public access
- Yes
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Watch Turks Pond’s letter
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Why Turks Pond 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 Turks Pond, 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.
Turks Pond is a 33-acre lake in Baca County, Colorado. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, CDPHE, last sampled 2023-07-17. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.
What Turks Pond 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. Check local advisories before you swim.
Water quality measurements for Turks Pond
These readings exist but are not enough for an A–F grade — see why.
Very murky, less than 0.7 ft of visibility. Phosphorus 85 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 139.7 µg/L. TSI 77.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 0.7 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | 85 µg/L | Not graded |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 139.7 µg/L | Not graded |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 77 | Hypereutrophic |
Very high nutrients, dense algae, poor clarity
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Surface Area | 33 acres |
| Public Access | Yes |
No bathymetric survey has been published for Turks Pond, so its depth is not documented here.
Recreation & Access
- Turks Pond State Wildlife AreaPublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Fishing Turks Pond
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Turks Pond is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Turks Pond (completed 1952), built primarily for recreation on the Horse Creek-Tr; earth-type dam, 38 ft tall and 1,300 ft long.
- Surface area
- 33 ac
- Normal storage
- 313 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 544 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 7 sq mi
- Hazard class
- Low
- Owner
- COLORADO PARKS AND WILDLIFE
All listed purposes: Recreation;Irrigation.
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID CO00755 · Operator website
Nearby Lakes in Baca County
Frequently asked questions about Turks Pond
Where is Turks Pond?
- Turks Pond is a lake in Baca 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 Turks Pond?
- Turks Pond in Baca County, Colorado is not rated for water quality — its monitoring record does not meet the evidence bar. Water clarity: 0.7 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 85 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 139.7 µg/L. Surface area: 33 acres.
Is Turks Pond safe to swim in?
- The letter is not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
Are there boat ramps on Turks Pond?
- Turks Pond has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Turks Pond State Wildlife Area. Public access is listed as yes.
Explore Turks Pond across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
4 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2023. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Colorado Dept. of Public Health & Environment-WQCD
21COL001_WQX4 samples · 2023
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 (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
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory