Wall Canyon Reservoir
Washoe County, Nevada133 acresView mapDirections
NDEP publishes the water-quality measurements for Wall Canyon Reservoir. Here is what has been measured.
- Hypereutrophic
- Impaired · Metals (other than mercury)
- Limited data
Wall Canyon Reservoir in Washoe County, Nevada has water-quality measurements published by NDEP, shown here as reported. Phosphorus: 120 µg/L. Surface area: 133 acres.
Wall Canyon Reservoir is a 133-acre highly nutrient-loaded hypereutrophic lake in Washoe County, Nevada. Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. Compared to the 9 other monitored lakes in Washoe County, Wall Canyon Reservoir ranks #10 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, NDEP, last sampled 2019-07-24. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyRecreation use not supported
Based on clarity and algae readings from past sampling — there is no live water temperature and a current cyanobacteria reading for this lake. Check your state or county health department before you swim.
Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Wall Canyon Reservoir is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for metals (other than mercury), nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen), oxygen depletion (low DO). Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Wall Canyon 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 Wall Canyon Reservoir
These are the measurements NDEP publishes for Wall Canyon Reservoir, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
No clarity data. Phosphorus 120 µg/L. TSI 73.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | No reading How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. | |
| Total phosphorus | 120µg/L | Poor GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | No reading 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. | 73 | Hypereutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Very high nutrients, dense algae, poor clarity
Ask about Wall Canyon Reservoir
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Lake Details
Surface area
133 acres
No bathymetric survey has been published for Wall Canyon Reservoir, so its depth is not documented here.
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Wall Canyon Reservoir
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Wall Canyon Reservoir in Washoe County, Nevada — live availability and prices for your trip. Switch the map to Satellite to see the lake and how close each stay is to the water. The water-quality readings cover nutrients and algae, not lodging. Cabins and rentals around Wall Canyon Reservoir are listed below.
Top-rated places to stay near Wall Canyon Reservoir
Prices for Oct 30–Nov 1, 4 adults. Change dates on the map below.
Availability and prices from Stay22 partners (Booking.com, Vrbo, Expedia). We may earn a commission from bookings, at no extra cost to you.
Planning a whole trip? See where to stay at Nevada’s top lakes →
Follow Wall Canyon Reservoir’s readings
Email me when new measurements post for this lake. Updates stay free.
Or email
Fishing Wall Canyon Reservoir
Water Quality Trend: Improving
Based on 4 years of monitoring (2012–2019).
Phosphorus
Improving-14.4 µg/L/yr4 years
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Wall Canyon Reservoir is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Wall Creek Dam Upper, built primarily for irrigation on the Wall Creek; earth-type dam, 75 ft tall and 1,220 ft long.
- Surface area
- 133 ac
- Normal storage
- 3,800 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 4,700 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 80.4 sq mi
- Hazard class
- Low
- Owner
- DUCK LAKE RANCH LLC
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID NV00023 · Operator website · Matched by proximity (0.03 km)
EPA Impairment Status
Wall Canyon Reservoir is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2022 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 5).
Causes of impairment
Designated uses not supporting: Drinking water, Aquatic life, Recreation.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit NV01-NW-04-B_00 · Official waterbody report
Nearby Lakes in Washoe County
Frequently asked questions about Wall Canyon Reservoir
Where is Wall Canyon Reservoir?
- Wall Canyon Reservoir is a lake in Washoe County, Nevada. Its water-quality measurements are published by NDEP and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Wall Canyon Reservoir?
- Wall Canyon Reservoir in Washoe County, Nevada has water-quality measurements published by NDEP, shown here as reported. Phosphorus: 120 µg/L. Surface area: 133 acres.
Is Wall Canyon Reservoir safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Wall Canyon Reservoir is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for metals (other than mercury), nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen), oxygen depletion (low DO). Check local advisories before you swim.
Explore Wall Canyon Reservoir across LakeQuality
3 thermal springs within 15 mi, nearest Bare Ranch Spring
Species activity outlook by water temperature and season
Where to stay at Nevada's top lakes, each with its readings
Nevada's cleanest lakes, ranked on agency measurements
More lakes in Nevada
Other Lakes in Nevada
Hypereutrophic Lakes in Nevada
Where this data comes from
7 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2017–2019. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Nevada Division of Environmental Protection
21NEV1_WQX7 samples · 2017–2019
Analytical methods
- 4500 P E ~ Phosphorus in Water by Colorimetry- Ascorbic Acid Method
- 4500 P E ~ Phosphorus by Ascorbic Acid
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.
Other records on this page
Impairment status from EPA ATTAINS 303(d) database