Wardell Reservoir -D
Big Horn County, Wyoming141 acresView mapDirections
Wyoming DEQ publishes the water-quality measurements for Wardell Reservoir -D. Here is what has been measured.
- 14 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
Wardell Reservoir -D in Big Horn County, Wyoming has water-quality measurements published by Wyoming DEQ, shown here as reported. Phosphorus: 50 µg/L. Surface area: 141 acres.
Wardell Reservoir -D is a 141-acre lake in Big Horn County, Wyoming with an estimated average depth of about 14 feet. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Wyoming DEQ, last sampled 2015-09-28. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
Swimming conditions
No readingLimited data
Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Wardell Reservoir -D is safe to swim in today is a call for the Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality and the county health department, who post current advisories. LakeQuality does not issue swimming clearances.
Water quality measurements for Wardell Reservoir -D
These are the measurements Wyoming DEQ publishes for Wardell Reservoir -D, 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 50 µg/L. TSI 61.
| 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 | 50µg/L | Measured, not scored The nutrient that most limits algae growth in freshwater. More phosphorus, more algae potential. |
| 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. | 61 | Eutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Ask about Wardell Reservoir -D
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Lake Details
Max depth
~14 ft est.
Surface area
141 acres
Public access
Yes
Listed by Wyoming DEQ
Depth marked “est.” is a modeled maximum from GLOBathy (Khazaei et al. 2022, CC0), not a measured survey. Wyoming has not published bathymetry for Wardell Reservoir -D.
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
3 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Shoreline
1.9 mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
4,255 ft
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.
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Fishing Wardell Reservoir -D
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Wardell Reservoir -D is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Fairview Extension (completed 1972), built primarily for irrigation on the Wardell Draw; earth-type dam, 37 ft tall and 2,250 ft long.
- Surface area
- 141 ac
- Normal storage
- 1,411 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 2,198 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 4.3 sq mi
- Hazard class
- Significant
- Owner
- FAIRVIEW EXTENSION RES. CO. (MAC WARDELL)
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID WY01162 · Operator website · Matched by proximity (0.15 km)
Nearby Lakes in Big Horn County
Frequently asked questions about Wardell Reservoir -D
Where is Wardell Reservoir -D?
- Wardell Reservoir -D is a lake in Big Horn County, Wyoming. Its water-quality measurements are published by Wyoming DEQ and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Wardell Reservoir -D?
- Wardell Reservoir -D in Big Horn County, Wyoming has water-quality measurements published by Wyoming DEQ, shown here as reported. Phosphorus: 50 µg/L. Surface area: 141 acres.
Is Wardell Reservoir -D safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Wardell Reservoir -D?
- No published bathymetric survey covers Wardell Reservoir -D, so its depth has not been measured. The HydroLAKES global model estimates an average depth of about 14 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 141 acres.
Can I fish at Wardell Reservoir -D?
- Public access to Wardell Reservoir -D is listed as yes on the lake record. Seasons, size and bag limits, and whether you need a license are set by Wyoming's fish and wildlife agency, so check its current regulations before you go.
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Where this data comes from
4 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2015. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- State of Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality Watershed Program
WYDEQ_WATERSHED4 samples · 2015
Analytical methods
- Total Phosphorus After Block Digestion
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
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)