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Oglala Lakota County, South Dakota · Water Quality Report Card

White Clay Reservoir

Grade Not rated
Limited Data

White Clay Reservoir in Oglala Lakota County, South Dakota is not rated for water quality — its monitoring record does not meet the evidence bar.

Mean depth
~7 ft est.

White Clay Reservoir is a lake in Oglala Lakota County, South Dakota with an estimated average depth of about 7 feet.

Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, SD DANR, last sampled 2024-10-09. Grade methodology: LakeGrade methodology.

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Swimming Safety

F
Bacteria swim-safety grade: F
from E. coli testing · 29 samples, 6 seasons

Based on E. coli testing, White Clay Reservoir routinely exceeded the EPA safe-swimming threshold (235 MPN/100mL) — on 44.8% of 29 samples across 6 seasons.

This is a historical summary of past testing, not a current condition — bacteria levels change quickly, especially after rain. Always check South Dakota’s current beach and health-department advisories before swimming.

Water Quality Grade: Not rated

No clarity data.

MetricValueGrade
Water Clarity (Secchi Depth)No data
PhosphorusNo data
Chlorophyll-a (Algae)No data

Lake Details

CharacteristicValue
Average Depth~7 ft est.

Depth marked “est.” is a modeled estimate from HydroLAKES, not a measured survey. South Dakota has not published bathymetry for White Clay Reservoir.

Where to stay near White Clay Reservoir

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Location

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Nearby Lakes in Oglala Lakota County

More records, surveys & data sources

Lake Size & Watershed

Watershed (drainage) area
218 sq mi
Surface area
37 acres
Mean depth (modeled estimate)
~7 ft est.
Shoreline
1.2 mi
Elevation
3,261 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.

Where this data comes from

18 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2023–2024. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.

Collected and reported by

  • Oglala Sioux Tribe (South Dakota) (Tribal)OGLALAST18 samples · 2023–2024

Analytical methods

  • Turbidity by Nephelometry
Monitoring station identifiers (1)

Grade thresholds come from the U.S. EPA National Lakes Assessment 2022 Technical Support Document (EPA 841-R-24-006, Table 6-3), applied by ecoregion. See how grades are calculated.

Data Sources

Water quality data from the EPA Water Quality Portal

Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)

Grade thresholds from the EPA National Lakes Assessment (EPA 841-R-24-006, Table 6-3), applied by ecoregion

Most recent sample: 2024-10-09

Monitoring stations: 1

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