Whitney Reservoir
Summit County, UtahView mapDirections
Nutrients and algae run above the regional average.
↓ down from A at the last regrade
- Eutrophic
- #16 of 18 in the county
- 18 ft max depth
- Limited data
Whitney Reservoir in Summit County, Utah has a water quality grade of D (Nutrient-rich). Water clarity: 17.7 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 23 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 8 µg/L.
- Clarity
- 17.7 ft
- Max depth
- ~18 ft est.
- Type
- Eutrophic
- Phosphorus
- 23 µg/L
- Chlorophyll-a
- 8 µg/L
- Trend
- ↓ Declining
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Stays near Whitney Reservoir
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Whitney Reservoir in Summit County, Utah — 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 grade measures nutrients and algae, not lodging — cabins and rentals around Whitney Reservoir are listed below.
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Watch Whitney Reservoir’s letter
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Whitney Reservoir is a productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Summit County, Utah with an estimated average depth of about 18 feet. Water quality is graded D based on 2 sampling years through 2021. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. Compared to the 17 other monitored lakes in Summit County, Whitney Reservoir ranks #16 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Utah DWQ, last sampled 2021-09-08. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.
What Whitney Reservoir is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Clear water17.7 ft of visibility
Swimming Safety
Grade onlyLimited data
Based on clarity and algae grades from past sampling — we do not hold live water temperature and a current cyanobacteria reading for this lake. Check your state or county health department before you swim.
The D is nutrients and algae, not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
Water Quality Grade: D (Nutrient-rich)
Crystal clear, you can see 17.7 ft down. Phosphorus 23 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 8 µg/L. TSI 45. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 17.7 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | 23 µg/L | Good |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 8 µg/L | Poor |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 45 | Eutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | ~18 ft est. |
| Average Depth | ~15 ft est. |
Depth marked “est.” is a modeled maximum from GLOBathy (Khazaei et al. 2022, CC0), not a measured survey. Utah has not published bathymetry for Whitney Reservoir.
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.
Fishing Whitney Reservoir
Water Quality Trend: ↓ Declining
Based on 2 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | ↓ Declining | -0.258 m/yr | 2 |
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Whitney Reservoir is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Whitney (completed 1966), built primarily for irrigation on the West Fork of Bear River; earth-type dam, 101 ft tall and 1,300 ft long.
- Normal storage
- 4,700 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 5,820 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 7 sq mi
- Hazard class
- High
- Owner
- UPPER BEAR RIVER & MILL CREEK WATER
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID UT00324 · Operator website
County Ranking
Ranked #16 of 18 lakes in Summit County
Nearby Lakes in Summit County
Frequently asked questions about Whitney Reservoir
Where is Whitney Reservoir?
- Whitney Reservoir is a lake in Summit County, Utah. LakeQuality grades it D for nutrients and algae. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
What is the water quality grade for Whitney Reservoir?
- Whitney Reservoir in Summit County, Utah has a water quality grade of D (Nutrient-rich). Water clarity: 17.7 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 23 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 8 µg/L.
Is Whitney Reservoir safe to swim in?
- The D is nutrients and algae, not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Whitney Reservoir?
- No published bathymetric survey covers Whitney Reservoir, so its depth has not been measured. The HydroLAKES global model estimates an average depth of about 18 feet, but that is a modelled estimate derived from surrounding terrain rather than a measurement on the water, so treat it as approximate.
Explore Whitney Reservoir across LakeQuality
More Utah Lake Rankings
Other Grade D Lakes in Utah
Eutrophic Lakes in Utah
Where this data comes from
36 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2015–2021. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Utah Department Of Environmental Quality
UTAHDWQ_WQX36 samples · 2015–2021
Analytical methods
- Field Measurements
- Phosphorus by Colorimetry
- 10200 H ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination
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
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)