Yates Center Reservoir
Woodson County, KansasView mapDirections
Clarity, phosphorus, and algae all sit in the cleanest band for this region.
↑ up from B at the last regrade
- Mesotrophic
- Impaired · Nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen)
- #1 of 3 in the county
- 31 ft max depth
- Limited data
Yates Center Reservoir in Woodson County, Kansas has a water quality grade of A (Excellent). Water clarity: 1.6 ft visibility. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 5.6 µg/L.
- Clarity
- 1.6 ft
- Max depth
- ~31 ft est.
- Type
- Mesotrophic
- Chlorophyll-a
- 5.6 µg/L
- Trend
- ↓ Declining
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Watch Yates Center Reservoir’s letter
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Yates Center Reservoir is a mesotrophic lake in Woodson County, Kansas with an estimated average depth of about 31 feet. Water quality is graded A based on 1 sampling years through 2018. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. Compared to the 2 other monitored lakes in Woodson County, Yates Center Reservoir ranks #1 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, KDHE, last sampled 2018-06-05. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.
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 A is nutrients and algae, not a swimming clearance. Yates Center Reservoir is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen). Check local advisories before you swim.
Water Quality Grade: A (Excellent)
Very murky, less than 1.6 ft of visibility. Chlorophyll-a 5.6 µg/L. TSI 59. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 1.6 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | No recent samples | |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 5.6 µg/L | Good |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 59 | Mesotrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | ~31 ft est. |
| Average Depth | ~10 ft est. |
Depth marked “est.” is a modeled maximum from GLOBathy (Khazaei et al. 2022, CC0), not a measured survey. Kansas has not published bathymetry for Yates Center 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 Yates Center Reservoir
Water Quality Trend: ↓ Declining
Based on 2 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chlorophyll-a | ↓ Declining | +9.2 µg/L/yr | 2 |
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Yates Center Reservoir is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Back-Up Water Supply (completed 1936), built primarily for water supply on the South Owl Creek; earth-type dam, 41 ft tall and 1,000 ft long.
- Max storage
- 2,015.6 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 4.48 sq mi
- Hazard class
- High
- Owner
- YATES CENTER, CITY OF
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID KS02535 · Operator website · Matched by proximity (0.49 km)
EPA Impairment Status
Yates Center Reservoir is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2024 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 5).
Causes of impairment
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit KS-LM069201 · Official waterbody report
County Ranking
Ranked #1 of 3 lakes in Woodson County
Nearby Lakes in Woodson County
Frequently asked questions about Yates Center Reservoir
Where is Yates Center Reservoir?
- Yates Center Reservoir is a lake in Woodson County, Kansas. LakeQuality grades it A for nutrients and algae. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
What is the water quality grade for Yates Center Reservoir?
- Yates Center Reservoir in Woodson County, Kansas has a water quality grade of A (Excellent). Water clarity: 1.6 ft visibility. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 5.6 µg/L.
Is Yates Center Reservoir safe to swim in?
- The A is nutrients and algae, not a swimming clearance. Yates Center Reservoir is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen). Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Yates Center Reservoir?
- No published bathymetric survey covers Yates Center Reservoir, so its depth has not been measured. The HydroLAKES global model estimates an average depth of about 31 feet, but that is a modelled estimate derived from surrounding terrain rather than a measurement on the water, so treat it as approximate.
Explore Yates Center Reservoir across LakeQuality
More Kansas Lake Rankings
Other Grade A Lakes in Kansas
Mesotrophic Lakes in Kansas
Where this data comes from
4 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2017–2018. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Kansas Department Of Health And Environment
21KAN001_WQX4 samples · 2017–2018
Analytical methods
- Depth, Secchi disk depth
- 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
Impairment status from EPA ATTAINS 303(d) database
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)