Suffolk County Lake Quality

Suffolk County has 6 monitored lakes — a thin enough sample that one or two stressed lakes can move the county average noticeably. Use the per-lake pages below for what actually matters. The 6 monitored lakes in Suffolk County carry whatever clarity, phosphorus, and chlorophyll-a readings Virginia DEQ has published, shown as reported.

Most of the county's monitored lakes are shallow, under 50 feet, which means wind keeps the water column mixed all summer and sediment-bound phosphorus releases back into the surface layer whenever the bottom is disturbed.