Impaired Lakes in Virginia
115 of 160 graded Virginia lakes (72%) are officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the most recent EPA ATTAINS reporting cycle. 37 have an approved TMDL restoration plan.
Top Causes of Impairment in Virginia
Reading the Virginia impairment landscape
72% of Virginia's tracked lakes — 115 of 160 — appear on the EPA Clean Water Act §303(d) impaired-waters list. At that share, impairment is the default state rather than an exception: the majority of lakes are flagged for at least one pollutant exceeding water-quality standards. Trip-planning for clean water in Virginia typically requires checking impairment status as a first filter, not as an edge case.
The leading impairment cause in Virginia is Oxygen depletion (low DO). Each impairment category carries its own use-restriction implications — some affect fish consumption, some affect swimming, some affect aquatic-life habitat. Click through to the specific lake records below for the pollutant list and the TMDL (Total Maximum Daily Load) status, which determines whether a cleanup plan is in place.
Impaired-waters listings come from the state environmental agency's §303(d) submission to EPA, refreshed on a roughly 2-year cycle. A listed lake stays on the list until either a TMDL is established and the cleanup completes, or subsequent monitoring shows the pollutant concentrations no longer exceed water-quality standards. The list below reflects the most recent available Virginia submission to the EPA Assessment, Total Maximum Daily Load Tracking and Implementation System (ATTAINS) dataset.
All 115 EPA-Listed Impaired Lakes in Virginia
| Lake | County | Grade | Causes | TMDL |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mouth of Witcher Cr. Lake | Bedford | A | PCBs | ✓ |
| Lower Blackwater River Lake | Franklin | A | PCBs | ✓ |
| Dam Lake | Franklin | A | Mercury, Oxygen depletion (low DO), Temperature | — |
| Dam Lake | Pittsylvania | A | PCBs | ✓ |
| Sta B Lake | Mecklenburg | A | Mercury, Oxygen depletion (low DO), PCBs | — |
| Union Bridge Lake | Patrick | A | Mercury, Oxygen depletion (low DO), Temperature | — |
| Goose Point Lake | Franklin | A | Mercury, Oxygen depletion (low DO), Temperature | — |
| Mouth Craddock Cr. Lake | Bedford | A | PCBs | ✓ |
| Cool Branch Lake | Franklin | A | PCBs | ✓ |
| Laurel Bed Lake | Russell | A | Temperature | — |
| Confl. Blackwater River Lake | Bedford | A | PCBs | ✓ |
| Mouth of Bull Run Lake | Franklin | A | PCBs | ✓ |
| Lee Hall Reservoir | Newport News city | A | Mercury, Metals (other than mercury), Oxygen depletion (low DO) +1 more | — |
| Motts Run Reservoir | Spotsylvania | A | Mercury | — |
| Lake Keokee Station | Lee | A | Mercury, Temperature | — |
| Leesville Lakea-Topb-Middlec-Bot | Pittsylvania | A | Oxygen depletion (low DO) | — |
| Sta Big Cherry Reservoir East of Big Stone | Wise | A | Mercury | — |
| Martinsville Reservoir Station | Henry | A | Pathogens (E. coli, fecal) | ✓ |
| Talbott Reservoir | Patrick | A | Mercury, Oxygen depletion (low DO), Temperature | — |
| Silver Lake | Rockingham | A | Pathogens (E. coli, fecal) | — |
| Goose Creek Reservoir | Loudoun | A | Pathogens (E. coli, fecal), PCBs | ✓ |
| Little Creek Reserv Sta Lake | James City | A | Oxygen depletion (low DO) | ✓ |
| Pedlar River Reservoir | Amherst | A | Temperature | — |
| Beaverdam Creek Reservoir | Loudoun | A | Pathogens (E. coli, fecal) | ✓ |
| Near Spillway Lake Mooney | Stafford | A | Mercury | — |
| Hungry Mother Lake Sta | Smyth | A | Mercury | — |
| Coles Run Reservoir Sta #A | Augusta | A | pH / acidity | — |
| Lake Witten | Tazewell | A | Mercury, Oxygen depletion (low DO) | — |
| Horseshoe Point Lake | Patrick | A | Mercury, Oxygen depletion (low DO), Temperature | — |
| John Flannagan Reservoir | Dickenson | A | Mercury, Oxygen depletion (low DO) | — |
| Chickahominy Lake Sta Upper Lake New | Charles City | B | Mercury, Oxygen depletion (low DO) | — |
| Diascund Reservoir Off Dam | New Kent | B | Mercury | — |
| Hardy Ford Lake | Franklin | C | Mercury, Pathogens (E. coli, fecal), PCBs | ✓ |
| Lake Drummond Sta Mid | Chesapeake city | C | Mercury, pH / acidity | — |
| Mcveigh Ford Lake | Franklin | C | Mercury, Pathogens (E. coli, fecal), PCBs | ✓ |
| Sta Mouth of Interior Ditch Lake | Chesapeake city | C | Mercury, pH / acidity | — |
| Lake Gaston | Mecklenburg | C | Mercury, PCBs | — |
| Near Dam Lake | Albemarle | C | Oxygen depletion (low DO) | — |
| Middle Blackwater River Lake | Franklin | C | PCBs | ✓ |
| Sta Mouth of Riddick Ditch Lake | Chesapeake city | C | Mercury, pH / acidity | — |
| Station Lake | Suffolk city | C | Oxygen depletion (low DO) | — |
| Station Lake | Pittsylvania | C | Oxygen depletion (low DO) | — |
| Station Lake | York | C | Metals (other than mercury), Oxygen depletion (low DO) | — |
| Lake Drummond Sta Mouth of Feeder Dit | Chesapeake city | C | Mercury, pH / acidity | — |
| Dam Lake | Pulaski | C | Pathogens (E. coli, fecal) | ✓ |
| Lake Drummond Sta Mouth of Portsmouth | Chesapeake city | C | Mercury, pH / acidity | — |
| Hales Ford Lake | Franklin | C | Mercury, PCBs | ✓ |
| Confl. Beaverdam Cr. Lake | Bedford | C | Mercury, PCBs | ✓ |
| Peak Creek Lake | Pulaski | C | PCBs | ✓ |
| Lake Drummond Sta Mouth of Jericho | Chesapeake city | C | Mercury, pH / acidity | — |
| State Park Lake | Pulaski | C | Oxygen depletion (low DO), PCBs | ✓ |
| Lake Laura | Shenandoah | C | Oxygen depletion (low DO) | — |
| Mouth Peak Cr. Lake | Pulaski | C | Oxygen depletion (low DO), PCBs | ✓ |
| Confl. Indian Cr. Lake | Franklin | C | Mercury, PCBs | ✓ |
| Gills Creek Lake | Franklin | C | Pathogens (E. coli, fecal), PCBs | ✓ |
| Chickahominy Lake | Charles City | C | Mercury, Oxygen depletion (low DO) | — |
| Sta Kr Lake | Mecklenburg | C | Mercury, PCBs | — |
| Speights Run-Sta-Midlake | Suffolk city | C | Algal growth, Oxygen depletion (low DO) | — |
| Dublin Water Works Lake | Pulaski | C | Oxygen depletion (low DO), PCBs | ✓ |
| Leesville Lakea-Rmp Bedford | Bedford | C | Oxygen depletion (low DO) | — |
| Briery Creek Lake Sta | Prince Edward | C | Mercury | — |
| Briery Creek Lake Upper End of Lake Prin | Prince Edward | C | Mercury | — |
| Goodwin Lake-Near Dam-Prince Edward | Prince Edward | C | Algal growth, Oxygen depletion (low DO) | — |
| Fairy Stone Lake Station | Patrick | C | Mercury, Oxygen depletion (low DO), Temperature | — |
| Townes Reservoir | Patrick | C | Pathogens (E. coli, fecal), pH / acidity | ✓ |
| South Holston Lake | Washington | C | Mercury, Oxygen depletion (low DO), PCBs | — |
| Curtis Lake | Stafford | C | pH / acidity | — |
| Burke Lake | Fairfax | C | Oxygen depletion (low DO) | — |
| Near the Dam Lake | Amelia | C | Algal growth | — |
| Prince Edward Lake-Near Dam | Prince Edward | C | Algal growth, Oxygen depletion (low DO) | — |
| Lowmans Ferry Rd Br. Lake | Pulaski | C | Pathogens (E. coli, fecal), PCBs | ✓ |
| Northeast Arm of Mill Creek Lake | Amherst | C | pH / acidity | — |
| Lake Anna | Spotsylvania | D | Algal growth, PCBs | ✓ |
| Mill Cr Reservoir | Amherst | D | pH / acidity | — |
| Lake Nelson | Nelson | D | pH / acidity | — |
| Chickahominy Reservoir | Charles City | D | Mercury, Oxygen depletion (low DO) | — |
| Upper Blackwater River Lake | Franklin | D | Mercury, Pathogens (E. coli, fecal), PCBs | ✓ |
| Brunswick County Lake | Brunswick | D | Algal growth, Oxygen depletion (low DO) | — |
| At Dam Lake Albemarle | Albemarle | D | Algal growth | — |
| Mountain Run Lake | Culpeper | D | Pathogens (E. coli, fecal) | ✓ |
| Banister Lakesta | Halifax | D | Mercury, Oxygen depletion (low DO) | — |
| Fluvanna Ruritan Lake | Fluvanna | D | Algal growth, Oxygen depletion (low DO) | — |
| Upstream of Ivy Creek Lake | Albemarle | D | Oxygen depletion (low DO) | — |
| Lake Orange | Orange | D | pH / acidity | — |
| Powhatan Lake | Powhatan | D | Algal growth, Oxygen depletion (low DO) | — |
| Nottoway Lake | Nottoway | D | Oxygen depletion (low DO) | — |
| Mill Creek Reservoir | Amherst | D | pH / acidity | — |
| North Arm of Mill Creek Lake | Amherst | D | pH / acidity | — |
| Cohoke Millpond | King William | D | Oxygen depletion (low DO) | ✓ |
| Near Dam Lake | Cumberland | F | Oxygen depletion (low DO) | — |
| Station Lake | Virginia Beach city | F | Algal growth, Nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen) | — |
| Swift Creek Lake Sta | Chesterfield | F | Oxygen depletion (low DO) | — |
| Sta Lake | Virginia Beach city | F | Algal growth, Nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen), PCBs | — |
| Upper Branch of Terry'S Run Lake | Spotsylvania | F | Algal growth, PCBs | ✓ |
| Near Dam Lake | Colonial Heights city | NR | Pathogens (E. coli, fecal) | ✓ |
| Rt. Lake | Louisa | NR | PCBs | — |
| Emporia Lake | Emporia city | NR | Mercury | — |
| Slate River Dam Scs Impoundment Lake | Buckingham | NR | Oxygen depletion (low DO) | — |
| Falling Creek Lake | Chesterfield | NR | Algal growth | — |
| Lake Whitehurst | Norfolk city | NR | Noxious aquatic plants, PCBs | ✓ |
| Smith Mountain Lake | Franklin | NR | PCBs | ✓ |
| Contrary Creek Arm of Lake Anna | Louisa | NR | Metals (other than mercury), pH / acidity, PCBs | — |
| Near Boat Ramp Lake | Stafford | NR | pH / acidity | — |
| Fisherman'S Cover Lake | Spotsylvania | NR | PCBs | — |
| Northeast Reservoir | Louisa | NR | Oxygen depletion (low DO) | — |
| Cocktail Cove Lake | Louisa | NR | PCBs | — |
| Cove Lake | Franklin | NR | PCBs | ✓ |
| Hab Sample Off Buck Run Point Lake | Franklin | NR | PCBs | ✓ |
| Woodstock Pond North York R. State Park | James City | NR | Algal growth | — |
| Woodstock Pond South York R. State Park | James City | NR | Algal growth | — |
| Reedy Cr Lake | Brunswick | NR | Algal growth, Oxygen depletion (low DO) | — |
| Swift Creek Lake | Colonial Heights city | NR | Noxious aquatic plants, Pathogens (E. coli, fecal) | ✓ |
| Woodstock Pond Stream York R. State Park | James City | NR | Algal growth | — |
| Silver Lake | Rockingham | NR | Pathogens (E. coli, fecal) | — |
| North Anna River Lake | Spotsylvania | NR | Algal growth, PCBs | ✓ |
Frequently Asked Questions
How many lakes are impaired in Virginia?
115 of 160 graded Virginia lakes (72%) are listed as impaired in the most recent EPA ATTAINS reporting cycle. Of those, 90 are on the federal Clean Water Act §303(d) list and 37 have an approved Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) restoration plan.
What does Clean Water Act §303(d) mean?
Section 303(d) of the federal Clean Water Act requires every state to identify waters that don't meet water quality standards even after pollution control measures. Each listed water must then have a Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) developed — a plan that caps how much of each pollutant can enter the waterbody. The "303(d) list" is the impaired-waters list. The EPA reviews each state's list every two years.
What are the top causes of impairment in Virginia?
The most common causes flagged across Virginia's impaired lakes are: Oxygen depletion (low DO) (41 lakes); PCBs (38 lakes); Mercury (38 lakes); Algal growth (18 lakes); pH / acidity (17 lakes); Pathogens (E. coli, fecal) (15 lakes). Mercury is widespread in fish tissue across the upper Midwest from atmospheric deposition. Nutrient impairment (phosphorus, nitrogen) typically reflects agricultural runoff and urban stormwater.
Can I swim in an impaired lake?
It depends on the cause of impairment. A lake impaired for "mercury in fish tissue" is generally safe to swim in — the warning is about long-term consumption of fish. A lake impaired for "pathogens" (E. coli) or "algal growth" may pose a swimming risk and often has a separate beach advisory. Check the cause categories listed for each lake below, and consult your state health department's beach monitoring program for current advisories.
Where does this impairment data come from?
Every impairment record on this page comes from the EPA's ATTAINS (Assessment and TMDL Tracking and Implementation System) public dataset, the federal repository of state-reported water quality assessments. EPA ATTAINS is published as GeoParquet files on the EPA Office of Water S3 bucket and refreshed several times per year. Causes and use-support codes follow EPA's standard taxonomy.
More on impaired waters
What it means when a lake is listed as impaired, why mercury is the most common reason, and why a listed lake can still be clear water with a good grade.
Why states issue fish-consumption advisories, which contaminants — mercury, PCBs, PFAS — drive them, and how to eat the fish you catch more safely.
How phosphorus and nutrient runoff drive algae growth and turn lakes green, where the nutrients come from, and what it means for a lake's grade.
Which lakes are actually improving: multi-year EPA monitoring trends, the named recoveries still in progress, and what it takes to move a letter grade.
Data source
Impairment data from the EPA ATTAINS (Assessment and TMDL Tracking and Implementation System) public dataset. Assessment unit IDs are matched to LakeQuality lakes by name and proximity; some lakes may not appear here if their ATTAINS name doesn't match our naming convention. For an official query, consult .