Branch Pond
Bennington County, VermontView mapDirections
Vermont DEC publishes the water-quality measurements for Branch Pond. Here is what has been measured.
- Mesotrophic
- Impaired · pH / acidity
Branch Pond in Bennington County, Vermont has water-quality measurements published by Vermont DEC, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 7.9 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 16.2 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 6.7 µg/L.
Branch Pond is a mesotrophic lake in Bennington County, Vermont. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. Compared to the 7 other monitored lakes in Bennington County, Branch Pond ranks #7 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, VT DEC, last sampled 2024-05-01. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
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Swimming conditions
Readings onlyModerate algae
Based on clarity and algae readings from past sampling — there is no live water temperature and a current cyanobacteria reading for this lake. Check your state or county health department before you swim.
Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Branch Pond is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for pH / acidity. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Branch Pond is safe to swim in today is a call for the Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation and the county health department, who post current advisories. LakeQuality does not issue swimming clearances.
Water quality measurements for Branch Pond
These are the measurements Vermont DEC publishes for Branch Pond, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Moderate clarity, visible to about 7.9 ft. Phosphorus 16.2 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 6.7 µg/L. TSI 47.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 7.9ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 16.2µg/L | Fair GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 6.7µg/L | Measured, not scored The green pigment in algae — a direct measure of how much algae is in the water. |
| Trophic state (TSI)Carlson's 0–100 index of how much algae a lake can support, from clarity, phosphorus and chlorophyll-a. | 47 | Mesotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
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Fishing Branch Pond
Water quality readings over time
3 seasons of samples on record (2020–2023). Calling a direction takes at least 4 years of the same measurement.
Water clarity
Worsening3 years
Phosphorus
Stable-0.34 µg/L/yr3 years
EPA Impairment Status
Branch Pond is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2022 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 4A).
Causes of impairment
Designated uses not supporting: Aquatic life.
A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan has been approved.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit VT01-06L01 · Official waterbody report
Nearby Lakes in Bennington County
Frequently asked questions about Branch Pond
Where is Branch Pond?
- Branch Pond is a lake in Bennington County, Vermont. Its water-quality measurements are published by Vermont DEC and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Branch Pond?
- Branch Pond in Bennington County, Vermont has water-quality measurements published by Vermont DEC, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 7.9 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 16.2 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 6.7 µg/L.
Is Branch Pond safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Branch Pond is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for pH / acidity. Check local advisories before you swim.
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Where this data comes from
79 measurements from 3 monitoring stations, 2020–2024. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Vermont Dept of Environmental Conservation
1VTDECWQ79 samples · 2020–2024
Analytical methods
- 4500 P H ~ Manual Digestion and Flow Injection Analysis for Total Phosphorus
- EPA approved Alternate Test Procedure for 4500 P H. Has a 28 day hold without acid preservation.
- 445.0 ~ EPA; Chlorophyll and Pheophytin in Algae by Fluorescence
- 2130 B ~ Nephelometric Method
- 2120 B ~ Color in Water by Visual Comparison
Monitoring station identifiers (3)
EPA condition classes from the National Lakes Assessment (EPA 841-R-24-006, Table 6-3), applied by ecoregion. See where the data comes from and data sources.
Other records on this page
Impairment status from EPA ATTAINS 303(d) database