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LakeQuality

Brandy Branch Reservoir

Harrison County, Texas1,242 acresView mapDirections

A
Excellent

Clarity, phosphorus, and algae all sit in the cleanest band for this region.

↑ up from B at the last regrade

Water temp
No reading
No gauge
Clarity
12 ft
Secchi · sampled 2024
Max depth
~50 ft est.
GLOBathy model
Level
No reading
No gauge
Trend
Stable
5 years of samples
  • Mesotrophic
  • #1 of 1 in the county
  • 50 ft max depth
  • Limited data

Brandy Branch Reservoir in Harrison County, Texas has a water quality grade of A (Excellent). Water clarity: 12 ft visibility. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 3.1 µg/L. Surface area: 1242 acres.

Clarity
12 ft
Max depth
~50 ft est.
Area
1,242 acres
Type
Mesotrophic
Chlorophyll-a
3.1 µg/L
Trend
Stable
Loading map…

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Brandy Branch Reservoir is a 1,242-acre mesotrophic lake in Harrison County, Texas with an estimated average depth of about 50 feet. Water quality is graded A based on 1 sampling years through 2024. Water clarity is improving over recent sampling years.

Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, TCEQ, last sampled 2024-09-18. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.

What Brandy Branch Reservoir is good for

From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.

  • Clear water12 ft of visibility
  • Big water1,242 acres

Swimming Safety

Grade only

Limited 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. Check local advisories before you swim.

Get alerts for Brandy Branch Reservoir

Water Quality Grade: A (Excellent)

Good clarity, visible to about 12 ft. Chlorophyll-a 3.1 µg/L. TSI 42. The letter is not a swimming clearance.

MetricValueGrade
Water Clarity (Secchi Depth)12 ftNot graded
PhosphorusNo recent samples
Chlorophyll-a (Algae)3.1 µg/LGood
Trophic State Index (TSI)42Mesotrophic

Moderate nutrients, good water quality

Lake Details

CharacteristicValue
Maximum Depth~50 ft est.
Average Depth~36 ft est.
Surface Area1,242 acres

Depth marked “est.” is a modeled maximum from GLOBathy (Khazaei et al. 2022, CC0), not a measured survey. Texas has not published bathymetry for Brandy Branch Reservoir.

Lake Size & Watershed

Watershed (drainage) area
4 sq mi
Shoreline
10.1 mi
Elevation
344 ft

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 Brandy Branch Reservoir

Based on 5 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).

MetricTrendChange/YearYears
Water Clarity Improving+0.15 m/yr5
Chlorophyll-a Declining+0.44 µg/L/yr5
See year-by-year chart →

Reservoir Info (USACE NID)

Brandy Branch Reservoir is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Brandy Branch Cooling Pond Dam (completed 1983), built primarily for other on the Brandy Branch; earth-type dam, 80 ft tall and 3,200 ft long.

Surface area
1,242 ac
Normal storage
29,513 ac-ft
Max storage
38,672 ac-ft
Drainage area
4.1 sq mi
Hazard class
Significant
Owner
AEP UTILITIES WEST

Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID TX04833 · Operator website · Matched by proximity (0.44 km)

County Ranking

Ranked #1 of 1 lakes in Harrison County

Nearby Lakes in Harrison County

Frequently asked questions about Brandy Branch Reservoir

Where is Brandy Branch Reservoir?

Brandy Branch Reservoir is a lake in Harrison County, Texas. LakeQuality grades it A for nutrients and algae. The letter is not a swimming clearance.

What is the water quality grade for Brandy Branch Reservoir?

Brandy Branch Reservoir in Harrison County, Texas has a water quality grade of A (Excellent). Water clarity: 12 ft visibility. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 3.1 µg/L. Surface area: 1242 acres.

Is Brandy Branch Reservoir safe to swim in?

The A is nutrients and algae, not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.

How deep is Brandy Branch Reservoir?

No published bathymetric survey covers Brandy Branch Reservoir, so its depth has not been measured. The HydroLAKES global model estimates an average depth of about 50 feet, but that is a modelled estimate derived from surrounding terrain rather than a measurement on the water, so treat it as approximate. The lake covers 1242 acres.

Where this data comes from

38 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2020–2024. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.

Collected and reported by

  • Texas Commission on Environmental QualityTCEQMAIN38 samples · 2020–2024
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)