Briery Creek Lake Upper End of Lake Prin
Prince Edward County, VirginiaView mapDirections
Nutrients and algae sit mid-range for this region.
↓ down from B at the last regrade
- Eutrophic
- Impaired · Mercury
- #3 of 6 in the county
- Public access
Briery Creek Lake Upper End of Lake Prin in Prince Edward County, Virginia has a water quality grade of C (Fair). Water clarity: 3.9 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 20 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 12.1 µg/L.
- Clarity
- 3.9 ft
- Type
- Eutrophic
- Phosphorus
- 20 µg/L
- Chlorophyll-a
- 12.1 µg/L
- Trend
- ↓ Declining
- Public access
- Yes
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Briery Creek Lake Upper End of Lake Prin is a productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Prince Edward County, Virginia. Water quality is graded C based on 2 sampling years through 2026. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing. Compared to the 5 other monitored lakes in Prince Edward County, Briery Creek Lake Upper End of Lake Prin ranks #3 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Virginia DEQ, last sampled 2026-06-29. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.
What Briery Creek Lake Upper End of Lake Prin is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
Swimming Safety
Grade onlyModerate
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 C is nutrients and algae, not a swimming clearance. Briery Creek Lake Upper End of Lake Prin is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.
Water Quality Grade: C (Fair)
Murky, only visible to about 3.9 ft. Phosphorus 20 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 12.1 µg/L. TSI 53. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 3.9 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | 20 µg/L | Fair |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 12.1 µg/L | Fair |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 53 | Eutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Recreation & Access
- Briery Creek- 701 LandingPublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Fishing Briery Creek Lake Upper End of Lake Prin
Water Quality Trend: ↓ Declining
Based on 7 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | → Stable | -0.016 m/yr | 7 |
| Phosphorus | → Stable | -0.14 µg/L/yr | 6 |
| Chlorophyll-a | ↓ Declining | +0.47 µg/L/yr | 6 |
EPA Impairment Status
Briery Creek Lake Upper End of Lake Prin is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2022 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 5).
Causes of impairment
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit VAP-J05L_BRI01L98 · Official waterbody report · Matched by proximity (0.43 km)
County Ranking
Ranked #3 of 6 lakes in Prince Edward County
Nearby Lakes in Prince Edward County
Frequently asked questions about Briery Creek Lake Upper End of Lake Prin
Where is Briery Creek Lake Upper End of Lake Prin?
- Briery Creek Lake Upper End of Lake Prin is a lake in Prince Edward County, Virginia. LakeQuality grades it C for nutrients and algae. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
What is the water quality grade for Briery Creek Lake Upper End of Lake Prin?
- Briery Creek Lake Upper End of Lake Prin in Prince Edward County, Virginia has a water quality grade of C (Fair). Water clarity: 3.9 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 20 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 12.1 µg/L.
Is Briery Creek Lake Upper End of Lake Prin safe to swim in?
- The C is nutrients and algae, not a swimming clearance. Briery Creek Lake Upper End of Lake Prin is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.
Are there boat ramps on Briery Creek Lake Upper End of Lake Prin?
- Briery Creek Lake Upper End of Lake Prin has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Briery Creek- 701 Landing. Public access is listed as yes.
Explore Briery Creek Lake Upper End of Lake Prin across LakeQuality
More Virginia Lake Rankings
Other Grade C Lakes in Virginia
Eutrophic Lakes in Virginia
Where this data comes from
169 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2013–2026. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- VIRGINIA DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY
21VASWCB169 samples · 2013–2026
Analytical methods
- Tyler, John. 1968. The secchi disk, Limnology and Oceanograpy, 13(1):1-6.
- Total Phosphorus After Block Digestion
- 445.0 ~ EPA; Chlorophyll and Pheophytin in Algae by Fluorescence
- 446.0 ~ EPA; Chlorophylls and Pheopigments in Phytoplankton by Spectrophotometry
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
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory