Buckingham Lake
Albany County, New YorkView mapDirections
Not Rated: one monitoring station are on record, but they measured water clarity only. LakeQuality’s A–F method grades total phosphorus, total nitrogen, chlorophyll-a, and turbidity; clarity is shown, not scored.
- Limited data
Buckingham Lake in Albany County, New York is not rated for water quality — its monitoring record does not meet the evidence bar. Water clarity: 2.5 ft visibility.
- Clarity
- 2.5 ft
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Watch Buckingham Lake’s letter
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Why Buckingham Lake has no grade
Buckingham Lake has monitoring on record from one station, but only water clarity was measured. LakeQuality’s A–F letter uses total phosphorus, total nitrogen, chlorophyll-a, and turbidity against EPA National Lakes Assessment condition classes. With none of those grading measurements on record, Buckingham Lake is Not Rated — not an F. Its 2.5-foot median from 8 readings collected 2020 is still shown as clarity, but clarity alone cannot earn a letter.
Not Rated is EPA Integrated Reporting Category 3 — insufficient information. Everything below that has been measured is still reported on this page.
Sampling is run by NYSDEC and volunteer programs, and published through the EPA Water Quality Portal. Read the full grading methodology.
Buckingham Lake is a lake in Albany County, New York.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, NYSDEC, last sampled 2020-09-26. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.
Swimming Safety
Not ratedLimited data
The letter is not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
Water quality measurements for Buckingham Lake
These readings exist but are not enough for an A–F grade — see why.
Very murky, less than 2.5 ft of visibility. TSI 64.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 2.5 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | No recent samples | |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | No recent samples | |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 64 | Eutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Fishing Buckingham Lake
Regulated Pollution Sources Nearby
38 EPA-permitted facilities operate within about 5 miles of Buckingham Lake under Clean Water Act (NPDES) discharge permits, including 5 classified by the EPA as major dischargers. 14 facilities have a reported Clean Water Act violation in the past three years.
- Albany County Water Purification District - South WwtpAlbany County · 3.3 mi away · NPDES NY0026867MajorRecent violation
- Empire Power PlantRensselaer County · 3.6 mi away · NPDES NY0267546MajorRecent violation
- Albany County Water Purification District - North Wastewater Treatment PlantMenands · 4 mi away · NPDES NY0026875MajorRecent violation
- East Greenbush (T) WwtpEast Greenbush · 4.2 mi away · NPDES NY0026034MajorRecent violation
- Rensselaer County Sd#1 WwtpTroy · 5 mi away · NPDES NY0087971MajorRecent violation
- City Of Albany Combined Sewer OverflowsAlbany, City Of · 2.2 mi away · NPDES NY0025747Recent violation
Facilities permitted to discharge under the Clean Water Act within ~5 miles; proximity does not by itself mean a facility affects this lake. Source: EPA ECHO (ICIS-NPDES), as of 2026-07.
Nearby Lakes in Albany County
Frequently asked questions about Buckingham Lake
Where is Buckingham Lake?
- Buckingham Lake is a lake in Albany County, New York. LakeQuality has not rated this lake (UNRATED) — the only measurement available is water clarity, which is not a water-quality indicator on its own — EPA's National Lakes Assessment does not grade clarity.
What is the water quality grade for Buckingham Lake?
- Buckingham Lake in Albany County, New York is not rated for water quality — its monitoring record does not meet the evidence bar. Water clarity: 2.5 ft visibility.
Is Buckingham Lake safe to swim in?
- The letter is not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
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Where this data comes from
8 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2020. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- North American Lake Management Society
NALMS8 samples · 2020
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
Regulated discharger data from EPA ECHO (ICIS-NPDES)