China Pond
Putnam County, New York45 acresView 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.
- Impaired · Mercury
- 53 ft max depth
- Limited data
China Pond in Putnam County, New York is not rated for water quality — its monitoring record does not meet the evidence bar. Water clarity: 15.2 ft visibility. Surface area: 45 acres.
- Clarity
- 15.2 ft
- Max depth
- ~53 ft est.
- Area
- 45 acres
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Watch China Pond’s letter
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Why China Pond has no grade
China Pond 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, China Pond is Not Rated — not an F. Its 15.2-foot median from 6 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.
China Pond is a 45-acre lake in Putnam County, New York with an estimated average depth of about 53 feet.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, NYSDEC, last sampled 2020-09-26. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.
What China Pond is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Clear water15.2 ft of visibility
Swimming Safety
Not ratedLimited data
The letter is not a swimming clearance. China Pond is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for mercury, nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen). Check local advisories before you swim.
Water quality measurements for China Pond
These readings exist but are not enough for an A–F grade — see why.
Crystal clear, you can see 15.2 ft down. TSI 38.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 15.2 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | No recent samples | |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | No recent samples | |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 38 | Oligotrophic |
Low nutrients, clear water. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | ~53 ft est. |
| Average Depth | ~20 ft est. |
| Surface Area | 45 acres |
Depth marked “est.” is a modeled maximum from GLOBathy (Khazaei et al. 2022, CC0), not a measured survey. New York has not published bathymetry for China Pond.
Lake Size & Watershed
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 China Pond
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
China Pond is a man-made reservoir impounded by the China Pond Dam (completed 1927), built primarily for recreation on the TR-W BRANCH CROTON RIVER; concrete-type dam, 13 ft tall and 5 ft long.
- Surface area
- 45 ac
- Normal storage
- 150 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 195 ac-ft
- Hazard class
- Low
- Owner
- LAWRENCE PIAZZA
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID NY01069 · Operator website
EPA Impairment Status
China Pond is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2022 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 4A).
Causes of impairment
A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan has been approved.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit NY1302-0045 · Official waterbody report · Matched by proximity (2.04 km)
Regulated Pollution Sources Nearby
1 EPA-permitted facility operate within about 5 miles of China Pond under Clean Water Act (NPDES) discharge permits.
- Clear Pool CampCarmel · 1.1 mi away · NPDES NY0098621
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 Putnam County
Frequently asked questions about China Pond
Where is China Pond?
- China Pond is a lake in Putnam 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 China Pond?
- China Pond in Putnam County, New York is not rated for water quality — its monitoring record does not meet the evidence bar. Water clarity: 15.2 ft visibility. Surface area: 45 acres.
Is China Pond safe to swim in?
- The letter is not a swimming clearance. China Pond is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for mercury, nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen). Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is China Pond?
- No published bathymetric survey covers China Pond, so its depth has not been measured. The HydroLAKES global model estimates an average depth of about 53 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 45 acres.
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Where this data comes from
6 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
NALMS6 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
Impairment status from EPA ATTAINS 303(d) database
Regulated discharger data from EPA ECHO (ICIS-NPDES)
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)