Chittenden Reservoir
Rutland County, Vermont693 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 · Hydrologic alteration
- 52 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
Chittenden Reservoir in Rutland County, Vermont is not rated for water quality — its monitoring record does not meet the evidence bar. Water clarity: 15.7 ft visibility. Surface area: 693 acres.
- Clarity
- 15.7 ft
- Max depth
- ~52 ft est.
- Area
- 693 acres
- Public access
- Yes
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Watch Chittenden Reservoir’s letter
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Why Chittenden Reservoir has no grade
Chittenden Reservoir 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, Chittenden Reservoir is Not Rated — not an F. Its 15.7-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 VT DEC and volunteer programs, and published through the EPA Water Quality Portal. Read the full grading methodology.
Chittenden Reservoir is a 693-acre lake in Rutland County, Vermont with an estimated average depth of about 52 feet. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, VT DEC, last sampled 2020-08-18. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.
What Chittenden Reservoir is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Clear water15.7 ft of visibility
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
Swimming Safety
Not ratedLimited data
The letter is not a swimming clearance. Chittenden Reservoir is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for hydrologic alteration, mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.
Water quality measurements for Chittenden Reservoir
These readings exist but are not enough for an A–F grade — see why.
Crystal clear, you can see 15.7 ft down. TSI 37.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 15.7 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | No recent samples | |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | No recent samples | |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 37 | Oligotrophic |
Low nutrients, clear water. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | ~52 ft est. |
| Average Depth | ~35 ft est. |
| Surface Area | 693 acres |
| Public Access | Yes |
Depth marked “est.” is a modeled maximum from GLOBathy (Khazaei et al. 2022, CC0), not a measured survey. Vermont has not published bathymetry for Chittenden Reservoir.
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.
Recreation & Access
- Chittenden ReservoirPublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Fishing Chittenden Reservoir
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Chittenden Reservoir is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Chittenden Reservoir (completed 1901), built primarily for hydroelectric on the East Creek; earth-type dam, 68 ft tall and 967 ft long.
- Surface area
- 693 ac
- Normal storage
- 0 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 22,090 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 15.91 sq mi
- Hazard class
- High
- Owner
- GREEN MOUNTAIN POWER CORP
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID VT00178 · Operator website
EPA Impairment Status
Chittenden Reservoir 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 VT03-14L03 · Official waterbody report
Graded lakes near Chittenden Reservoir
Chittenden Reservoir has no grade, but these lakes within a short drive do.
Nearby Lakes in Rutland County
Frequently asked questions about Chittenden Reservoir
Where is Chittenden Reservoir?
- Chittenden Reservoir is a lake in Rutland County, Vermont. 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 Chittenden Reservoir?
- Chittenden Reservoir in Rutland County, Vermont is not rated for water quality — its monitoring record does not meet the evidence bar. Water clarity: 15.7 ft visibility. Surface area: 693 acres.
Is Chittenden Reservoir safe to swim in?
- The letter is not a swimming clearance. Chittenden Reservoir is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for hydrologic alteration, mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Chittenden Reservoir?
- No published bathymetric survey covers Chittenden Reservoir, so its depth has not been measured. The HydroLAKES global model estimates an average depth of about 52 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 693 acres.
Are there boat ramps on Chittenden Reservoir?
- Chittenden Reservoir has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Chittenden Reservoir. Public access is listed as yes.
Explore Chittenden Reservoir across LakeQuality
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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
- Vermont Dept of Environmental Conservation
1VTDECWQ6 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
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory