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LakeQuality

Elbow Lake

Halifax, Nova Scotia10 haView mapDirections

NR
Not rated

No A–F letter for this lake. The letter is scored against EPA reference conditions for a lake’s ecoregion, and those stop at the US border. Here is what has been measured.

Water temp
No reading
No gauge
Clarity
2 m
Secchi · sampled 1983
Level
No reading
No gauge
Trend
No reading
Not enough history
  • 7 ft max depth
  • Limited data

Elbow Lake in Halifax, Nova Scotia has water-quality measurements published by NSECC and no A–F letter. The letter's EPA reference conditions stop at the US border. Water clarity: 2 m visibility. Phosphorus: 3.5 µg/L. Maximum depth: 6.6 ft. Surface area: 24 acres.

Clarity
2 m
Max depth
2 m
Area
10 ha
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Why Elbow Lake has no A–F letter

The LakeQuality letter is scored against EPA National Lakes Assessment reference conditions for a lake’s ecoregion, and those stop at the US border. There is no reference condition for Nova Scotia, so the scale cannot be applied to Elbow Lake at any level of sampling. Sampling here has recorded water clarity and phosphorus, but not algae (chlorophyll-a).

This is not a gap in the monitoring record. NSECC publishes these measurements directly, and everything below that has been measured is reported on this page as NSECC reports it.

Monitoring: Nova Scotia Environment and Climate Change. Read the full grading methodology.

Elbow Lake is a 24-acre lake in Halifax County, Nova Scotia with a maximum depth of 7 feet (4-foot average).

Source: Nova Scotia Environment and Climate Change — not the EPA Water Quality Portal, last sampled 1983-08-09. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.

Swimming Safety

Not rated

Limited data

The letter is not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.

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Water quality measurements for Elbow Lake

These are the measurements NSECC publishes for Elbow Lake. No A–F letter applies here: see why.

Murky, only visible to about 6.6 ft. Phosphorus 3.5 µg/L. TSI 36.

MetricValueGrade
Water Clarity (Secchi Depth)2 mMeasured, not scored
Phosphorus3.5 µg/LMeasured, not scored
Chlorophyll-a (Algae)No recent samples
Trophic State Index (TSI)36Oligotrophic

Low nutrients, clear water. The letter is not a swimming clearance.

Lake Details

CharacteristicValue
Maximum Depth2 m
Average Depth1.1 m
Surface Area10 ha

Fishing Elbow Lake

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Frequently asked questions about Elbow Lake

Where is Elbow Lake?

Elbow Lake is a lake in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Its water-quality measurements are published by NSECC, and it carries no A–F letter, because no reference condition exists for lakes in this region, so the assessment thresholds behind the A–F scale cannot be applied here.

What is the water quality grade for Elbow Lake?

Elbow Lake in Halifax, Nova Scotia has water-quality measurements published by NSECC and no A–F letter. The letter's EPA reference conditions stop at the US border. Water clarity: 2 m visibility. Phosphorus: 3.5 µg/L. Maximum depth: 6.6 ft. Surface area: 24 acres.

Is Elbow Lake safe to swim in?

The letter is not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.

How deep is Elbow Lake?

Elbow Lake has a maximum depth of 6.6 feet and an average depth of 3.6 feet. The lake covers 24 acres.

Oligotrophic Lakes in Nova Scotia

Where this data comes from

5 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 1979–1983. Retrieved from Nova Scotia open data (not the EPA Water Quality Portal) on 2026-08-16.

Collected and reported by

  • Lands and Forests, NSDOELands and Forests, NSDOE2 samples · 1983
  • Lands and ForestsLands and Forests1 sample · 1979
Monitoring station identifiers (1)
  • 94

Canadian lakes are published with the measurements their provincial programme reports, and without a LakeQuality A–F letter. The letter is scored against EPA reference conditions for a lake’s ecoregion, and the EPA does not survey these lakes. See how grades are calculated and data sources.