Fairfield Pond
Franklin County, VermontView mapDirections
Clarity, phosphorus, and algae all sit in the cleanest band for this region.
- Mesotrophic
- Impaired · Algal growth
- #1 of 5 in the county
- 51 ft max depth
Fairfield Pond in Franklin County, Vermont has a water quality grade of A (Excellent). Water clarity: 19.7 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 15.9 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 2.2 µg/L.
- Clarity
- 19.7 ft
- Max depth
- ~51 ft est.
- Type
- Mesotrophic
- Phosphorus
- 15.9 µg/L
- Chlorophyll-a
- 2.2 µg/L
- Trend
- ↑ Improving
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Watch Fairfield Pond’s letter
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Fairfield Pond is a mesotrophic lake in Franklin County, Vermont with an estimated average depth of about 51 feet. Water quality is graded A based on 2 sampling years through 2025. Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. Compared to the 4 other monitored lakes in Franklin County, Fairfield Pond ranks #1 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, VT DEC, last sampled 2025-08-10. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.
What Fairfield Pond is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Clear water19.7 ft of visibility
Swimming Safety
Grade onlyLow algae
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 A is nutrients and algae, not a swimming clearance. Fairfield Pond is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4C) for algal growth, nuisance exotic species. Check local advisories before you swim.
Water Quality Grade: A (Excellent)
Crystal clear, you can see 19.7 ft down. Phosphorus 15.9 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 2.2 µg/L. TSI 39. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 19.7 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | 15.9 µg/L | Good |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 2.2 µg/L | Good |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 39 | Mesotrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | ~51 ft est. |
| Average Depth | ~23 ft est. |
Depth marked “est.” is a modeled maximum from GLOBathy (Khazaei et al. 2022, CC0), not a measured survey. Vermont has not published bathymetry for Fairfield 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 Fairfield Pond
Water Quality Trend: ↑ Improving
Based on 5 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | ↓ Declining | -0.485 m/yr | 5 |
| Phosphorus | ↑ Improving | -1.01 µg/L/yr | 5 |
| Chlorophyll-a | ↑ Improving | -1.55 µg/L/yr | 5 |
EPA Impairment Status
Fairfield Pond is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2022 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 4C).
Causes of impairment
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit VT06-05L03_01 · Official waterbody report
County Ranking
Ranked #1 of 5 lakes in Franklin County
Nearby Lakes in Franklin County
Frequently asked questions about Fairfield Pond
Where is Fairfield Pond?
- Fairfield Pond is a lake in Franklin County, Vermont. LakeQuality grades it A for nutrients and algae. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
What is the water quality grade for Fairfield Pond?
- Fairfield Pond in Franklin County, Vermont has a water quality grade of A (Excellent). Water clarity: 19.7 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 15.9 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 2.2 µg/L.
Is Fairfield Pond safe to swim in?
- The A is nutrients and algae, not a swimming clearance. Fairfield Pond is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4C) for algal growth, nuisance exotic species. Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Fairfield Pond?
- No published bathymetric survey covers Fairfield Pond, so its depth has not been measured. The HydroLAKES global model estimates an average depth of about 51 feet, but that is a modelled estimate derived from surrounding terrain rather than a measurement on the water, so treat it as approximate.
Explore Fairfield Pond across LakeQuality
More Vermont Lake Rankings
Other Grade A Lakes in Vermont
Mesotrophic Lakes in Vermont
Where this data comes from
165 measurements from 2 monitoring stations, 2021–2025. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Vermont Dept of Environmental Conservation
1VTDECWQ165 samples · 2021–2025
Analytical methods
- EPA approved Alternate Test Procedure for 4500 P H. Has a 28 day hold without acid preservation.
- 445.0 ~ EPA; Chlorophyll and Pheophytin in Algae by Fluorescence
Monitoring station identifiers (2)
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)