Fords Arm Lake
Leon County, FloridaView mapDirections
Florida DEP publishes the water-quality measurements for Fords Arm Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Impaired · Mercury
- Limited data
Fords Arm Lake in Leon County, Florida has water-quality measurements published by Florida DEP, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 1.3 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 65 µg/L.
Fords Arm Lake is a lake in Leon County, Florida. Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, FDEP, last sampled 2021-05-10. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
Swimming conditions
No readingBacteria tested: low
Based on E. coli testing, Fords Arm Lake never exceeded the EPA safe-swimming threshold (235 MPN/100mL) — on 0% of 13 samples across 2 seasons.
This is a historical summary of past testing, not a current condition — bacteria levels change quickly, especially after rain. Always check Florida’s current beach and health-department advisories before swimming.
Whether Fords Arm Lake is safe to swim in today is a call for the Florida Department of Environmental Protection and the county health department, who post current advisories. LakeQuality does not issue swimming clearances.
Water quality measurements for Fords Arm Lake
These are the measurements Florida DEP publishes for Fords Arm Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Very murky, less than 1.3 ft of visibility. Phosphorus 65 µg/L. TSI 69.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 1.3ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 65µg/L | Measured, not scored The nutrient that most limits algae growth in freshwater. More phosphorus, more algae potential. |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | No reading The green pigment in algae — a direct measure of how much algae is in the water. | |
| Trophic state (TSI)Carlson's 0–100 index of how much algae a lake can support, from clarity, phosphorus and chlorophyll-a. | 69 | Eutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Ask about Fords Arm Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
Fords Arm Lake typically sits around 58°F at the surface in January. Usually warmest in Mar (about 63°F) and coldest in Feb (about 55°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (55°F) to its warmest (63°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 13 field readings (2020–2021) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full Fords Arm Lake water temperature breakdown →
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Stays near Fords Arm Lake
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Fishing Fords Arm Lake
Water Quality Trend: Improving
Based on 6 years of monitoring (2020–2025).
Water clarity
Improving5 years
Phosphorus
Improving-7.76 µg/L/yr6 years
EPA Impairment Status
Fords Arm Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2022 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 5).
Causes of impairment
Designated uses not supporting: Aquatic life, Fish consumption.
A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan has been approved.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit FL582B · Official waterbody report
Nearby Lakes in Leon County
Frequently asked questions about Fords Arm Lake
Where is Fords Arm Lake?
- Fords Arm Lake is a lake in Leon County, Florida. Its water-quality measurements are published by Florida DEP and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Fords Arm Lake?
- Fords Arm Lake in Leon County, Florida has water-quality measurements published by Florida DEP, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 1.3 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 65 µg/L.
Is Fords Arm Lake safe to swim in?
- Based on E. coli testing, Fords Arm Lake never exceeded the EPA safe-swimming threshold (235 MPN/100mL) — on 0% of 13 samples across 2 seasons. That is a historical summary of past bacteria testing, not a current reading and not a swimming clearance. Bacteria levels can spike quickly after heavy rain, so whether Fords Arm Lake is safe to swim in today is a call for Florida's water agency and the county health department; check their current beach advisories before you swim.
What is the water temperature of Fords Arm Lake?
- Fords Arm Lake typically sits around 58°F at the surface in January, from 13 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2020–2021). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
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Where this data comes from
25 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2020–2021. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Submitting organization not recorded for these samples25 samples · 2020–2021
Monitoring station identifiers (1)
EPA condition classes from the National Lakes Assessment (EPA 841-R-24-006, Table 6-3), applied by ecoregion. See where the data comes from and data sources.
Other records on this page
Impairment status from EPA ATTAINS 303(d) database