Goose Creek Reservoir
Loudoun County, Virginia120 acresView mapDirections
Clarity, phosphorus, and algae all sit in the cleanest band for this region.
↑ up from B at the last regrade
- Mesotrophic
- Impaired · Pathogens (E. coli, fecal)
- #1 of 3 in the county
Goose Creek Reservoir in Loudoun County, Virginia has a water quality grade of A (Excellent). Water clarity: 2.1 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 65 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 2.1 µg/L. Surface area: 120 acres.
- Clarity
- 2.1 ft
- Area
- 120 acres
- Type
- Mesotrophic
- Phosphorus
- 65 µg/L
- Chlorophyll-a
- 2.1 µg/L
- Trend
- → Stable
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Watch Goose Creek Reservoir’s letter
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Goose Creek Reservoir is a 120-acre mesotrophic lake in Loudoun County, Virginia. Water quality is graded A based on 1 sampling years through 2026. Compared to the 2 other monitored lakes in Loudoun County, Goose Creek Reservoir ranks #1 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Virginia DEQ, last sampled 2026-06-25. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.
Swimming Safety
Grade onlyBacteria advisory
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. Goose Creek Reservoir is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for pathogens (E. coli, fecal), pCBs. Check local advisories before you swim.
Water Quality Grade: A (Excellent)
Very murky, less than 2.1 ft of visibility. Phosphorus 65 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 2.1 µg/L. TSI 56. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 2.1 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | 65 µg/L | Not graded |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 2.1 µg/L | Good |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 56 | Mesotrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Surface Area | 120 acres |
No bathymetric survey has been published for Goose Creek Reservoir, so its depth is not documented here.
Fishing Goose Creek Reservoir
Water Quality Trend: → Stable
Based on 4 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | → Stable | +0.002 m/yr | 4 |
| Phosphorus | → Stable | +0.88 µg/L/yr | 3 |
| Chlorophyll-a | → Stable | -0.03 µg/L/yr | 3 |
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Goose Creek Reservoir is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Goose Creek Dam, built primarily for water supply on the Goose Creek; gravity-type dam, 39 ft tall and 715 ft long.
- Surface area
- 120 ac
- Normal storage
- 613 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 4,373 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 347 sq mi
- Hazard class
- High
- Owner
- Loudoun Water
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID VA107003 · Operator website
EPA Impairment Status
Goose Creek Reservoir is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2022 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 5).
Causes of impairment
A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan has been approved.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit VAN-A08L_GOO02A02 · Official waterbody report
County Ranking
Ranked #1 of 3 lakes in Loudoun County
Nearby Lakes in Loudoun County
Frequently asked questions about Goose Creek Reservoir
Where is Goose Creek Reservoir?
- Goose Creek Reservoir is a lake in Loudoun County, Virginia. LakeQuality grades it A for nutrients and algae. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
What is the water quality grade for Goose Creek Reservoir?
- Goose Creek Reservoir in Loudoun County, Virginia has a water quality grade of A (Excellent). Water clarity: 2.1 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 65 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 2.1 µg/L. Surface area: 120 acres.
Is Goose Creek Reservoir safe to swim in?
- The A is nutrients and algae, not a swimming clearance. Goose Creek Reservoir is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for pathogens (E. coli, fecal), pCBs. Check local advisories before you swim.
Explore Goose Creek Reservoir across LakeQuality
More Virginia Lake Rankings
Other Grade A Lakes in Virginia
Mesotrophic Lakes in Virginia
Where this data comes from
160 measurements from 2 monitoring stations, 2015–2026. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- VIRGINIA DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY
21VASWCB160 samples · 2015–2026
Analytical methods
- Tyler, John. 1968. The secchi disk, Limnology and Oceanograpy, 13(1):1-6.
- Total Phosphorus After Block Digestion
- 445.0 ~ EPA; Chlorophyll and Pheophytin in Algae by Fluorescence
- 446.0 ~ EPA; Chlorophylls and Pheopigments in Phytoplankton by Spectrophotometry
- 2130 B ~ Nephelometric Method
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