Hardy Ford Lake
Franklin County, VirginiaView mapDirections
Nutrients and algae sit mid-range for this region.
↓ down from B at the last regrade
- Mesotrophic
- Impaired · Mercury
- #7 of 13 in the county
- Public access
Hardy Ford Lake in Franklin County, Virginia has a water quality grade of C (Fair). Water clarity: 3 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 40 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 5.5 µg/L.
- Clarity
- 3 ft
- Type
- Mesotrophic
- Phosphorus
- 40 µg/L
- Chlorophyll-a
- 5.5 µg/L
- Trend
- ↑ Improving
- Public access
- Yes
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Hardy Ford Lake is a mesotrophic lake in Franklin County, Virginia. Water quality is graded C based on 2 sampling years through 2026. Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing. Compared to the 12 other monitored lakes in Franklin County, Hardy Ford Lake ranks #7 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Virginia DEQ, last sampled 2026-06-11. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.
What Hardy Ford Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
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 C is nutrients and algae, not a swimming clearance. Hardy Ford Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for mercury, pathogens (E. coli, fecal), pCBs. Check local advisories before you swim.
Water Quality Grade: C (Fair)
Very murky, less than 3 ft of visibility. Phosphorus 40 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 5.5 µg/L. TSI 55. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 3 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | 40 µg/L | Poor |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 5.5 µg/L | Good |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 55 | Mesotrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Recreation & Access
- Hardy FordPublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Fishing Hardy Ford Lake
Water Quality Trend: ↑ Improving
Based on 15 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | → Stable | +0.014 m/yr | 15 |
| Phosphorus | ↑ Improving | -1.09 µg/L/yr | 15 |
| Chlorophyll-a | → Stable | +0.1 µg/L/yr | 15 |
EPA Impairment Status
Hardy Ford Lake 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 VAW-L07L_ROA04A10 · Official waterbody report · Matched by proximity (0.79 km)
County Ranking
Ranked #7 of 13 lakes in Franklin County
Nearby Lakes in Franklin County
Frequently asked questions about Hardy Ford Lake
Where is Hardy Ford Lake?
- Hardy Ford Lake is a lake in Franklin County, Virginia. LakeQuality grades it C for nutrients and algae. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
What is the water quality grade for Hardy Ford Lake?
- Hardy Ford Lake in Franklin County, Virginia has a water quality grade of C (Fair). Water clarity: 3 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 40 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 5.5 µg/L.
Is Hardy Ford Lake safe to swim in?
- The C is nutrients and algae, not a swimming clearance. Hardy Ford Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for mercury, pathogens (E. coli, fecal), pCBs. Check local advisories before you swim.
Are there boat ramps on Hardy Ford Lake?
- Hardy Ford Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Hardy Ford. Public access is listed as yes.
Explore Hardy Ford Lake across LakeQuality
More Virginia Lake Rankings
Other Grade C Lakes in Virginia
Mesotrophic Lakes in Virginia
Where this data comes from
401 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2012–2026. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- VIRGINIA DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY
21VASWCB401 samples · 2012–2026
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
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
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory