Lake Laura
Shenandoah County, Virginia44 acresView mapDirections
Nutrients and algae sit mid-range for this region.
↓ down from B at the last regrade
- Eutrophic
- Impaired · Oxygen depletion (low DO)
- #1 of 1 in the county
- 42 ft max depth
- Limited data
Lake Laura in Shenandoah County, Virginia has a water quality grade of C (Fair). Water clarity: 9.7 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 10 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 7.6 µg/L. Surface area: 44 acres.
- Clarity
- 9.7 ft
- Max depth
- ~42 ft est.
- Area
- 44 acres
- Type
- Eutrophic
- Phosphorus
- 10 µg/L
- Chlorophyll-a
- 7.6 µg/L
- Trend
- ↓ Declining
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Watch Lake Laura’s letter
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Lake Laura is a 44-acre productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Shenandoah County, Virginia with an estimated average depth of about 42 feet. Water quality is graded C based on 2 sampling years through 2018. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Virginia DEQ, last sampled 2018-10-16. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.
Swimming Safety
Grade onlyLimited data
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. Lake Laura is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4C) for oxygen depletion (low DO). Check local advisories before you swim.
Water Quality Grade: C (Fair)
Moderate clarity, visible to about 9.7 ft. Phosphorus 10 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 7.6 µg/L. TSI 44. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 9.7 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | 10 µg/L | Good |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 7.6 µg/L | Fair |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 44 | Eutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | ~42 ft est. |
| Average Depth | ~19 ft est. |
| Surface Area | 44 acres |
Depth marked “est.” is a modeled maximum from GLOBathy (Khazaei et al. 2022, CC0), not a measured survey. Virginia has not published bathymetry for Lake Laura.
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 Lake Laura
Water Quality Trend: ↓ Declining
Based on 3 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | ↓ Declining | -0.232 m/yr | 3 |
| Phosphorus | → Stable | +0.24 µg/L/yr | 3 |
| Chlorophyll-a | ↓ Declining | +0.46 µg/L/yr | 3 |
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Lake Laura is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Stony Creek Dam #9 (completed 1971), built primarily for flood risk reduction on the Stony Creek; earth-type dam, 80 ft tall and 960 ft long.
- Surface area
- 44 ac
- Normal storage
- 697.1 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 3,417.5 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 7.34 sq mi
- Hazard class
- High
- Owner
- Lord Fairfax Soil and Water Conservation District
All listed purposes: Flood Risk Reduction;Recreation.
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID VA171001 · Operator website
EPA Impairment Status
Lake Laura 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 VAV-B49L_STY01A10 · Official waterbody report
County Ranking
Ranked #1 of 1 lakes in Shenandoah County
Nearby Lakes in Shenandoah County
Frequently asked questions about Lake Laura
Where is Lake Laura?
- Lake Laura is a lake in Shenandoah County, Virginia. LakeQuality grades it C for nutrients and algae. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
What is the water quality grade for Lake Laura?
- Lake Laura in Shenandoah County, Virginia has a water quality grade of C (Fair). Water clarity: 9.7 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 10 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 7.6 µg/L. Surface area: 44 acres.
Is Lake Laura safe to swim in?
- The C is nutrients and algae, not a swimming clearance. Lake Laura is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4C) for oxygen depletion (low DO). Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Lake Laura?
- No published bathymetric survey covers Lake Laura, so its depth has not been measured. The HydroLAKES global model estimates an average depth of about 42 feet, but that is a modelled estimate derived from surrounding terrain rather than a measurement on the water, so treat it as approximate. The lake covers 44 acres.
Explore Lake Laura across LakeQuality
Planning a trip around Shenandoah?
Lake Laura is about 28 miles from Shenandoah National Park. Crowds there swing hard by season, so the month you pick changes both how busy the park is and what lodging costs.
Best time to visit Shenandoah →More Virginia Lake Rankings
Other Grade C Lakes in Virginia
Eutrophic Lakes in Virginia
Where this data comes from
81 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2012–2018. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- VIRGINIA DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY
21VASWCB81 samples · 2012–2018
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
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
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)