Layc Lake
Shelby County, AlabamaView mapDirections
ADEM publishes the water-quality measurements for Layc Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Eutrophic
- Impaired · Hydrologic alteration
Layc Lake in Shelby County, Alabama has water-quality measurements published by ADEM, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 3.4 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 30.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 12.4 µg/L.
Layc Lake is a productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Shelby County, Alabama. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. Compared to the 1 other monitored lakes in Shelby County, Layc Lake ranks #1 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, ADEM, last sampled 2025-10-22. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyRecreation use not supported
Based on clarity and algae readings from past sampling — there is no live water temperature and a current cyanobacteria reading for this lake. Check your state or county health department before you swim.
Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Layc Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for hydrologic alteration, nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen), oxygen depletion (low DO), pCBs. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Layc Lake is safe to swim in today is a call for the Alabama Department of Environmental Management and the county health department, who post current advisories. LakeQuality does not issue swimming clearances.
Water quality measurements for Layc Lake
These are the measurements ADEM publishes for Layc Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Murky, only visible to about 3.4 ft. Phosphorus 30.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 12.4 µg/L. TSI 56.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 3.4ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 30.5µg/L | Fair GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 12.4µg/L | Fair GoodFairPoor |
| Trophic state (TSI)Carlson's 0–100 index of how much algae a lake can support, from clarity, phosphorus and chlorophyll-a. | 56 | Eutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
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Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
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Fishing Layc Lake
Water Quality Trend: Worsening
Based on 5 years of monitoring (2013–2025).
Water clarity
Stable5 years
Phosphorus
Stable-0.42 µg/L/yr5 years
Chlorophyll-a
Worsening+1.29 µg/L/yr5 years
EPA Impairment Status
Layc 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: Drinking water, Aquatic life, Fish consumption, Recreation, Other.
A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan has been approved.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit AL03150107-0503-110 · Official waterbody report
Nearby Lakes in Shelby County
Frequently asked questions about Layc Lake
Where is Layc Lake?
- Layc Lake is a lake in Shelby County, Alabama. Its water-quality measurements are published by ADEM and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Layc Lake?
- Layc Lake in Shelby County, Alabama has water-quality measurements published by ADEM, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 3.4 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 30.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 12.4 µg/L.
Is Layc Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Layc Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for hydrologic alteration, nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen), oxygen depletion (low DO), pCBs. Check local advisories before you swim.
Explore Layc Lake across LakeQuality
17.2 mi away · cable-pulled, no boat wake
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Where this data comes from
119 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2013–2025. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- ALABAMA DEPT. OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT - WATER QUALITY DATA
21AWIC119 samples · 2013–2025
Analytical methods
- Phosphorus by Colorimetry
- 10200 H ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination
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