Middle Blackwater River Lake
Franklin County, VirginiaView mapDirections
Virginia DEQ publishes the water-quality measurements for Middle Blackwater River Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Mesotrophic
- Impaired · PCBs
Middle Blackwater River Lake in Franklin County, Virginia has water-quality measurements published by Virginia DEQ, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 5.9 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 20 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 5.6 µg/L.
Middle Blackwater River Lake is a mesotrophic lake in Franklin County, Virginia. Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing. Compared to the 12 other monitored lakes in Franklin County, Middle Blackwater River Lake ranks #9 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Virginia DEQ, last sampled 2026-06-16. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What Middle Blackwater River Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyModerate algae
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. Middle Blackwater River Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for pCBs. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Middle Blackwater River Lake is safe to swim in today is a call for the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality and the county health department, who post current advisories. LakeQuality does not issue swimming clearances.
Water quality measurements for Middle Blackwater River Lake
These are the measurements Virginia DEQ publishes for Middle Blackwater River 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 5.9 ft. Phosphorus 20 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 5.6 µg/L. TSI 49.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 5.9ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 20µg/L | Fair GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 5.6µg/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. | 49 | Mesotrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Ask about Middle Blackwater River Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Recreation & Access
- Magnum Point MarinaSemi-private
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
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Stays near Middle Blackwater River Lake
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Fishing Middle Blackwater River Lake
Water Quality Trend: Improving
Based on 15 years of monitoring (2012–2026).
Water clarity
Improving15 years
Phosphorus
Improving-0.9 µg/L/yr14 years
Chlorophyll-a
Worsening+0.31 µg/L/yr14 years
EPA Impairment Status
Middle Blackwater River Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2022 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 4A).
Causes of impairment
Designated uses not supporting: Fish consumption.
A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan has been approved.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit VAW-L10L_BWR02A10 · Official waterbody report
Nearby Lakes in Franklin County
Frequently asked questions about Middle Blackwater River Lake
Where is Middle Blackwater River Lake?
- Middle Blackwater River Lake is a lake in Franklin County, Virginia. Its water-quality measurements are published by Virginia DEQ and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Middle Blackwater River Lake?
- Middle Blackwater River Lake in Franklin County, Virginia has water-quality measurements published by Virginia DEQ, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 5.9 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 20 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 5.6 µg/L.
Is Middle Blackwater River Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Middle Blackwater River Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for pCBs. Check local advisories before you swim.
Are there boat ramps on Middle Blackwater River Lake?
- Middle Blackwater River Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Magnum Point Marina.
Can I fish at Middle Blackwater River Lake?
- Middle Blackwater River Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Seasons, size and bag limits, and whether you need a license are set by Virginia's fish and wildlife agency, so check its current regulations before you go.
Explore Middle Blackwater River Lake across LakeQuality
0.4 mi away · cable-pulled, no boat wake
Species activity outlook by water temperature and season
Where to stay at Virginia's top lakes, each with its readings
Virginia's cleanest lakes, ranked on agency measurements
More lakes in Virginia
Other Lakes in Virginia
Mesotrophic Lakes in Virginia
Where this data comes from
610 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
21VASWCB610 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)
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
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory