Nichols Pond
Washington County, Vermont167 acresView mapDirections
Not enough samples to grade — the only measurement available is water clarity, which is not a water-quality indicator on its own — EPA's National Lakes Assessment does not grade clarity. No letter yet. Here is what we do have.
- 36 ft max depth
- Limited data
Nichols Pond in Washington County, Vermont is not rated for water quality — its monitoring record does not meet the evidence bar. Water clarity: 23.3 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 8.6 µg/L. Surface area: 167 acres.
- Clarity
- 23.3 ft
- Max depth
- ~36 ft est.
- Area
- 167 acres
- Phosphorus
- 8.6 µg/L
- Trend
- ↓ Declining
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Watch Nichols Pond’s letter
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Why Nichols Pond has no grade
We grade a lake only when the monitoring record supports a letter: at least three phosphorus or chlorophyll-a samples in the last ten years, scored against EPA National Lakes Assessment thresholds for this lake’s ecoregion. For Nichols Pond, the only measurement available is water clarity, which is not a water-quality indicator on its own — EPA's National Lakes Assessment does not grade clarity. Sampling here has recorded water clarity and phosphorus, but not algae (chlorophyll-a).
Not Rated is not an F. It is EPA Integrated Reporting Category 3 — insufficient information. The water here may be excellent or poor; nobody has measured enough of it to say. Everything below that has been measured is still reported on this page.
Sampling is run by VT DEC and volunteer programs, and published through the EPA Water Quality Portal. Read the full grading methodology.
Nichols Pond is a 167-acre lake in Washington County, Vermont with an estimated average depth of about 36 feet. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, VT DEC, last sampled 2025-08-29. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.
What Nichols Pond is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Clear water23.3 ft of visibility
Swimming Safety
Not ratedLimited data
The letter is not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
Water quality measurements for Nichols Pond
These readings exist but are not enough for an A–F grade — see why.
Crystal clear, you can see 23.3 ft down. Phosphorus 8.6 µg/L. TSI 33.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 23.3 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | 8.6 µg/L | Not graded |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | No recent samples | |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 33 | Oligotrophic |
Low nutrients, clear water. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | ~36 ft est. |
| Average Depth | ~25 ft est. |
| Surface Area | 167 acres |
Depth marked “est.” is a modeled maximum from GLOBathy (Khazaei et al. 2022, CC0), not a measured survey. Vermont has not published bathymetry for Nichols Pond.
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 Nichols Pond
Water Quality Trend: ↓ Declining
Based on 6 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | ↓ Declining | -0.134 m/yr | 6 |
| Phosphorus | ↓ Declining | +5.1 µg/L/yr | 2 |
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Nichols Pond is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Nichols (completed 1900), built primarily for other on the Nichols Brook; concrete-type dam, 18 ft tall and 200 ft long.
- Surface area
- 167 ac
- Normal storage
- 0 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 2,841 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 4.56 sq mi
- Hazard class
- High
- Owner
- HARDWICK ELECTRIC DEPARTMENT
All listed purposes: Other;Recreation.
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID VT00184 · Operator website
Graded lakes near Nichols Pond
Nichols Pond has no grade, but these lakes within a short drive do.
Nearby Lakes in Washington County
Frequently asked questions about Nichols Pond
Where is Nichols Pond?
- Nichols Pond is a lake in Washington County, Vermont. LakeQuality has not rated this lake (UNRATED) — the only measurement available is water clarity, which is not a water-quality indicator on its own — EPA's National Lakes Assessment does not grade clarity.
What is the water quality grade for Nichols Pond?
- Nichols Pond in Washington County, Vermont is not rated for water quality — its monitoring record does not meet the evidence bar. Water clarity: 23.3 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 8.6 µg/L. Surface area: 167 acres.
Is Nichols Pond safe to swim in?
- The letter is not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Nichols Pond?
- No published bathymetric survey covers Nichols Pond, so its depth has not been measured. The HydroLAKES global model estimates an average depth of about 36 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 167 acres.
Explore Nichols Pond across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
64 measurements from 2 monitoring stations, 2020–2025. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Vermont Dept of Environmental Conservation
1VTDECWQ64 samples · 2020–2025
Analytical methods
- EPA approved Alternate Test Procedure for 4500 P H. Has a 28 day hold without acid preservation.
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
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)