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Columbiana County, Ohio · Water Quality Report Card

Salem Reservoir

D
Grade DPoor
Limited DataMesotrophic

Salem Reservoir in Columbiana County, Ohio has a water quality grade of D (Poor). Phosphorus: 116.1 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 5.2 µg/L.

Mean depth
~13 ft est.
Type
Mesotrophic

Salem Reservoir is a mesotrophic lake in Columbiana County, Ohio with an estimated average depth of about 13 feet. Water quality is graded D based on 2 sampling years through 2022. Compared to the 1 other monitored lakes in Columbiana County, Salem Reservoir ranks #1 for water quality.

Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Ohio EPA, last sampled 2022-10-24. Grade methodology: LakeGrade methodology.

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Swimming Safety

Swimming not recommended, poor water quality with high algae risk

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Water Quality Grade: D (Poor)

No clarity data. Phosphorus level: 116.1 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a: 5.2 µg/L. Trophic State Index: 60.

MetricValueGrade
Water Clarity (Secchi Depth)No data
Phosphorus116.1 µg/LPoor
Chlorophyll-a (Algae)5.2 µg/LFair
Trophic State Index (TSI)60Mesotrophic

Moderate nutrients, good water quality

Lake Details

CharacteristicValue
Average Depth~13 ft est.

Depth marked “est.” is a modeled estimate from HydroLAKES, not a measured survey. Ohio has not published bathymetry for Salem Reservoir.

Where to stay near Salem Reservoir

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Fishing Salem Reservoir

Location

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County Ranking

Ranked #1 of 2 lakes in Columbiana County

Nearby Lakes in Columbiana County

More records, surveys & data sources

EPA Impairment Status

Salem Reservoir is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2024 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 5).

Causes of impairment

Pathogens (E. coli, fecal)

Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit OH050301010501 · Official waterbody report · Matched by proximity (1.78 km)

Lake Size & Watershed

Watershed (drainage) area
8 sq mi
Surface area
111 acres
Mean depth (modeled estimate)
~13 ft est.
Shoreline
2 mi
Elevation
1,165 ft

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.

Where this data comes from

20 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2022. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.

Collected and reported by

  • Division of Surface water (Ohio)21OHIO_WQX20 samples · 2022

Analytical methods

  • Total Phosphorus After Block Digestion
  • 445.0 ~ EPA; Chlorophyll and Pheophytin in Algae by Fluorescence
  • 2130 B ~ Nephelometric Method
Monitoring station identifiers (1)

Grade thresholds come from the U.S. EPA National Lakes Assessment 2022 Technical Support Document (EPA 841-R-24-006, Table 6-3), applied by ecoregion. See how grades are calculated.

Data Sources

Water quality data from the EPA Water Quality Portal

Impairment status from EPA ATTAINS 303(d) database

Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)

Grade thresholds from the EPA National Lakes Assessment (EPA 841-R-24-006, Table 6-3), applied by ecoregion

Most recent sample: 2022-10-24

Monitoring stations: 1

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