Talbott Reservoir
Patrick County, Virginia165 acresView mapDirections
Clarity, phosphorus, and algae all sit in the cleanest band for this region.
- Mesotrophic
- Impaired · Mercury
- #2 of 6 in the county
Talbott Reservoir in Patrick County, Virginia has a water quality grade of A (Excellent). Water clarity: 9.8 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 10 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 3.2 µg/L. Surface area: 165 acres.
- Clarity
- 9.8 ft
- Area
- 165 acres
- Type
- Mesotrophic
- Phosphorus
- 10 µg/L
- Chlorophyll-a
- 3.2 µg/L
- Trend
- ↑ Improving
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Watch Talbott Reservoir’s letter
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Talbott Reservoir is a 165-acre mesotrophic lake in Patrick County, Virginia. Water quality is graded A based on 2 sampling years through 2022. Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. Compared to the 5 other monitored lakes in Patrick County, Talbott Reservoir ranks #2 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Virginia DEQ, last sampled 2022-10-17. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.
What Talbott Reservoir is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Clear water9.8 ft of visibility
Swimming Safety
Grade onlyLow algae
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 A is nutrients and algae, not a swimming clearance. Talbott Reservoir is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for mercury, oxygen depletion (low DO), temperature. Check local advisories before you swim.
Water Quality Grade: A (Excellent)
Moderate clarity, visible to about 9.8 ft. Phosphorus 10 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 3.2 µg/L. TSI 41. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 9.8 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | 10 µg/L | Good |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 3.2 µg/L | Good |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 41 | Mesotrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Surface Area | 165 acres |
No bathymetric survey has been published for Talbott Reservoir, so its depth is not documented here.
Fishing Talbott Reservoir
Water Quality Trend: ↑ Improving
Based on 6 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | → Stable | -0.05 m/yr | 6 |
| Phosphorus | ↑ Improving | -1.54 µg/L/yr | 6 |
| Chlorophyll-a | ↑ Improving | -0.34 µg/L/yr | 6 |
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Talbott Reservoir is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Talbott (completed 1938), built primarily for hydroelectric on the Dan; arch-type dam, 144 ft tall and 510 ft long.
- Surface area
- 165 ac
- Normal storage
- 7,540 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 7,540 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 20 sq mi
- Hazard class
- High
- Owner
- Northbrook Carolina Hydro II, LLC
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID VA141001 · Operator website
EPA Impairment Status
Talbott Reservoir is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2022 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 5).
Causes of impairment
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit VAW-L42L_DAN01A02 · Official waterbody report
County Ranking
Ranked #2 of 6 lakes in Patrick County
Nearby Lakes in Patrick County
Frequently asked questions about Talbott Reservoir
Where is Talbott Reservoir?
- Talbott Reservoir is a lake in Patrick County, Virginia. LakeQuality grades it A for nutrients and algae. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
What is the water quality grade for Talbott Reservoir?
- Talbott Reservoir in Patrick County, Virginia has a water quality grade of A (Excellent). Water clarity: 9.8 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 10 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 3.2 µg/L. Surface area: 165 acres.
Is Talbott Reservoir safe to swim in?
- The A is nutrients and algae, not a swimming clearance. Talbott Reservoir is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for mercury, oxygen depletion (low DO), temperature. Check local advisories before you swim.
Explore Talbott Reservoir across LakeQuality
More Virginia Lake Rankings
Other Grade A Lakes in Virginia
Mesotrophic Lakes in Virginia
Where this data comes from
128 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2015–2022. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- VIRGINIA DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY
21VASWCB128 samples · 2015–2022
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