Totier Creek Reservoir
Albemarle County, Virginia58 acresView mapDirections
Nutrients and algae run above the regional average.
↓ down from C at the last regrade
- Eutrophic
- #7 of 8 in the county
- 24 ft max depth
- Public access
Totier Creek Reservoir in Albemarle County, Virginia has a water quality grade of D (Nutrient-rich). Water clarity: 3 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 50 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 25.8 µg/L. Surface area: 58.4 acres.
- Clarity
- 3 ft
- Max depth
- ~24 ft est.
- Area
- 58 acres
- Type
- Eutrophic
- Phosphorus
- 50 µg/L
- Chlorophyll-a
- 25.8 µg/L
- Trend
- ↓ Declining
- Public access
- Yes
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Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Totier Creek Reservoir in Albemarle County, Virginia — live availability and prices for your trip. Switch the map to Satellite to see the lake and how close each stay is to the water. The water-quality grade measures nutrients and algae, not lodging — cabins and rentals around Totier Creek Reservoir are listed below.
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Watch Totier Creek Reservoir’s letter
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Totier Creek Reservoir is a 58-acre productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Albemarle County, Virginia with an estimated average depth of about 24 feet. Water quality is graded D based on 2 sampling years through 2022. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available. Compared to the 7 other monitored lakes in Albemarle County, Totier Creek Reservoir ranks #7 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Virginia DEQ, last sampled 2022-10-27. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.
Swimming Safety
Grade onlyAlgae risk
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 D is nutrients and algae, not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
Water Quality Grade: D (Nutrient-rich)
Very murky, less than 3 ft of visibility. Phosphorus 50 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 25.8 µg/L. TSI 62. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 3 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | 50 µg/L | Poor |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 25.8 µg/L | Poor |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 62 | Eutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | ~24 ft est. |
| Average Depth | ~16 ft est. |
| Surface Area | 58 acres |
| Public Access | Yes |
Depth marked “est.” is a modeled maximum from GLOBathy (Khazaei et al. 2022, CC0), not a measured survey. Virginia has not published bathymetry for Totier Creek Reservoir.
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 Totier Creek Reservoir
Water Quality Trend: ↓ Declining
Based on 4 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | ↓ Declining | -0.046 m/yr | 4 |
| Phosphorus | ↓ Declining | +6.49 µg/L/yr | 4 |
| Chlorophyll-a | ↓ Declining | +2.93 µg/L/yr | 4 |
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Totier Creek Reservoir is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Totier Creek Dam, built primarily for water supply on the Totier Creek; earth-type dam, 35 ft tall and 277 ft long.
- Surface area
- 58.4 ac
- Normal storage
- 561 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 875 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 30 sq mi
- Hazard class
- Low
- Owner
- Rivanna Water and Sewer Authority
All listed purposes: Water Supply;Recreation.
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID VA003127 · Operator website
County Ranking
Ranked #7 of 8 lakes in Albemarle County
Nearby Lakes With Higher Grades
Totier Creek Reservoir holds Grade D. One nearby lake has a higher nutrient-and-algae grade — useful for a swim day, not a reason to skip lodging here.
See full comparison →Nearby Lakes in Albemarle County
Frequently asked questions about Totier Creek Reservoir
Where is Totier Creek Reservoir?
- Totier Creek Reservoir is a lake in Albemarle County, Virginia. LakeQuality grades it D for nutrients and algae. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
What is the water quality grade for Totier Creek Reservoir?
- Totier Creek Reservoir in Albemarle County, Virginia has a water quality grade of D (Nutrient-rich). Water clarity: 3 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 50 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 25.8 µg/L. Surface area: 58.4 acres.
Is Totier Creek Reservoir safe to swim in?
- The D is nutrients and algae, not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Totier Creek Reservoir?
- No published bathymetric survey covers Totier Creek Reservoir, so its depth has not been measured. The HydroLAKES global model estimates an average depth of about 24 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 58.4 acres.
Explore Totier Creek Reservoir across LakeQuality
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Other Grade D Lakes in Virginia
Eutrophic Lakes in Virginia
Where this data comes from
122 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
21VASWCB122 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
- 2130 B ~ Nephelometric Method
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
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)