Townes Reservoir
Patrick County, Virginia40 acresView mapDirections
Nutrients and algae sit mid-range for this region.
↓ down from B at the last regrade
- Eutrophic
- Impaired · Pathogens (E. coli, fecal)
- #6 of 6 in the county
Townes Reservoir in Patrick County, Virginia has a water quality grade of C (Fair). Water clarity: 5.2 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 20 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 8.9 µg/L. Surface area: 40 acres.
- Clarity
- 5.2 ft
- Area
- 40 acres
- Type
- Eutrophic
- Phosphorus
- 20 µg/L
- Chlorophyll-a
- 8.9 µg/L
- Trend
- ↓ Declining
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Watch Townes Reservoir’s letter
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Townes Reservoir is a 40-acre productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Patrick County, Virginia. Water quality is graded C based on 2 sampling years through 2022. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. Compared to the 5 other monitored lakes in Patrick County, Townes Reservoir ranks #6 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Virginia DEQ, last sampled 2022-10-17. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.
Swimming Safety
Grade onlyBacteria advisory
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 C is nutrients and algae, not a swimming clearance. Townes Reservoir is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for pathogens (E. coli, fecal), pH / acidity. Check local advisories before you swim.
Water Quality Grade: C (Fair)
Murky, only visible to about 5.2 ft. Phosphorus 20 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 8.9 µg/L. TSI 51. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 5.2 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | 20 µg/L | Fair |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 8.9 µg/L | Fair |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 51 | Eutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Surface Area | 40 acres |
No bathymetric survey has been published for Townes Reservoir, so its depth is not documented here.
Fishing Townes Reservoir
Water Quality Trend: ↓ Declining
Based on 4 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | ↑ Improving | +0.036 m/yr | 4 |
| Phosphorus | ↓ Declining | +1.42 µg/L/yr | 4 |
| Chlorophyll-a | ↓ Declining | +0.7 µg/L/yr | 4 |
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Townes Reservoir is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Townes (completed 1938), built primarily for hydroelectric on the Dan; arch-type dam, 133 ft tall and 575 ft long.
- Surface area
- 40 ac
- Normal storage
- 1,325 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 1,400 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 33 sq mi
- Hazard class
- High
- Owner
- Northbrook Carolina Hydro II, LLC
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID VA141002 · Operator website
EPA Impairment Status
Townes Reservoir is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2022 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 5).
Causes of impairment
A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan has been approved.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit VAW-L42L_DAN02A02 · Official waterbody report
County Ranking
Ranked #6 of 6 lakes in Patrick County
Nearby Lakes With Higher Grades
Townes Reservoir holds Grade C. 3 nearby lakes hold higher nutrient-and-algae grades — useful for a swim day, not a reason to skip lodging here.
See full comparison →Nearby Lakes in Patrick County
Frequently asked questions about Townes Reservoir
Where is Townes Reservoir?
- Townes Reservoir is a lake in Patrick County, Virginia. LakeQuality grades it C for nutrients and algae. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
What is the water quality grade for Townes Reservoir?
- Townes Reservoir in Patrick County, Virginia has a water quality grade of C (Fair). Water clarity: 5.2 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 20 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 8.9 µg/L. Surface area: 40 acres.
Is Townes Reservoir safe to swim in?
- The C is nutrients and algae, not a swimming clearance. Townes Reservoir is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for pathogens (E. coli, fecal), pH / acidity. Check local advisories before you swim.
Explore Townes Reservoir across LakeQuality
More Virginia Lake Rankings
Other Grade C Lakes in Virginia
Eutrophic Lakes in Virginia
Where this data comes from
124 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
21VASWCB124 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