Upper Branch of Terry'S Run Lake
Spotsylvania County, VirginiaView mapDirections
Nutrients and algae run well above the regional average.
↓ down from D at the last regrade
- Hypereutrophic
- Impaired · Algal growth
- #7 of 7 in the county
- Limited data
Upper Branch of Terry'S Run Lake in Spotsylvania County, Virginia has a water quality grade of F (Algae-prone). Water clarity: 0.7 ft visibility. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 33.4 µg/L.
- Clarity
- 0.7 ft
- Type
- Hypereutrophic
- Chlorophyll-a
- 33.4 µg/L
- Trend
- → Stable
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Stays near Upper Branch of Terry'S Run Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Upper Branch of Terry'S Run Lake in Spotsylvania 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 Upper Branch of Terry'S Run Lake are listed below.
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Upper Branch of Terry'S Run Lake is a highly nutrient-loaded hypereutrophic lake in Spotsylvania County, Virginia. Water quality is graded F based on 1 sampling years through 2026. Compared to the 6 other monitored lakes in Spotsylvania County, Upper Branch of Terry'S Run Lake ranks #7 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Virginia DEQ, last sampled 2026-07-07. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.
Swimming Safety
Grade onlyLimited data
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 F is nutrients and algae, not a swimming clearance. Upper Branch of Terry'S Run Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for algal growth, pCBs. Check local advisories before you swim.
Water Quality Grade: F (Algae-prone)
Very murky, less than 0.7 ft of visibility. Chlorophyll-a 33.4 µg/L. TSI 74. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 0.7 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | No recent samples | |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 33.4 µg/L | Poor |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 74 | Hypereutrophic |
Very high nutrients, dense algae, poor clarity
Fishing Upper Branch of Terry'S Run Lake
Water Quality Trend: → Stable
Based on 10 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | → Stable | -0.009 m/yr | 10 |
| Phosphorus | → Stable | +0.05 µg/L/yr | 9 |
| Chlorophyll-a | → Stable | -0.55 µg/L/yr | 9 |
EPA Impairment Status
Upper Branch of Terry'S Run Lake 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 VAN-F07L_TRY01A04 · Official waterbody report · Matched by proximity (1.26 km)
County Ranking
Ranked #7 of 7 lakes in Spotsylvania County
Nearby Lakes in Spotsylvania County
Frequently asked questions about Upper Branch of Terry'S Run Lake
Where is Upper Branch of Terry'S Run Lake?
- Upper Branch of Terry'S Run Lake is a lake in Spotsylvania County, Virginia. LakeQuality grades it F for nutrients and algae. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
What is the water quality grade for Upper Branch of Terry'S Run Lake?
- Upper Branch of Terry'S Run Lake in Spotsylvania County, Virginia has a water quality grade of F (Algae-prone). Water clarity: 0.7 ft visibility. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 33.4 µg/L.
Is Upper Branch of Terry'S Run Lake safe to swim in?
- The F is nutrients and algae, not a swimming clearance. Upper Branch of Terry'S Run Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for algal growth, pCBs. Check local advisories before you swim.
Explore Upper Branch of Terry'S Run Lake across LakeQuality
Species activity outlook by water temperature and season
Where to stay at Virginia's top lakes, each with its grade
Very high nutrients, dense algae, poor clarity
Virginia's cleanest and most-polluted lakes, ranked
Planning a trip around Shenandoah?
Upper Branch of Terry'S Run Lake is about 38 miles from Shenandoah National Park. Crowds there swing hard by season, so the month you pick changes both how busy the park is and what lodging costs.
Best time to visit Shenandoah →More Virginia Lake Rankings
Other Grade F Lakes in Virginia
Hypereutrophic Lakes in Virginia
Where this data comes from
20 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2025–2026. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- VIRGINIA DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY
21VASWCB20 samples · 2025–2026
Analytical methods
- Tyler, John. 1968. The secchi disk, Limnology and Oceanograpy, 13(1):1-6.
- 445.0 ~ EPA; Chlorophyll and Pheophytin in Algae by Fluorescence
- 446.0 ~ EPA; Chlorophylls and Pheopigments in Phytoplankton by Spectrophotometry
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