West Fk Eno R Reservoir
Orange County, North Carolina272 acresView mapDirections
NC DEQ publishes the water-quality measurements for West Fk Eno R Reservoir. Here is what has been measured.
- Eutrophic
West Fk Eno R Reservoir in Orange County, North Carolina has water-quality measurements published by NC DEQ, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 3.8 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 35.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 14.9 µg/L. Surface area: 271.5 acres.
West Fk Eno R Reservoir is a 272-acre productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Orange County, North Carolina. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. Compared to the 6 other monitored lakes in Orange County, West Fk Eno R Reservoir ranks #3 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, NCDEQ, last sampled 2024-02-23. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyElevated nutrients
Based on clarity and algae readings from past sampling — there is no live water temperature and a current cyanobacteria reading for this lake. Check your state or county health department before you swim.
Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether West Fk Eno R Reservoir is safe to swim in today is a call for the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality and the county health department, who post current advisories. LakeQuality does not issue swimming clearances.
Water quality measurements for West Fk Eno R Reservoir
These are the measurements NC DEQ publishes for West Fk Eno R Reservoir, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Murky, only visible to about 3.8 ft. Phosphorus 35.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 14.9 µg/L. TSI 57.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 3.8ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 35.5µg/L | Poor GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 14.9µg/L | Poor GoodFairPoor |
| Trophic state (TSI)Carlson's 0–100 index of how much algae a lake can support, from clarity, phosphorus and chlorophyll-a. | 57 | Eutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Ask about West Fk Eno R Reservoir
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Lake Details
Surface area
272 acres
No bathymetric survey has been published for West Fk Eno R Reservoir, so its depth is not documented here.
Stays via Stay22
Stays near West Fk Eno R Reservoir
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near West Fk Eno R Reservoir in Orange County, North Carolina — 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 readings cover nutrients and algae, not lodging. Cabins and rentals around West Fk Eno R Reservoir are listed below.
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Fishing West Fk Eno R Reservoir
Water Quality Trend: Worsening
Based on 5 years of monitoring (2020–2025).
Water clarity
Stable5 years
Phosphorus
Worsening+1.89 µg/L/yr5 years
Chlorophyll-a
Worsening+1.44 µg/L/yr5 years
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
West Fk Eno R Reservoir is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Hillsborough Water Supply Dam (completed 2000), built primarily for water supply on the W. Fork Eno River; earth-type dam, 65 ft tall and 1,699 ft long.
- Surface area
- 271.5 ac
- Normal storage
- 7,032 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 24,061 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 9.4 sq mi
- Hazard class
- High
- Owner
- Town of Hillsborough
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID NC05793 · Operator website · Matched by proximity (0.09 km)
Nearby Lakes in Orange County
Frequently asked questions about West Fk Eno R Reservoir
Where is West Fk Eno R Reservoir?
- West Fk Eno R Reservoir is a lake in Orange County, North Carolina. Its water-quality measurements are published by NC DEQ and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of West Fk Eno R Reservoir?
- West Fk Eno R Reservoir in Orange County, North Carolina has water-quality measurements published by NC DEQ, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 3.8 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 35.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 14.9 µg/L. Surface area: 271.5 acres.
Is West Fk Eno R Reservoir safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
Explore West Fk Eno R Reservoir across LakeQuality
More lakes in North Carolina
Other Lakes in North Carolina
Eutrophic Lakes in North Carolina
Where this data comes from
119 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2020–2024. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- USGS North Carolina Water Science Center
USGS-NC119 samples · 2020–2024
Analytical methods
- Secchi disk method
- P, wu, WCA, persulfate CF color
- Pigments, algae, EPA445.0 w/ACTN
- Plant pigments, sonication & 445
- HACH 2100Q, NTRU
Monitoring station identifiers (1)
EPA condition classes from the National Lakes Assessment (EPA 841-R-24-006, Table 6-3), applied by ecoregion. See where the data comes from and data sources.