Wrights Reservoir
Worcester County, Massachusetts163 acresView mapDirections
Clarity, phosphorus, and algae all sit in the cleanest band for this region.
- Mesotrophic
- Impaired · Mercury
- #5 of 24 in the county
- 36 ft max depth
- Limited data
Wrights Reservoir in Worcester County, Massachusetts has a water quality grade of A (Excellent). Chlorophyll-a (algae): 2.4 µg/L. Surface area: 163 acres.
- Max depth
- ~36 ft est.
- Area
- 163 acres
- Type
- Mesotrophic
- Chlorophyll-a
- 2.4 µg/L
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Watch Wrights Reservoir’s letter
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Wrights Reservoir is a 163-acre mesotrophic lake in Worcester County, Massachusetts with an estimated average depth of about 36 feet. Water quality is graded A based on 1 sampling years through 2016. Compared to the 23 other monitored lakes in Worcester County, Wrights Reservoir ranks #5 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, MassDEP, last sampled 2016-08-24. 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 A is nutrients and algae, not a swimming clearance. Wrights Reservoir is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.
Water Quality Grade: A (Excellent)
No clarity data. Chlorophyll-a 2.4 µg/L. TSI 39. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | No recent samples | |
| Phosphorus | No recent samples | |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 2.4 µg/L | Good |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 39 | Mesotrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | ~36 ft est. |
| Average Depth | ~15 ft est. |
| Surface Area | 163 acres |
Depth marked “est.” is a modeled maximum from GLOBathy (Khazaei et al. 2022, CC0), not a measured survey. Massachusetts has not published bathymetry for Wrights 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 Wrights Reservoir
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Wrights Reservoir is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Wrights Reservoir Dam & Dike No. 1 & Dike No. 2 (completed 1965), built primarily for flood risk reduction on the Greenwood Brook; earth-type dam, 18 ft tall and 1,000 ft long.
- Surface area
- 163 ac
- Normal storage
- 513 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 2,693 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 3.1 sq mi
- Hazard class
- High
- Owner
- City of Gardner
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID MA00117 · Operator website · Matched by proximity (0.17 km)
EPA Impairment Status
Wrights 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 MA35104 · Official waterbody report
County Ranking
Ranked #5 of 24 lakes in Worcester County
Nearby Lakes in Worcester County
Frequently asked questions about Wrights Reservoir
Where is Wrights Reservoir?
- Wrights Reservoir is a lake in Worcester County, Massachusetts. LakeQuality grades it A for nutrients and algae. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
What is the water quality grade for Wrights Reservoir?
- Wrights Reservoir in Worcester County, Massachusetts has a water quality grade of A (Excellent). Chlorophyll-a (algae): 2.4 µg/L. Surface area: 163 acres.
Is Wrights Reservoir safe to swim in?
- The A is nutrients and algae, not a swimming clearance. Wrights Reservoir is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Wrights Reservoir?
- No published bathymetric survey covers Wrights Reservoir, so its depth has not been measured. The HydroLAKES global model estimates an average depth of about 36 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 163 acres.
Explore Wrights Reservoir across LakeQuality
13.6 mi away · 175 ft
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Where this data comes from
3 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2016. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP)
MASSDEP3 samples · 2016
Analytical methods
- 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
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)