WVDEP Celebrates Lakes Appreciation Month
WV Lakes Monitoring
July is Lakes Appreciation Month . This year, the North American Lakes Management Society, NALMS, is celebrating 25 years since the lakes appreciation initiative was first observed in 1998. In celebration, WVDEP would like to take the opportunity to share about the lakes monitoring program and highlight 5 lakes we have recently sampled.
WVDEP Water Quality Standards and Assessment Section (WQSAS) Lakes Monitoring Program monitors selected lakes annually from June to September. Monitoring includes assessing the biological, physiochemical, and habitat components of WV lakes.
Lakes selection for sampling is based on numerous factors, including the watershed in which the lake resides. Lakes are sampled in accordance with the Watershed Management Framework on a 5-year rotating basis. Lakes within the current year’s watershed group are evaluated based on a combination of previous sampling results, existing water quality impairments, past occurrence of Harmful Algal Blooms, if the lake is public, if the lake has ever been sampled, as well as the amount of recreational or other human use a lake receives. WVDEP samples each targeted lake four times during the summer months in order to target the growing season.
To view the Watershed Management Framework map showing watershed groups:
The number of monitoring stations per lake varies and is generally proportional to the size of the lake. The components of sampling include a vertical water chemistry profile, including physiochemical properties, nutrients, turbidity measurements, chlorophyll-a, fecal coliform, Secchi depth, and some habitat and human disturbance observations. Benthic macroinvertebrates are collected at most lakes.
Since 2004 WVDEP WQSAS's Lakes Program has sampled a total of 188 stations across 83 lakes. Forty of the 83 lakes have had follow-up sampling in subsequent years. Interestingly, only one lake in WV is not manmade, Trout Pond in Hardy County.
Assessing Water Quality
WVDEP assesses the health of a lake by comparing sample results to nutrient water quality standards for total phosphorus and chlorophyll-a (47CSR2, Section 8.3). Impairment for these water quality standards impact Contact Recreation and Propagation of Warm Water or Trout Fisheries.
Why measure Phosphorus and Chlorophyll-a?
Phosphorus is an essential nutrient for aquatic plants. However, too much phosphorus in a lake can lead to an overgrowth of plants and algae, including potentially harmful cyanobacteria/blue-green algae. Sources of phosphorus can be both natural and man-made. Natural sources include waterfowl waste, plant decomposition, and weathering of phosphate-containing rocks and soil. Man-made sources include fertilizer, pet waste, agricultural and urban runoff, as well as faulty or overloaded sewage and septic systems. Chlorophyll-a is used to measure the amount of algae in the water, which is a measure of lake productivity, as all green plants use chlorophyll-a to absorb sunlight and convert it to energy. It's possible for one to be high while the other is low so measuring both total phosphorus and chlorophyll-a together provides a better picture of lake health. If a lake's chlorophyll-a content is high the phosphorus could be low if the algae and plants consume all of the phosphorus. If the plants and algae were to die off, phosphorus levels could rise.
Water Quality Standards for total phosphorus and chlorophyll-a in warm water and cool water lakes are as follows:
Total Phosphorus
- Cool Water Lakes
- Maximum of 0.03 mg/L
- Warm Water Lakes
- Maximum of 0.04 mg/L
Chlorophyll-a
- Cool Water Lakes
- Maximum of 10 ug/L
- Warm Water Lakes
- Maximum of 20 ug/L
Fish Consumption Advisories
WVDEP partners with the WVDHHR and WVDNR to collect and analyze fish tissue from streams and lakes to establish consumption advisories. Advisories may limit meal consumption of specific fish in specific water bodies due to mercury, PCBs, or dioxin contamination. General advisories are issued for certain fish when they are caught in any waterbody. Specific advisories are listed for specific waterbodies if they are more stringent than the general advisories.
To learn more about advisories, access an interactive mapping tool hosted by WVDHHR using the button below.
Refer to the WVDNR fishing regulations for advisories and recommendations for preparing fish for consumption using the button below.
Tygart Lake
One of WV’s deepest lakes with max depth of about 135 feet
Location: Grafton, WV in Taylor County
1,750-acre Cool Water Fishery
Monitored: 2012, 2017, & 2022
Results for 2022:
- Meeting Water Quality Standards for cool water fishery for Total Phosphorus and Chlorophyll-a as specified by 47CSR2 section 8.3.a.2.
Chlorophyll-a
Total Phosphorus
Additional Information
Tygart Lake is a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers impoundment near Grafton in Taylor County. It is formed by a 230-feet high dam on the Tygart Valley River and is one of WV’s deepest lakes with maximum depth of approximately 135 feet. Land uses in the Tygart Valley River watershed above the lake consists of a mixture of coal mining, timber harvesting, agriculture, oil/gas extraction, quarrying, residential, urban, and recreational. Notably, even with this diverse mix of land uses and the potential for some to cause nutrient enrichment, Tygart Lake has consistently met water quality standards for phosphorus and chlorophyll-a. These good water quality conditions have made Tygart Lake a popular destination for fisherman.
Click the button below for more information about recreational activities and lodging at Tygart Lake.
Summersville Lake
The largest lake in WV covering 2,800 acres
Location: Summersville, WV in Nicholas County
2800-acre Cool Water Fishery
Monitored: 2013 & 2023
- WQSAS is currently monitoring Summersville Lake this summer and will provide updated information as it becomes available.
Results for 2013:
- Meeting Water Quality Standards for cool water fishery for Total Phosphorus and Chlorophyll-a as specified by 47CSR2 section 8.3.a.2.
Chlorophyll-a: 2013
Total Phosphorus: 2013
Fish Consumption Advisories
Specific Advisories recommend limiting consumption of:
- Flathead Catfish, all sizes, to 1 meal a month
- Walleye to 1 meal a month
Additional Information
Summersville Lake is one of the most popular cool water lakes in WV. It is formed by a large rock-fill dam on the Gauley River. The Gauley watershed above the lake is mostly forested with extensive acreage located within the Monongahela National Forest where native brook trout streams are common. The geology of the watershed is conducive to relatively infertile waters, and sources of nutrients are infrequent – leading to conditions that meet the established water quality standards for phosphorus and chlorophyll-a. The resulting clear waters of Summersville Lake make it a popular destination for scuba divers as well as others seeking a variety of recreational activities.
Click the button below for more information about recreational activities and lodging at Summersville Lake.
Summit Lake
One of the coolest lakes with water temps averaging 70 degrees F
Location: Near Richwood, WV Greenbrier County
43-acre Cool Water Fishery
Monitored: 2004, 2018, & 2023
- WQSAS is currently monitoring Summit Lake this summer and will provide updated information as it becomes available.
Results for 2018:
- Meeting Water Quality Standards for cool water fishery for Total Phosphorus and Chlorophyll-a as specified by 47CSR2 section 8.3.a.2.
Chlorophyll-a: 2018
Total Phosphorus: 2018
Additional Information
Summit Lake is a small reservoir located in the headwaters of North Fork/Cherry River. Coats Run and a tributary fill the lake via two separate arms and are ultimately impounded by an earthen dam approximately 0.5 miles away. The lake and its upstream watershed are entirely forested and within the Monongahela National Forest. At an elevation of nearly 3,400 feet, it is one of the coolest lakes in WV with annual summer water temperatures averaging only 70 degrees Fahrenheit near the surface. High elevation and a fully forested watershed combine to create the conditions necessary for Summit Lake to routinely meet water quality standards for phosphorus and chlorophyll-a.
- Note: Coats Run does receive limestone treatment for low pH associated with acid precipitation.
Click the button below for more information about recreational activities and lodging at Summit Lake.
Sutton Lake
Repeatedly demonstrates good water quality
Location: Sutton, WV in Braxton County
1,440 acre Warm Water Fishery
Monitored: 2004, 2007, 2012, 2017, & 2022
Results for 2022:
- Meeting Water Quality Standards for warm water fishery for Total Phosphorus and Chlorophyll-a as specified by 47CSR2 section 8.3.a.2.
Chlorophyll-a
Total Phosphorus
Fish Consumption Advisories
Specific Advisories recommend limiting consumption of:
- Black Bass greater than 12 inches, to 1 meal/month
Additional Information
Sutton Lake is a flood control reservoir on the Elk River located in Braxton and Webster counties. It is located abut 100 miles above Charleston, WV, where it flows into the Kanawha River. The watershed above the lake is generally covered in forest but with some noteworthy land uses including Snowshoe Resort in the headwaters, where just downstream the Elk River forms below the confluence of Big Spring Fork and Old Field Fork. Other uses include agriculture, rural residences, logging, coal mining, oil/gas, and public lands such as the Monongahela National Forest, Holly River State Park, and Elk River Wildlife Management Area which borders the lake on both sides for most of its length. Several streams in the upper parts of the watershed sustain year-round trout populations. Sutton Lake has been monitored by WQSAS several times since 2004 and has repeatedly demonstrated good water quality that meets the established standards for phosphorus and chlorophyll-a.
Click the button below for more information about recreational activities and lodging at Sutton Lake.
Spruce Knob Lake
The lake with the highest elevation at 3,840 feet
Location: Circleville, WV in Randolph County
25-acre Cool Water Fishery
Monitored: 2004, 2006, 2011, 2016, & 2022
- Listed as impaired for chlorophyll-a in 2016.
- New data from 2022 shows values below the threshold for chlorophyll-a nutrient criteria.
Results for 2022:
- Meeting Water Quality Standards for cool water fishery for Total Phosphorus and Chlorophyll-a as specified by 47CSR2 section 8.3.a.2.
Chlorophyll-a
Total Phosphorus
Additional Information
Spruce Knob Lake is a small impoundment located in the headwaters of Gandy Creek in Randolph County. The lake is formed by an earthen dam on Narrow Ridge Run. Spruce Knob Lake and its upstream watershed are entirely forested within the Monongahela National Forest. At an elevation of 3,840 feet it is the lake with the highest elevation in the state. Near-surface summer water temperature averages around 72 degrees Fahrenheit, making it one of the coolest lakes in the state. During the summer, water in Spruce Knob Lake can develop a brownish color due to tannins and dissolved organic matter from the surrounding coniferous forest. Despite the high elevation and fully forested watershed, Spruce Knob Lake does occasionally experience algae blooms. In 2016, Spruce Knob Lake did not meet water quality standards for chlorophyll-a. However, monitoring conducted in 2022 showed Spruce Knob Lake was meeting water quality criteria for both phosphorus and chlorophyll-a.
Click the button below for more information about recreational activities and lodging at Spruce Knob Lake.
