Banner Creek Lake
Jackson County, Kansas535 acresView mapDirections
Nutrients and algae run above the regional average.
↓ down from C at the last regrade
- Eutrophic
- Impaired · Nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen)
- #1 of 1 in the county
- 25 ft max depth
- Limited data
Banner Creek Lake in Jackson County, Kansas has a water quality grade of D (Nutrient-rich). Water clarity: 2.9 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 46.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 22.5 µg/L. Surface area: 535 acres.
- Clarity
- 2.9 ft
- Max depth
- ~25 ft est.
- Area
- 535 acres
- Type
- Eutrophic
- Phosphorus
- 46.5 µg/L
- Chlorophyll-a
- 22.5 µg/L
- Trend
- ↑ Improving
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Stays near Banner Creek Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Banner Creek Lake in Jackson County, Kansas — 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 Banner Creek Lake are listed below.
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Watch Banner Creek Lake’s letter
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Banner Creek Lake is a 535-acre productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Jackson County, Kansas with an estimated average depth of about 25 feet. Water quality is graded D based on 2 sampling years through 2017. Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, KDHE, last sampled 2017-06-12. 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 D is nutrients and algae, not a swimming clearance. Banner Creek Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen). Check local advisories before you swim.
Water Quality Grade: D (Nutrient-rich)
Very murky, less than 2.9 ft of visibility. Phosphorus 46.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 22.5 µg/L. TSI 61. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 2.9 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | 46.5 µg/L | Fair |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 22.5 µg/L | Poor |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 61 | Eutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | ~25 ft est. |
| Average Depth | ~11 ft est. |
| Surface Area | 535 acres |
Depth marked “est.” is a modeled maximum from GLOBathy (Khazaei et al. 2022, CC0), not a measured survey. Kansas has not published bathymetry for Banner Creek Lake.
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 Banner Creek Lake
Water Quality Trend: ↑ Improving
Based on 2 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | ↑ Improving | +0.05 m/yr | 2 |
| Phosphorus | ↑ Improving | -2.87 µg/L/yr | 2 |
| Chlorophyll-a | ↓ Declining | +1.38 µg/L/yr | 2 |
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Banner Creek Lake is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Delaware Mpd No 36 (Banner Creek) (completed 1997), built primarily for water supply on the Banner Creek; earth-type dam, 64 ft tall and 3,100 ft long.
- Surface area
- 535 ac
- Normal storage
- 8,097 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 22,976 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 19 sq mi
- Hazard class
- High
- Owner
- JACKSON COUNTY
All listed purposes: Water Supply;Flood Risk Reduction.
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID KS07757 · Operator website
EPA Impairment Status
Banner Creek Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2024 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 5).
Causes of impairment
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit KS-LM032001 · Official waterbody report
County Ranking
Ranked #1 of 1 lakes in Jackson County
Nearby Lakes in Jackson County
Frequently asked questions about Banner Creek Lake
Where is Banner Creek Lake?
- Banner Creek Lake is a lake in Jackson County, Kansas. LakeQuality grades it D for nutrients and algae. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
What is the water quality grade for Banner Creek Lake?
- Banner Creek Lake in Jackson County, Kansas has a water quality grade of D (Nutrient-rich). Water clarity: 2.9 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 46.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 22.5 µg/L. Surface area: 535 acres.
Is Banner Creek Lake safe to swim in?
- The D is nutrients and algae, not a swimming clearance. Banner Creek Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen). Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Banner Creek Lake?
- No published bathymetric survey covers Banner Creek Lake, so its depth has not been measured. The HydroLAKES global model estimates an average depth of about 25 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 535 acres.
Explore Banner Creek Lake across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
10 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2013–2017. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Kansas Department Of Health And Environment
21KAN001_WQX10 samples · 2013–2017
Analytical methods
- Depth, Secchi disk depth
- Phosphorus by Colorimetry
- 10200 H ~ Chlorophyll a-b-c Determination
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)