Calamus Reservoir
Garfield County, Nebraska5,123 acresView mapDirections
Nebraska DEE publishes the water-quality measurements for Calamus Reservoir. Here is what has been measured.
- Eutrophic
- Impaired · Algal growth
- 72 ft max depth
- Public access
Calamus Reservoir in Garfield County, Nebraska has water-quality measurements published by Nebraska DEE, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 3.6 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 124.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 26.1 µg/L. Surface area: 5123 acres.
Calamus Reservoir is a 5,123-acre productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Garfield County, Nebraska with an estimated average depth of about 72 feet. Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available with 3 public boat landings.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, NDEE, last sampled 2024-09-23. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
At about 5,100 acres, Calamus Reservoir is large enough that where you stay decides which shore you see most of. It has 3 public boat landings, so a lakefront rental is not the only way to get a boat on the water. Vrbo is where to look for cabins and lake homes around Calamus Reservoir, and Booking.com and Expedia search hotels near the lake for your dates.
What Calamus Reservoir is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch3 documented ramps
- Camping1 public campground nearby
- Big water5,123 acres
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyAlgae risk
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. Calamus Reservoir is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for algal growth, mercury, nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen), pH / acidity. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Calamus Reservoir is safe to swim in today is a call for the Nebraska Department of Environment and Energy and the county health department, who post current advisories. LakeQuality does not issue swimming clearances.
Water quality measurements for Calamus Reservoir
These are the measurements Nebraska DEE publishes for Calamus 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 3.6 ft. Phosphorus 124.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 26.1 µg/L. TSI 65.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 3.6ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 125µg/L | Good GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 26.1µg/L | Good GoodFairPoor |
| Trophic state (TSI)Carlson's 0–100 index of how much algae a lake can support, from clarity, phosphorus and chlorophyll-a. | 65 | Eutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Ask about Calamus Reservoir
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Lake Details
Max depth
~72 ft est.
Surface area
5,123 acres
Public access
Yes
Listed by Nebraska DEE
Depth marked “est.” is a modeled maximum from GLOBathy (Khazaei et al. 2022, CC0), not a measured survey. Nebraska has not published bathymetry for Calamus Reservoir.
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
949 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Shoreline
23.8 mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
2,238 ft
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.
Recreation & Access
- Buckshot BayPublic
- Homestead KnollsPublic
- Nunda ShoalsPublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Public campgrounds near Calamus Reservoir
- Homestead Knolls Campground0.7 km
Nearest public campgrounds in the USGS National Map inventory, within about 3 miles. An empty list means USGS records no campground that close, which is not the same as camping being unavailable. Where the source gives an official reservation link, it is used; the cabin and hotel search does not cover campsites. More camping lakes
Stays via Stay22
Stays near Calamus Reservoir
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Calamus Reservoir in Garfield County, Nebraska — 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.
Top-rated places to stay near Calamus Reservoir
Prices for Oct 30–Nov 1, 4 adults. Change dates on the map below.
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Fishing Calamus Reservoir
Water Quality Trend: Improving
Based on 11 years of monitoring (2012–2024).
Water clarity
Stable11 years
Phosphorus
Improving-32.51 µg/L/yr4 years
Chlorophyll-a
Improving-1.2 µg/L/yr11 years
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Calamus Reservoir is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Virginia Smith Dam (completed 1985), built primarily for irrigation on the Calamus River; earth-type dam, 96 ft tall and 7,295 ft long.
- Surface area
- 5,123 ac
- Normal storage
- 127,400 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 177,623 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 1,060 sq mi
- Hazard class
- High
- Owner
- BUREAU OF RECLAMATION
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID NE02287 · Operator website
EPA Impairment Status
Calamus Reservoir is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2022 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 5).
Causes of impairment
Designated uses not supporting: Aquatic life.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit NE-LO2-L0050 · Official waterbody report
Nearby Lakes in Garfield County
Frequently asked questions about Calamus Reservoir
Where is Calamus Reservoir?
- Calamus Reservoir is a lake in Garfield County, Nebraska. Its water-quality measurements are published by Nebraska DEE and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Calamus Reservoir?
- Calamus Reservoir in Garfield County, Nebraska has water-quality measurements published by Nebraska DEE, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 3.6 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 124.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 26.1 µg/L. Surface area: 5123 acres.
Is Calamus Reservoir safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Calamus Reservoir is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for algal growth, mercury, nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen), pH / acidity. Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Calamus Reservoir?
- No published bathymetric survey covers Calamus Reservoir, so its depth has not been measured. The HydroLAKES global model estimates an average depth of about 72 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 5123 acres.
Are there boat ramps on Calamus Reservoir?
- Calamus Reservoir has 3 documented boat landings in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Buckshot Bay, Homestead Knolls, Nunda Shoals. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at Calamus Reservoir?
- Calamus Reservoir has 3 documented boat landings in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Seasons, size and bag limits, and whether you need a license are set by Nebraska's fish and wildlife agency, so check its current regulations before you go.
Are there campgrounds on Calamus Reservoir?
- Calamus Reservoir has 1 public campground from USGS The National Map within 5 km, including Homestead Knolls Campground. This is a location join, not a booking. Cabins and hotels are listed separately; campsite reservations use the official link when the source provides one.
Explore Calamus Reservoir across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
149 measurements from 2 monitoring stations, 2012–2024. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Nebraska Department of Environment and Energy
21NEB001_WQX149 samples · 2012–2024
Analytical methods
- 445.0 ~ EPA; Chlorophyll and Pheophytin in Algae by Fluorescence
- Total Phosphorus After Block Digestion
- 447.0 ~ EPA; Chlorophyll a and b in phytoplankton by HPLC/UV
Monitoring station identifiers (2)
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.
Other records on this page
Impairment status from EPA ATTAINS 303(d) database
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory
Public campgrounds from USGS The National Map Structures, within about 3 miles