Centralia Lake
Nemaha County, Kansas404 acresView mapDirections
Not enough samples to grade — no nutrient or algae measurement meets the evidence bar (at least 3 samples within 10 years). No letter yet. Here is what we do have.
- Impaired · Noxious aquatic plants
- 45 ft max depth
- Limited data
Centralia Lake in Nemaha County, Kansas is not rated for water quality — its monitoring record does not meet the evidence bar. Water clarity: 2.1 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 140 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 21 µg/L. Surface area: 404.4 acres.
- Clarity
- 2.1 ft
- Max depth
- ~45 ft est.
- Area
- 404 acres
- Phosphorus
- 140 µg/L
- Chlorophyll-a
- 21 µg/L
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Watch Centralia Lake’s letter
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Why Centralia Lake has no grade
We grade a lake only when the monitoring record supports a letter: at least three phosphorus or chlorophyll-a samples in the last ten years, scored against EPA National Lakes Assessment thresholds for this lake’s ecoregion. For Centralia Lake, no nutrient or algae measurement meets the evidence bar (at least 3 samples within 10 years). Sampling here has recorded water clarity, phosphorus and algae (chlorophyll-a).
Not Rated is not an F. It is EPA Integrated Reporting Category 3 — insufficient information. The water here may be excellent or poor; nobody has measured enough of it to say. Everything below that has been measured is still reported on this page.
Sampling is run by KDHE and volunteer programs, and published through the EPA Water Quality Portal. Read the full grading methodology.
Centralia Lake is a 404-acre lake in Nemaha County, Kansas with an estimated average depth of about 45 feet.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, KDHE, last sampled 2013-07-15. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.
Swimming Safety
Not ratedLimited data
The letter is not a swimming clearance. Centralia Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for noxious aquatic plants, nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen), pH / acidity. Check local advisories before you swim.
Water quality measurements for Centralia Lake
These readings exist but are not enough for an A–F grade — see why.
Very murky, less than 2.1 ft of visibility. Phosphorus 140 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 21 µg/L. TSI 67.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 2.1 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | 140 µg/L | Not graded |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 21 µg/L | Not graded |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 67 | Eutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | ~45 ft est. |
| Average Depth | ~10 ft est. |
| Surface Area | 404 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 Centralia 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 Centralia Lake
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Centralia Lake is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Mpd No 50 (completed 1990), built primarily for other on the Black Vermillion River-Tr; earth-type dam, 49 ft tall and 1,820 ft long.
- Surface area
- 404.4 ac
- Normal storage
- 4,768.6 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 11,187.3 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 12.53 sq mi
- Hazard class
- Low
- Owner
- UPPER BLACK VERMILLION WJD NO 37
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID KS05503 · Operator website · Matched by proximity (0.35 km)
EPA Impairment Status
Centralia Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2024 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 4A).
Causes of impairment
A Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) plan has been approved.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit KS-LM073701 · Official waterbody report
Graded lakes near Centralia Lake
Centralia Lake has no grade, but these lakes within a short drive do.
Nearby Lakes in Nemaha County
Frequently asked questions about Centralia Lake
Where is Centralia Lake?
- Centralia Lake is a lake in Nemaha County, Kansas. LakeQuality has not rated this lake (UNRATED) — no nutrient or algae measurement meets the evidence bar (at least 3 samples within 10 years).
What is the water quality grade for Centralia Lake?
- Centralia Lake in Nemaha County, Kansas is not rated for water quality — its monitoring record does not meet the evidence bar. Water clarity: 2.1 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 140 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 21 µg/L. Surface area: 404.4 acres.
Is Centralia Lake safe to swim in?
- The letter is not a swimming clearance. Centralia Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 4A) for noxious aquatic plants, nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen), pH / acidity. Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Centralia Lake?
- No published bathymetric survey covers Centralia Lake, so its depth has not been measured. The HydroLAKES global model estimates an average depth of about 45 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 404.4 acres.
Explore Centralia Lake across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
5 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2013. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Kansas Department Of Health And Environment
21KAN001_WQX5 samples · 2013
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)