Cottonwood Lake
Cherry County, NebraskaView mapDirections
Not enough samples to grade — the only measurement available is water clarity, which is not a water-quality indicator on its own — EPA's National Lakes Assessment does not grade clarity. No letter yet. Here is what we do have.
- Impaired · Mercury
- 10 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
Cottonwood Lake in Cherry County, Nebraska is not rated for water quality — its monitoring record does not meet the evidence bar. Water clarity: 6.7 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 53.4 µg/L.
- Clarity
- 6.7 ft
- Max depth
- ~10 ft est.
- Phosphorus
- 53.4 µg/L
- Public access
- Yes
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Watch Cottonwood Lake’s letter
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Why Cottonwood 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 Cottonwood Lake, the only measurement available is water clarity, which is not a water-quality indicator on its own — EPA's National Lakes Assessment does not grade clarity. Sampling here has recorded water clarity and phosphorus, but not 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 NDEE and volunteer programs, and published through the EPA Water Quality Portal. Read the full grading methodology.
Cottonwood Lake is a lake in Cherry County, Nebraska with an estimated average depth of about 10 feet. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, NDEE, last sampled 2014-09-24. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.
What Cottonwood Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
Swimming Safety
Not ratedLimited data
The letter is not a swimming clearance. Cottonwood Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for mercury, pH / acidity. Check local advisories before you swim.
Water quality measurements for Cottonwood Lake
These readings exist but are not enough for an A–F grade — see why.
Moderate clarity, visible to about 6.7 ft. Phosphorus 53.4 µg/L. TSI 56.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 6.7 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | 53.4 µg/L | Not graded |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | No recent samples | |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 56 | Eutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | ~10 ft est. |
| Average Depth | ~8 ft est. |
| Public Access | Yes |
Depth marked “est.” is a modeled maximum from GLOBathy (Khazaei et al. 2022, CC0), not a measured survey. Nebraska has not published bathymetry for Cottonwood 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.
Recreation & Access
- Cottonwood Lake State Recreation AreaPublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Fishing Cottonwood Lake
EPA Impairment Status
Cottonwood Lake is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2022 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 5).
Causes of impairment
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit NE-NI4-L0010 · Official waterbody report · Matched by proximity (0.1 km)
Graded lakes near Cottonwood Lake
Cottonwood Lake has no grade, but these lakes within a short drive do.
Nearby Lakes in Cherry County
Frequently asked questions about Cottonwood Lake
Where is Cottonwood Lake?
- Cottonwood Lake is a lake in Cherry County, Nebraska. LakeQuality has not rated this lake (UNRATED) — the only measurement available is water clarity, which is not a water-quality indicator on its own — EPA's National Lakes Assessment does not grade clarity.
What is the water quality grade for Cottonwood Lake?
- Cottonwood Lake in Cherry County, Nebraska is not rated for water quality — its monitoring record does not meet the evidence bar. Water clarity: 6.7 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 53.4 µg/L.
Is Cottonwood Lake safe to swim in?
- The letter is not a swimming clearance. Cottonwood Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for mercury, pH / acidity. Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Cottonwood Lake?
- No published bathymetric survey covers Cottonwood Lake, so its depth has not been measured. The HydroLAKES global model estimates an average depth of about 10 feet, but that is a modelled estimate derived from surrounding terrain rather than a measurement on the water, so treat it as approximate.
Are there boat ramps on Cottonwood Lake?
- Cottonwood Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Cottonwood Lake State Recreation Area. Public access is listed as yes.
Explore Cottonwood Lake across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
7 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2014. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Nebraska Department of Environment and Energy
21NEB001_WQX7 samples · 2014
Analytical methods
- Total Phosphorus After Block Digestion
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)
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory