Davis Creek Reservoir
Greeley County, Nebraska1,430 acresView mapDirections
Clarity, phosphorus, and algae all sit in the cleanest band for this region.
↑ up from B at the last regrade
- Mesotrophic
- Impaired · Mercury
- #1 of 1 in the county
- 96 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
Davis Creek Reservoir in Greeley County, Nebraska has a water quality grade of A (Excellent). Water clarity: 3.9 ft visibility. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 4.1 µg/L. Surface area: 1430 acres.
- Clarity
- 3.9 ft
- Max depth
- ~96 ft est.
- Area
- 1,430 acres
- Type
- Mesotrophic
- Chlorophyll-a
- 4.1 µg/L
- Trend
- → Stable
- Public access
- Yes
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Watch Davis Creek Reservoir’s letter
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Davis Creek Reservoir is a 1,430-acre mesotrophic lake in Greeley County, Nebraska with an estimated average depth of about 96 feet. Water quality is graded A based on 1 sampling years through 2020. Water clarity is declining over recent sampling years. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, NDEE, last sampled 2020-09-17. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.
What Davis Creek Reservoir is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Camping1 public campground nearby
- Big water1,430 acres
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 A is nutrients and algae, not a swimming clearance. Davis Creek Reservoir is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.
Water Quality Grade: A (Excellent)
Murky, only visible to about 3.9 ft. Chlorophyll-a 4.1 µg/L. TSI 51. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 3.9 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | No recent samples | |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 4.1 µg/L | Good |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 51 | Mesotrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | ~96 ft est. |
| Average Depth | ~63 ft est. |
| Surface Area | 1,430 acres |
| 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 Davis Creek Reservoir.
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
Public campgrounds near Davis Creek Reservoir
- Davis Creek Recreation Area Campground1.6 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
Fishing Davis Creek Reservoir
Water Quality Trend: → Stable
Based on 3 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | ↓ Declining | -1.512 m/yr | 3 |
| Chlorophyll-a | ↑ Improving | -1.75 µg/L/yr | 3 |
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Davis Creek Reservoir is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Davis Creek Dam (completed 1990), built primarily for irrigation on the Davis Creek; earth-type dam, 144 ft tall and 3,000 ft long.
- Surface area
- 1,430 ac
- Normal storage
- 31,158 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 44,918 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 6.48 sq mi
- Hazard class
- High
- Owner
- BUREAU OF RECLAMATION
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID NE02342 · Operator website
EPA Impairment Status
Davis Creek Reservoir 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-LO2-L0015 · Official waterbody report
County Ranking
Ranked #1 of 1 lakes in Greeley County
Nearby Lakes in Greeley County
Frequently asked questions about Davis Creek Reservoir
Where is Davis Creek Reservoir?
- Davis Creek Reservoir is a lake in Greeley County, Nebraska. LakeQuality grades it A for nutrients and algae. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
What is the water quality grade for Davis Creek Reservoir?
- Davis Creek Reservoir in Greeley County, Nebraska has a water quality grade of A (Excellent). Water clarity: 3.9 ft visibility. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 4.1 µg/L. Surface area: 1430 acres.
Is Davis Creek Reservoir safe to swim in?
- The A is nutrients and algae, not a swimming clearance. Davis Creek Reservoir is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Davis Creek Reservoir?
- No published bathymetric survey covers Davis Creek Reservoir, so its depth has not been measured. The HydroLAKES global model estimates an average depth of about 96 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 1430 acres.
Are there campgrounds on Davis Creek Reservoir?
- Davis Creek Reservoir has 1 public campground from USGS The National Map within 5 km, including Davis Creek Recreation Area 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 Davis Creek Reservoir across LakeQuality
More Nebraska Lake Rankings
Other Grade A Lakes in Nebraska
Mesotrophic Lakes in Nebraska
Where this data comes from
33 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2013–2020. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Nebraska Department of Environment and Energy
21NEB001_WQX33 samples · 2013–2020
Analytical methods
- 445.0 ~ EPA; Chlorophyll and Pheophytin in Algae by Fluorescence
- 447.0 ~ EPA; Chlorophyll a and b in phytoplankton by HPLC/UV
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)
Public campgrounds from USGS The National Map Structures, within about 3 miles