Elwood Reservoir
Gosper County, Nebraska1,145 acresView 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
- 96 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
Elwood Reservoir in Gosper County, Nebraska is not rated for water quality — its monitoring record does not meet the evidence bar. Water clarity: 10 ft visibility. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 3 µg/L. Surface area: 1145 acres.
- Clarity
- 10 ft
- Max depth
- ~96 ft est.
- Area
- 1,145 acres
- Chlorophyll-a
- 3 µg/L
- Public access
- Yes
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Watch Elwood Reservoir’s letter
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Why Elwood Reservoir 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 Elwood Reservoir, 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 algae (chlorophyll-a), but not phosphorus.
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.
Elwood Reservoir is a 1,145-acre lake in Gosper County, Nebraska with an estimated average depth of about 96 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 2013-09-18. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.
What Elwood Reservoir is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Clear water10 ft of visibility
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
- Big water1,145 acres
Swimming Safety
Not ratedLimited data
The letter is not a swimming clearance. Elwood Reservoir is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.
Water quality measurements for Elwood Reservoir
These readings exist but are not enough for an A–F grade — see why.
Good clarity, visible to about 10 ft. Chlorophyll-a 3 µg/L. TSI 43.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 10 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | No recent samples | |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 3 µg/L | Not graded |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 43 | Mesotrophic |
Moderate nutrients, good water quality
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | ~96 ft est. |
| Average Depth | ~68 ft est. |
| Surface Area | 1,145 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 Elwood 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
- Elwood Wildlife Management AreaPublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Fishing Elwood Reservoir
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Elwood Reservoir is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Elwood Dam (completed 1976), built primarily for irrigation on the Tr-Plum Creek; earth-type dam, 118 ft tall and 3,980 ft long.
- Surface area
- 1,145 ac
- Normal storage
- 37,956 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 45,950 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 6.76 sq mi
- Hazard class
- High
- Owner
- Central Nebraska Public Power & Irrigation District
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID NE01680 · Operator website
EPA Impairment Status
Elwood 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-MP2-L0540 · Official waterbody report
Graded lakes near Elwood Reservoir
Elwood Reservoir has no grade, but these lakes within a short drive do.
Nearby Lakes in Gosper County
Frequently asked questions about Elwood Reservoir
Where is Elwood Reservoir?
- Elwood Reservoir is a lake in Gosper 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 Elwood Reservoir?
- Elwood Reservoir in Gosper County, Nebraska is not rated for water quality — its monitoring record does not meet the evidence bar. Water clarity: 10 ft visibility. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 3 µg/L. Surface area: 1145 acres.
Is Elwood Reservoir safe to swim in?
- The letter is not a swimming clearance. Elwood Reservoir is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for mercury. Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Elwood Reservoir?
- No published bathymetric survey covers Elwood 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 1145 acres.
Are there boat ramps on Elwood Reservoir?
- Elwood Reservoir has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Elwood Wildlife Management Area. Public access is listed as yes.
Explore Elwood Reservoir across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
10 measurements from 2 monitoring stations, 2013. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Nebraska Department of Environment and Energy
21NEB001_WQX10 samples · 2013
Analytical methods
- 445.0 ~ EPA; Chlorophyll and Pheophytin in Algae by Fluorescence
Monitoring station identifiers (2)
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