Meadowlark Lake
Seward County, Nebraska55 acresView mapDirections
Nutrients and algae run well above the regional average.
- Hypereutrophic
- Impaired · Algal growth
- #2 of 2 in the county
- 16 ft max depth
- Public access
Meadowlark Lake in Seward County, Nebraska has a water quality grade of F (Algae-prone). Water clarity: 1.8 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 235.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 49.8 µg/L. Surface area: 55 acres.
- Clarity
- 1.8 ft
- Max depth
- ~16 ft est.
- Area
- 55 acres
- Type
- Hypereutrophic
- Phosphorus
- 235.5 µg/L
- Chlorophyll-a
- 49.8 µg/L
- Trend
- ↑ Improving
- Public access
- Yes
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Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Meadowlark Lake in Seward 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. The water-quality grade measures nutrients and algae, not lodging — cabins and rentals around Meadowlark Lake are listed below.
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Meadowlark Lake is a 55-acre highly nutrient-loaded hypereutrophic lake in Seward County, Nebraska with an estimated average depth of about 16 feet. Water quality is graded F based on 2 sampling years through 2022. Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing. Compared to the 1 other monitored lakes in Seward County, Meadowlark Lake ranks #2 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, NDEE, last sampled 2022-09-08. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.
What Meadowlark Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
Swimming Safety
Grade onlyAlgae risk
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 F is nutrients and algae, not a swimming clearance. Meadowlark Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for algal growth, mercury, nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen). Check local advisories before you swim.
Water Quality Grade: F (Algae-prone)
Very murky, less than 1.8 ft of visibility. Phosphorus 235.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 49.8 µg/L. TSI 73. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 1.8 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | 235.5 µg/L | Poor |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 49.8 µg/L | Poor |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 73 | Hypereutrophic |
Very high nutrients, dense algae, poor clarity
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | ~16 ft est. |
| Average Depth | ~11 ft est. |
| Surface Area | 55 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 Meadowlark 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
- Meadow LarkPublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Fishing Meadowlark Lake
Water Quality Trend: ↑ Improving
Based on 3 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | → Stable | -0.256 m/yr | 3 |
| Phosphorus | ↑ Improving | -224 µg/L/yr | 2 |
| Chlorophyll-a | ↑ Improving | -3.76 µg/L/yr | 3 |
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Meadowlark Lake is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Oak-Middle 57-A (completed 1968), built primarily for flood risk reduction on the Tr-Peanut Creek; earth-type dam, 48 ft tall and 1,530 ft long.
- Surface area
- 55 ac
- Normal storage
- 383 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 1,697 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 5.9 sq mi
- Hazard class
- Low
- Owner
- Lower Platte South Natural Resources District
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID NE00080 · Operator website · Matched by proximity (0.14 km)
EPA Impairment Status
Meadowlark 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-LP2-L0220 · Official waterbody report
County Ranking
Ranked #2 of 2 lakes in Seward County
Nearby Lakes in Seward County
Frequently asked questions about Meadowlark Lake
Where is Meadowlark Lake?
- Meadowlark Lake is a lake in Seward County, Nebraska. LakeQuality grades it F for nutrients and algae. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
What is the water quality grade for Meadowlark Lake?
- Meadowlark Lake in Seward County, Nebraska has a water quality grade of F (Algae-prone). Water clarity: 1.8 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 235.5 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 49.8 µg/L. Surface area: 55 acres.
Is Meadowlark Lake safe to swim in?
- The F is nutrients and algae, not a swimming clearance. Meadowlark Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for algal growth, mercury, nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen). Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Meadowlark Lake?
- No published bathymetric survey covers Meadowlark Lake, so its depth has not been measured. The HydroLAKES global model estimates an average depth of about 16 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 55 acres.
Are there boat ramps on Meadowlark Lake?
- Meadowlark Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Meadow Lark. Public access is listed as yes.
Explore Meadowlark Lake across LakeQuality
Species activity outlook by water temperature and season
Where to stay at Nebraska's top lakes, each with its grade
Very high nutrients, dense algae, poor clarity
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Hypereutrophic Lakes in Nebraska
Where this data comes from
50 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2015–2022. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Nebraska Department of Environment and Energy
21NEB001_WQX50 samples · 2015–2022
Analytical methods
- Total Phosphorus After Block Digestion
- 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)
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory