Merritt Reservoir
Cherry County, Nebraska3,222 acresView mapDirections
Clarity, phosphorus, and algae sit in the clean band for this region.
↑ up from F at the last regrade
- Hypereutrophic
- Impaired · Algal growth
- #2 of 5 in the county
- 100 ft max depth
- Public access
Merritt Reservoir in Cherry County, Nebraska has a water quality grade of B (Good). Water clarity: 2 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 147 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 92.1 µg/L. Surface area: 3222 acres.
- Clarity
- 2 ft
- Max depth
- ~100 ft est.
- Area
- 3,222 acres
- Type
- Hypereutrophic
- Phosphorus
- 147 µg/L
- Chlorophyll-a
- 92.1 µg/L
- Trend
- ↓ Declining
- Public access
- Yes
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Watch Merritt Reservoir’s letter
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Merritt Reservoir is a 3,222-acre highly nutrient-loaded hypereutrophic lake in Cherry County, Nebraska with an estimated average depth of about 100 feet. Water quality is graded B based on 2 sampling years through 2024. Overall water quality is declining over recent sampling years. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available with 5 public boat landings. Compared to the 4 other monitored lakes in Cherry County, Merritt Reservoir ranks #2 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, NDEE, last sampled 2024-09-24. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.
What Merritt Reservoir is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch5 documented ramps
- Camping8 public campgrounds nearby
- Big water3,222 acres
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 B is nutrients and algae, not a swimming clearance. Merritt Reservoir is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for algal growth, mercury, nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen), oxygen depletion (low DO), pH / acidity. Check local advisories before you swim.
Water Quality Grade: B (Good)
Very murky, less than 2 ft of visibility. Phosphorus 147 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 92.1 µg/L. TSI 73. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 2 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | 147 µg/L | Good |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 92.1 µg/L | Good |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 73 | Hypereutrophic |
Very high nutrients, dense algae, poor clarity
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | ~100 ft est. |
| Average Depth | ~37 ft est. |
| Surface Area | 3,222 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 Merritt 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
- Beeds LandingPublic
- Cedar BayPublic
- Main RampPublic
- PowderhornPublic
- SnakePublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Public campgrounds near Merritt Reservoir
- Lone Tree Campground1.0 km
- Willow Cove Campground1.1 km
- Cottonwood Campground1.3 km
- Pines Campground2.2 km
- Cedar Bay Campground2.7 km
- Beed's Landing Campground3.0 km
- Snake River Campground3.2 km
- Boardman Creek Campground4.2 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 Merritt Reservoir
Water Quality Trend: ↓ Declining
Based on 13 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | ↓ Declining | -1.626 m/yr | 13 |
| Phosphorus | ↓ Declining | +6.98 µg/L/yr | 5 |
| Chlorophyll-a | ↓ Declining | +1.96 µg/L/yr | 12 |
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Merritt Reservoir is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Merritt Dam (completed 1964), built primarily for irrigation on the Snake River; earth-type dam, 126 ft tall and 3,222 ft long.
- Surface area
- 3,222 ac
- Normal storage
- 74,486 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 78,375 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 485.07 sq mi
- Hazard class
- High
- Owner
- BUREAU OF RECLAMATION
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID NE01074 · Operator website
EPA Impairment Status
Merritt 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-NI3-L0330 · Official waterbody report
County Ranking
Ranked #2 of 5 lakes in Cherry County
Nearby Lakes in Cherry County
Frequently asked questions about Merritt Reservoir
Where is Merritt Reservoir?
- Merritt Reservoir is a lake in Cherry County, Nebraska. LakeQuality grades it B for nutrients and algae. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
What is the water quality grade for Merritt Reservoir?
- Merritt Reservoir in Cherry County, Nebraska has a water quality grade of B (Good). Water clarity: 2 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 147 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 92.1 µg/L. Surface area: 3222 acres.
Is Merritt Reservoir safe to swim in?
- The B is nutrients and algae, not a swimming clearance. Merritt Reservoir is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for algal growth, mercury, nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen), oxygen depletion (low DO), pH / acidity. Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Merritt Reservoir?
- No published bathymetric survey covers Merritt Reservoir, so its depth has not been measured. The HydroLAKES global model estimates an average depth of about 100 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 3222 acres.
Are there boat ramps on Merritt Reservoir?
- Merritt Reservoir has 5 documented boat landings in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Beeds Landing, Cedar Bay, Main Ramp, Powderhorn, among others. Public access is listed as yes.
Are there campgrounds on Merritt Reservoir?
- Merritt Reservoir has 8 public campgrounds from USGS The National Map within 5 km, including Lone Tree Campground, Willow Cove Campground, Cottonwood Campground, Pines 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 Merritt Reservoir across LakeQuality
4.1 mi away
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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Where this data comes from
172 measurements from 3 monitoring stations, 2012–2024. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Nebraska Department of Environment and Energy
21NEB001_WQX172 samples · 2012–2024
Analytical methods
- Total Phosphorus After Block Digestion
- 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 (3)
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
Public campgrounds from USGS The National Map Structures, within about 3 miles