Oliver Reservoir
Kimball County, Nebraska264 acresView mapDirections
Clarity, phosphorus, and algae sit in the clean band for this region.
↑ up from C at the last regrade
- Eutrophic
- Impaired · Algal growth
- #1 of 1 in the county
- 21 ft max depth
Oliver Reservoir in Kimball County, Nebraska has a water quality grade of B (Good). Water clarity: 1.7 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 71.8 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 7.9 µg/L. Surface area: 264 acres.
- Clarity
- 1.7 ft
- Max depth
- ~21 ft est.
- Area
- 264 acres
- Type
- Eutrophic
- Phosphorus
- 71.8 µg/L
- Chlorophyll-a
- 7.9 µg/L
- Trend
- ↑ Improving
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Watch Oliver Reservoir’s letter
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Oliver Reservoir is a 264-acre productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Kimball County, Nebraska with an estimated average depth of about 21 feet. Water quality is graded B based on 1 sampling years through 2024. Overall water quality is improving over recent sampling years.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, NDEE, last sampled 2024-09-25. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.
Swimming Safety
Grade onlyLow algae
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. Oliver Reservoir is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for algal growth, nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen). Check local advisories before you swim.
Water Quality Grade: B (Good)
Very murky, less than 1.7 ft of visibility. Phosphorus 71.8 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 7.9 µg/L. TSI 62. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 1.7 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | 71.8 µg/L | Not graded |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 7.9 µg/L | Good |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 62 | Eutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | ~21 ft est. |
| Average Depth | ~8 ft est. |
| Surface Area | 264 acres |
Depth marked “est.” is a modeled maximum from GLOBathy (Khazaei et al. 2022, CC0), not a measured survey. Nebraska has not published bathymetry for Oliver 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.
Fishing Oliver Reservoir
Water Quality Trend: ↑ Improving
Based on 11 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | → Stable | +0.02 m/yr | 11 |
| Phosphorus | ↑ Improving | -16.66 µg/L/yr | 4 |
| Chlorophyll-a | ↑ Improving | -0.75 µg/L/yr | 10 |
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Oliver Reservoir is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Oliver Dam (completed 1910), built primarily for irrigation on the Lodgepole Creek; earth-type dam, 48 ft tall and 5,800 ft long.
- Surface area
- 264 ac
- Normal storage
- 2,678 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 8,428 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 1,203.5 sq mi
- Hazard class
- High
- Owner
- South Platte Natural Resources District
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID NE00749 · Operator website
EPA Impairment Status
Oliver 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-SP2-L0030 · Official waterbody report
County Ranking
Ranked #1 of 1 lakes in Kimball County
Nearby Lakes in Kimball County
Frequently asked questions about Oliver Reservoir
Where is Oliver Reservoir?
- Oliver Reservoir is a lake in Kimball County, Nebraska. LakeQuality grades it B for nutrients and algae. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
What is the water quality grade for Oliver Reservoir?
- Oliver Reservoir in Kimball County, Nebraska has a water quality grade of B (Good). Water clarity: 1.7 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 71.8 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 7.9 µg/L. Surface area: 264 acres.
Is Oliver Reservoir safe to swim in?
- The B is nutrients and algae, not a swimming clearance. Oliver Reservoir is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for algal growth, nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen). Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Oliver Reservoir?
- No published bathymetric survey covers Oliver Reservoir, so its depth has not been measured. The HydroLAKES global model estimates an average depth of about 21 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 264 acres.
Explore Oliver Reservoir across LakeQuality
More Nebraska Lake Rankings
Other Grade B Lakes in Nebraska
Eutrophic Lakes in Nebraska
Where this data comes from
142 measurements from 2 monitoring stations, 2014–2024. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Nebraska Department of Environment and Energy
21NEB001_WQX142 samples · 2014–2024
Analytical methods
- Total Phosphorus After Block Digestion
- 447.0 ~ EPA; Chlorophyll a and b in phytoplankton by HPLC/UV
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)