Powder Creek Lake
Dixon County, Nebraska108 acresView mapDirections
Nutrients and algae run above the regional average.
- Eutrophic
- Impaired · Algal growth
- #1 of 2 in the county
- Public access
- Limited data
Powder Creek Lake in Dixon County, Nebraska has a water quality grade of D (Nutrient-rich). Water clarity: 2.7 ft visibility. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 29.5 µg/L. Surface area: 108 acres.
- Clarity
- 2.7 ft
- Area
- 108 acres
- Type
- Eutrophic
- Chlorophyll-a
- 29.5 µg/L
- Public access
- Yes
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Stays near Powder Creek Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Powder Creek Lake in Dixon 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 Powder Creek Lake are listed below.
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Watch Powder Creek Lake’s letter
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Powder Creek Lake is a 108-acre productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Dixon County, Nebraska. Water quality is graded D based on 1 sampling years through 2016. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing. Compared to the 1 other monitored lakes in Dixon County, Powder Creek Lake ranks #1 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, NDEE, last sampled 2016-09-21. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.
What Powder Creek Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
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 D is nutrients and algae, not a swimming clearance. Powder Creek Lake 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: D (Nutrient-rich)
Very murky, less than 2.7 ft of visibility. Chlorophyll-a 29.5 µg/L. TSI 63. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 2.7 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | No recent samples | |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 29.5 µg/L | Poor |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 63 | Eutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Surface Area | 108 acres |
| Public Access | Yes |
No bathymetric survey has been published for Powder Creek Lake, so its depth is not documented here.
Recreation & Access
- Powder CreekPublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Fishing Powder Creek Lake
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Powder Creek Lake is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Aowa Creek 31-20a (completed 2003), built primarily for flood risk reduction on the Powder Creek; earth-type dam, 62 ft tall and 1,495 ft long.
- Surface area
- 108 ac
- Normal storage
- 942 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 4,421 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 11.9 sq mi
- Hazard class
- Significant
- Owner
- Lewis & Clark Natural Resources District
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID NE02668 · Operator website · Matched by proximity (0.16 km)
EPA Impairment Status
Powder Creek 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-MT2-L0005 · Official waterbody report
County Ranking
Ranked #1 of 2 lakes in Dixon County
Nearby Lakes With Higher Grades
Powder Creek Lake holds Grade D. One nearby lake has a higher nutrient-and-algae grade — useful for a swim day, not a reason to skip lodging here.
Nearby Lakes in Dixon County
Frequently asked questions about Powder Creek Lake
Where is Powder Creek Lake?
- Powder Creek Lake is a lake in Dixon County, Nebraska. LakeQuality grades it D for nutrients and algae. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
What is the water quality grade for Powder Creek Lake?
- Powder Creek Lake in Dixon County, Nebraska has a water quality grade of D (Nutrient-rich). Water clarity: 2.7 ft visibility. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 29.5 µg/L. Surface area: 108 acres.
Is Powder Creek Lake safe to swim in?
- The D is nutrients and algae, not a swimming clearance. Powder Creek Lake is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for algal growth, nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen). Check local advisories before you swim.
Are there boat ramps on Powder Creek Lake?
- Powder Creek Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Powder Creek. Public access is listed as yes.
Explore Powder Creek Lake across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
10 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2016. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Nebraska Department of Environment and Energy
21NEB001_WQX10 samples · 2016
Analytical methods
- 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
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory