Swanson Reservoir
Hitchcock County, Nebraska7,940 acresView mapDirections
Clarity, phosphorus, and algae sit in the clean band for this region.
↑ up from C at the last regrade
- Eutrophic
- Impaired · Mercury
- #1 of 1 in the county
- 45 ft max depth
- Public access
Swanson Reservoir in Hitchcock County, Nebraska has a water quality grade of B (Good). Water clarity: 2.6 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 90 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 7.1 µg/L. Surface area: 7940 acres.
- Clarity
- 2.6 ft
- Max depth
- ~45 ft est.
- Area
- 7,940 acres
- Type
- Eutrophic
- Phosphorus
- 90 µg/L
- Chlorophyll-a
- 7.1 µg/L
- Trend
- → Stable
- Public access
- Yes
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Watch Swanson Reservoir’s letter
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Swanson Reservoir is a 7,940-acre productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Hitchcock County, Nebraska with an estimated average depth of about 45 feet. Water quality is graded B based on 1 sampling years through 2024. Water clarity is declining over recent sampling years. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available with 5 public boat landings.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, NDEE, last sampled 2024-09-17. Grade methodology: LakeQuality methodology.
What Swanson Reservoir is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch5 documented ramps
- Camping2 public campgrounds nearby
- Big water7,940 acres
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. Swanson Reservoir is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for mercury, nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen). Check local advisories before you swim.
Water Quality Grade: B (Good)
Very murky, less than 2.6 ft of visibility. Phosphorus 90 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 7.1 µg/L. TSI 61. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
| Metric | Value | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity (Secchi Depth) | 2.6 ft | Not graded |
| Phosphorus | 90 µg/L | Not graded |
| Chlorophyll-a (Algae) | 7.1 µg/L | Good |
| Trophic State Index (TSI) | 61 | Eutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Lake Details
| Characteristic | Value |
|---|---|
| Maximum Depth | ~45 ft est. |
| Surface Area | 7,940 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 Swanson 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
- Swanson Lake (Low Water)Public
- Macklin BayPublic
- Swanson Lake - Spring Canyon NorthPublic
- Swanson Lake - Spring Canyon SouthPublic
- Swanson Lake Trail #3Public
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Public campgrounds near Swanson Reservoir
- Spring Canyon Campground2.0 km
- Macklin Bay Campground2.1 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 Swanson Reservoir
Water Quality Trend: → Stable
Based on 3 years of monitoring data (2020-2025).
| Metric | Trend | Change/Year | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water Clarity | ↓ Declining | -1.677 m/yr | 3 |
| Chlorophyll-a | ↑ Improving | -0.17 µg/L/yr | 3 |
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Swanson Reservoir is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Trenton Dam (completed 1953), built primarily for irrigation on the Republican River; earth-type dam, 144 ft tall and 8,600 ft long.
- Surface area
- 7,940 ac
- Normal storage
- 112,214 ac-ft
- Max storage
- 352,018 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 8,620 sq mi
- Hazard class
- High
- Owner
- BUREAU OF RECLAMATION
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID NE01078 · Operator website
EPA Impairment Status
Swanson 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-RE3-L0090 · Official waterbody report
County Ranking
Ranked #1 of 1 lakes in Hitchcock County
Nearby Lakes With Higher Grades
Swanson Reservoir holds Grade B. One nearby lake has a higher nutrient-and-algae grade — useful for a swim day, not a reason to skip lodging here.
See full comparison →Nearby Lakes in Hitchcock County
Frequently asked questions about Swanson Reservoir
Where is Swanson Reservoir?
- Swanson Reservoir is a lake in Hitchcock County, Nebraska. LakeQuality grades it B for nutrients and algae. The letter is not a swimming clearance.
What is the water quality grade for Swanson Reservoir?
- Swanson Reservoir in Hitchcock County, Nebraska has a water quality grade of B (Good). Water clarity: 2.6 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 90 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 7.1 µg/L. Surface area: 7940 acres.
Is Swanson Reservoir safe to swim in?
- The B is nutrients and algae, not a swimming clearance. Swanson Reservoir is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for mercury, nutrients (phosphorus, nitrogen). Check local advisories before you swim.
How deep is Swanson Reservoir?
- No published bathymetric survey covers Swanson Reservoir, so its depth has not been measured. The HydroLAKES global model estimates an average depth of about 45 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 7940 acres.
Are there boat ramps on Swanson Reservoir?
- Swanson Reservoir has 5 documented boat landings in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include Swanson Lake (Low Water), Macklin Bay, Swanson Lake - Spring Canyon North, Swanson Lake - Spring Canyon South, among others. Public access is listed as yes.
Are there campgrounds on Swanson Reservoir?
- Swanson Reservoir has 2 public campgrounds from USGS The National Map within 5 km, including Spring Canyon Campground, Macklin Bay 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 Swanson Reservoir across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
40 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2018–2024. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Nebraska Department of Environment and Energy
21NEB001_WQX40 samples · 2018–2024
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
Public campgrounds from USGS The National Map Structures, within about 3 miles