2009 Toxic Blue-green Algae
and Bacteria Sampling Results


NDEQ conducts weekly or bi-weekly sampling for toxic blue-green algae and bacteria at a number of public recreational lakes across Nebraska from May through September, and these results are updated weekly. Samples are typically collected on Monday and posted on the web site on Thursday or Friday.

At the top of the table below is a list of all Current Lake(s) on Health Alert for toxic blue-green algae. Lakes that have been placed on Health Alert must subsequently have two consecutive weeks of low readings before the alert is ended.

For more information about health alerts and what to look for, go to
Precautions and Facts Regarding Toxic Algae at Nebraska Lakes.

For more information about the history of toxic algae sampling in Nebraska, go to
Cyanobacteria: The Nebraska Experience

The next category, High E. Coli Bacteria Readings, lists lakes that showed unusually high readings of bacteria in the most recent sampling, which can also be a health concern.

Click here for more information about bacteria and its potential health effects.

The last category, Other Lakes Sampled, lists the results for lakes which are not under Health Alert for toxic algae, and their most recent sample results for bacteria are considered low.

Click on any lake name on the table below to view a chart of that lake’s sample results for toxic algae (Microcystins) and E.coli bacteria for the 2009 recreational season

Lake NameLake # -- County- Last Updated - Microcystin (ppb) - E.coli Bacteria
Hide details for High E.coli Bacteria LevelsHigh E.coli Bacteria Levels
Medicine Creek Lake29Frontier10/01/20090.18517
Hide details for Other Lakes SampledOther Lakes Sampled
Bader Park Swimming Lake 1Merrick10/01/20090.032
Big Indian Creek Lake 2Gage07/16/200900
Bluestem Lake3Lancaster10/01/20090.099
Box Butte Lake4Dawes10/01/20090.386
Branched Oak Lake5aLancaster10/01/20090.9220
Branched Oak Lake5bLancaster10/01/20090.619
Bridgeport Middle Lake6Morril10/01/20090.021
Calamus Lake7Brown08/27/20091.680
Carter Lake8Douglas10/01/20099.356
Conestoga Lake9Lancaster10/01/20097.765
Cottonwood Lake (Yankton)10Cedar10/01/2009014
Cub Creek Lake # 12A11Gage10/01/20090.740
Cunningham Lake12Douglas10/01/200908
Davis Creek Lake13Sherman08/27/20090.090
Enders Lake at East Beach14Chase10/01/20090.080
Fremont Lake # 1015Dodge10/01/20090.458
Fremont Lake # 2016aDodge10/01/20090.70
Fremont Lake # 2016bDodge10/01/20090.221
Fremont Lake # 917Dodge10/01/20090.154
Harlan Lake18Harlan10/01/20091.3829
Holmes Lake19Lancaster10/01/20093.815
Johnson Lake20Gosper10/01/20090.27197
Kirkman's Cove21Richardson 10/01/20091.48
Lake North22Platte10/01/20090.7210
Lewis and Clark Reservoir23Knox10/01/2009058
Lone Star Lake24Fillmore10/01/20090.781
Louisville Lake SRA No. 225Cass10/01/20090.047
Maloney Lake26Lincoln10/01/20090.032
Maskenthine Lake27Stanton09/24/20090.273
McConaughy Lake28Keith10/01/20090.0323
Merritt Reservoir30Cherry09/24/20095.943
Minatare Lake31Scotts Bluff10/01/20090.079
Mormon Island Lake32Hall10/01/20090.052
Oliver Lake33Kimball10/01/20090.043
Pawnee Lake34aLancaster10/01/20093.1610
Pawnee Lake34bLancaster09/03/20093.894
Red Willow Lake35Frontier10/01/20092.282
Rockford Lake36Gage10/01/200915.612
Sherman Lake37Sherman08/27/20090.022
Sutherland Lake38Lincoln10/01/20090.077
Swan Creek Lake # 5A39Saline10/01/20096.271
Swanson Lake40Hitchcock10/01/20090.3216
Two Rivers SRA Lake No. 441Douglas10/01/2009012
Valentine Mill Pond42Cherry09/24/20090.0624
Victory Lake43Dodge10/01/20090.857
Wagon Train Lake44Lancaster10/01/20090.063
Willow Creek Lake45Pierce09/24/20090.895
Wirth Brothers Lake46Johnson10/01/20090.0849


The map below shows the locations of the lakes referred to in the table above

Bader Park Lake Big Indian Creek Lake Bluestem Lake Box Butte Lake Branched Oak Lake Bridgeport Middle Lake Calamus Lake Carter Lake Conestoga Lake Cottonwood Lake (Yankton) Cub Creek Lake Cunningham Lake Davis Creek Lake Enders Lake Fremont Lake Harlan Lake Holmes Lake Johnson Lake Kirkman's Cove Lake North Lewis and Clark Reservoir Lone Star Lake Louisville Lake Maloney Lake Maskenthine Lake McConaughy Lake Medicine Creek Lake Merritt Reservoir Minatare Lake Mormon Island Lake Oliver Lake Pawnee Lake Red Willow Lake Rockford Lake Sherman Lake Sutherland Lake Swan Creek Lake # 5A Swanson Lake Two Rivers SRA Lake Valentine Mill Pond Wagon Train Lake Willow Creek Lake Wirth Brothers Lake

The links below will take you to the sampling results taken during the recreational seasons ( May through September) for 2008 and 2007.



2008 Bacteria and Toxic Algae Monitoring: Weekly Results

2007 Bacteria and Toxic Algae Monitoring: Weekly Results



Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality
1200 "N" Street, Suite 400
PO Pox 98922
Lincoln, Nebraska 68509
(402) 471-2186