Lakes, Ponds & Streams

Water quality protection practices properly implemented on the landscape can reduce or eliminate overland runoff water. Pollutants associated with that runoff water will enter lakes, ponds and streams.

Sandpit Lake Basics – Where does the water come from?

Lakes are classified in a number of ways to help us understand how they function, make predictions, assess ecosystem health, and establish management strategies or regulations.  They are most commonly classified by the lake’s ability to support plant and animal life, or productivity. They can also be classified based on the water supply, how humans use them, plant and animal communities, or how they were formed (e.g.  glacier retreating, volcanic eruption, made by man).

Sandpit Lake Basics – What is happening in the water?

The last “Sandpit Lake Basics” article talked about some of the basic features of sandpit lakes from the water source to the physical features of sandpit lakes.  This article will focus on what is happening in the water of a sandpit lake – something called the limnological characteristics.

Lake Management Workshops

Spring will be here before we know it and that means enjoying the outdoors! Its time for kayaking, swimming and fishing. And, if you are a pond or lake owner, it's time to think about what kind of management strategies you will use for your pond or lake this year.

Zebra Mussels in Nebraska

Boating season is once again upon us and it is time to remember to clean, drain and dry watercrafts, angling equipment and any other items that come in contact with a waterbody between uses.  Zebra mussels, an invasive small mussel species, can live out of water for up to 2 weeks in the summer time in the right conditions and cleaning, draining and drying watercrafts and equipment for at least 5 days before launching in a different waterbody is pertinent.  Currently there is no effective way to eliminate 100% of zebra mussels from a waterbody so prevention is key. 

Nebraska Beach Monitoring

Are you planning a day at the lake?  Did you know you can check on the water quality before you head out?

To Aerate or Not to Aerate? That is the winter question.

It’s been getting colder and winter is upon us. If you have an aerator in your pond you maybe wondering what to do with it. Cold water holds more oxygen, animal and plant use of this oxygen is lower than in the winter than the summer, and oxygen-using decomposition is very slow. So, if the pond is open most of the winter or only has occasional ice cover, the pond should not have an oxygen problem. In this case, aeration is not benefitting the pond.

Lake Education Opportunity with the Nebraska Lakes Association

The Nebraska Lakes Association (NLA) is an organization which brings lake owners, managers and experts together to address the issues private lake management. The mission of the (NLA) is to provide a forum for information and resources to educate members so their lake experience is safe, healthy and enjoyable.

Understanding the New Health Standard for Nebraska Public Beaches - HABs

Heading to the Beaches of Nebraska! It’s amazing how much people are drawn to water.  With this recent hot spell, it’s time for us to head to the beaches of Nebraska! Fifty four of Nebraska’s most popular public beaches are monitored weekly from May through September for E. coli and Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs). 

Understanding Bacteria in Lakes

A dip in the lake can be refreshing, but it’s important to consider what’s going on in the water that you may not see – especially for E. coli bacteria. Identifying an E.coli issue It’s fairly easy to see Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs) and algae at a lake.  Unfortunately, the same visual assessment does not apply to E. coli.  However, there are three indicators of E. coli in a lake to consider:

Mullen and Cameron Peak Wildfires and Their Potential Effect on Nebraska Ag

The Upper North Platte River watershed headwaters is located in north-central Colorado, close to Walden, CO. The Sierra Madre mountain range is on the west side of the headwaters and the Snowy Range mountain range is on the east side. Snowmelt from both of these mountain ranges together contribute approximately 75 percent of the water flow in the North Platte River. The fires’ effect on water supplies in the coming years will depend on the amount of snow fall and snowpack received in the watershed during the winter and early spring. There may be slightly higher incidences of sediment runoff in isolated areas where there is little or no ground cover due to the fire.

Water quality protection practices properly implemented on the landscape can reduce or eliminate overland runoff water. Pollutants associated with that runoff water will enter lakes, ponds and streams.