Surprise Lake Dam
Surprise Lake Dam is an earth dam located in Union County, New Jersey, built in 1928. It carries a Low hazard potential classification and has a satisfactory condition assessment.
About Surprise Lake Dam
The primary purpose of Surprise Lake Dam is recreation. The dam creates a reservoir used for recreational activities such as fishing, boating, and swimming. The dam is owned by County Of Union (local government). It impounds the Blue Brook.
The dam stands 20 feet tall and stretches 200 feet across, creates a reservoir covering 10 acres, has a storage capacity of 71 acre-feet, and collects water from a drainage area of 1 square miles. Completed in 1928, the structure is well-established, with more than 75 years of service.
This dam has a low hazard potential classification, meaning that failure would cause minimal damage, limited primarily to the dam owner's property, with no expected loss of life. Its condition is rated satisfactory, indicating no existing or potential dam safety deficiencies are recognized. An emergency action plan is in place for this dam. The most recent inspection on record was 02/08/2024.
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Location
| State | New Jersey |
| County | Union |
| River/Stream | Blue Brook |
| Coordinates | 40.68532, -74.37945 |
Physical Characteristics
| Dam Type | Earth |
| NID Height | 20 ft |
| Dam Height | 20 ft |
| Dam Length | 200 ft |
| Year Completed | 1928 (98 years old) |
Storage & Hydraulics
| NID Storage | 71 acre-ft |
| Normal Storage | 71 acre-ft |
| Surface Area | 10 acres |
| Drainage Area | 1 sq mi |
Ownership & Safety
| Purpose | Recreation |
| Owner | County of Union |
| Owner Type | Local Government |
| Hazard Classification | Low |
| Condition Assessment | Satisfactory |
| Last Inspection | 02/08/2024 |
| Emergency Action Plan | Yes |
Identifiers
| NID ID | NJ00367 |
| Federal ID | NJ00367 |
| More Info | State Dam Safety Program |