Colonial Lake Dam is an earth dam located in Mercer County, New Jersey, built in 1925. It carries a Low hazard potential classification and has a fair condition assessment.
Dam profile
NID height · 12 ft12 ft tall and 460 ft long. Height is drawn to scale against a two-story house, about 25 ft; the profile is a generic embankment section and the water level is illustrative.
About Colonial Lake Dam
The primary purpose of Colonial Lake Dam is recreation. The dam creates a reservoir used for recreational activities such as fishing, boating, and swimming. The dam is owned by Township of Lawrence (local government). It impounds the Shabakunk Creek near East Trenton.
The dam stands 12 feet tall and stretches 460 feet across, creates a reservoir covering 17 acres, has a maximum storage capacity of 85 acre-feet, and collects water from a drainage area of 12 square miles. Completed in 1925, the structure is over a century old.
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 fair — the dam has minor deficiencies that are being addressed or do not pose an immediate safety threat. The most recent inspection on record was 09/18/2024.
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Location
| State | New Jersey |
| County | Mercer |
| Nearest City | East Trenton |
| River/Stream | Shabakunk Creek |
| Coordinates | 40.25487, -74.72245 |
Physical Characteristics
| Dam Type | Earth |
| NID Height | 12 ft |
| Dam Height | 12 ft |
| Dam Length | 460 ft |
| Year Completed | 1925 (101 years old) |
Storage & Hydraulics
| NID Storage | 85 acre-ft |
| Max Storage | 85 acre-ft |
| Normal Storage | 59 acre-ft |
| Surface Area | 17 acres |
| Drainage Area | 12 sq mi |
| Max Discharge | 1,480 cfs |
Ownership & Safety
| Purpose | Recreation |
| Owner | Township of Lawrence |
| Owner Type | Local Government |
| Hazard Classification | Low |
| Condition Assessment | Fair |
| Last Inspection | 09/18/2024 |
| Emergency Action Plan | Not Required |
Identifiers
| NID ID | NJ00261 |
| Federal ID | NJ00261 |
| More Info | State Dam Safety Program |