Fountain House Dam
Fountain House Dam is an earth dam located in Sussex County, New Jersey, built in 1956. It carries a Significant hazard potential classification and has a poor condition assessment.
About Fountain House Dam
The primary purpose of Fountain House Dam is recreation. The dam creates a reservoir used for recreational activities such as fishing, boating, and swimming. The dam is owned by Fountain House (private). It impounds the Shimmers Brook.
The dam stands 12 feet tall and stretches 30 feet across, creates a reservoir covering 3 acres, has a storage capacity of 11 acre-feet, and collects water from a drainage area of 1 square miles. Completed in 1956, the structure is well into its service life at over 50 years old.
This dam has a significant hazard potential classification, meaning that a failure could cause significant economic damage — flooding roads, bridges, or property downstream — but is not expected to result in loss of life. Its condition is rated poor, meaning the dam has recognized safety deficiencies that require remediation to address risks. An emergency action plan is in place for this dam. The most recent inspection on record was 04/18/2024.
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Location
| State | New Jersey |
| County | Sussex |
| River/Stream | Shimmers Brook |
| Coordinates | 41.29687, -74.72432 |
Physical Characteristics
| Dam Type | Earth |
| NID Height | 12 ft |
| Dam Height | 12 ft |
| Dam Length | 30 ft |
| Year Completed | 1956 (70 years old) |
Storage & Hydraulics
| NID Storage | 11 acre-ft |
| Normal Storage | 11 acre-ft |
| Surface Area | 3 acres |
| Drainage Area | 1 sq mi |
| Max Discharge | 828 cfs |
Ownership & Safety
| Purpose | Recreation |
| Owner | Fountain House |
| Owner Type | Private |
| Hazard Classification | Significant |
| Condition Assessment | Poor |
| Last Inspection | 04/18/2024 |
| Emergency Action Plan | Yes |
Identifiers
| NID ID | NJ00279 |
| Federal ID | NJ00279 |
| More Info | State Dam Safety Program |