Popolopen Lake is an earth dam located in Orange County, New York. It carries a High hazard potential classification and has a poor condition assessment.
Dam profile
NID height · 32 ft32 ft tall and 218 ft long, taller than 74% of U.S. dams with a recorded height. 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 Popolopen Lake
The primary purpose of Popolopen Lake is water supply. The dam stores water for municipal, industrial, or agricultural use, helping ensure a reliable supply for the surrounding area. The dam is owned by West Point (federal). It impounds the Popolopen Creek near Town of Highlands.
The dam stands 32 feet tall and stretches 218 feet across, creates a reservoir covering 145 acres, has a maximum storage capacity of 1,030 acre-feet, and collects water from a drainage area of 5 square miles.
This dam carries a high hazard potential classification, which means that a failure or uncontrolled release of water would likely cause loss of human life. This classification reflects the consequences of failure, not the likelihood — it indicates that people live or work in the area downstream. 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 09/13/2019. That was 7 years ago, which is on the longer end for a high-hazard structure.
Living Downstream
If you live or work downstream of this dam, consider taking these steps: learn your local evacuation routes, check whether your county emergency management office has a dam failure inundation map, and sign up for local emergency alerts. The New York dam safety program can provide more specific information about emergency planning for this structure.
Search for dams near your address to see all dams in your area with hazard classifications and safety data.
Location
| State | New York |
| County | Orange |
| Nearest City | Town of Highlands |
| River/Stream | Popolopen Creek |
| Coordinates | 41.35525, -74.05254 |
Physical Characteristics
| Dam Type | Earth |
| NID Height | 32 ft |
| Dam Height | 15 ft |
| Dam Length | 218 ft |
Storage & Hydraulics
| NID Storage | 1,030 acre-ft |
| Max Storage | 1,030 acre-ft |
| Normal Storage | 1,000 acre-ft |
| Surface Area | 145 acres |
| Drainage Area | 5 sq mi |
| Max Discharge | 565 cfs |
Ownership & Safety
| Purpose | Water Supply |
| Owner | West Point |
| Owner Type | Federal |
| Hazard Classification | High |
| Condition Assessment | Poor |
| Last Inspection | 09/13/2019 |
| Emergency Action Plan | Yes |
Identifiers
| NID ID | NY00768 |
| Federal ID | NY00768 |
| More Info | State Dam Safety Program |