Lower Lake Dam

Lower Lake Dam is an earth dam located in Suffolk County, New York, built in 1940. It carries a Low hazard potential classification.

About Lower Lake Dam

The primary purpose of Lower Lake Dam is recreation. The dam creates a reservoir used for recreational activities such as fishing, boating, and swimming. The dam is owned by Suffolk County Department Of Public Works (local government). It impounds the Carmans River near Shirley.

The dam stands 12 feet tall and stretches 600 feet across, creates a reservoir covering 26 acres, has a maximum storage capacity of 156 acre-feet, and collects water from a drainage area of 71 square miles. Completed in 1940, 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. The most recent inspection on record was 10/14/2011. That was over 14 years ago.

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Low HazardNot Rated ConditionEmergency Action Plan: Not Required

Location

StateNew York
CountySuffolk
Nearest CityShirley
River/StreamCarmans River
Coordinates40.83500, -72.91667

Physical Characteristics

Dam TypeEarth
NID Height12 ft
Dam Height12 ft
Dam Length600 ft
Year Completed1940 (86 years old)

Storage & Hydraulics

NID Storage156 acre-ft
Max Storage156 acre-ft
Normal Storage78 acre-ft
Surface Area26 acres
Drainage Area71 sq mi
Max Discharge140 cfs
Spillway TypeControlled

Ownership & Safety

PurposeRecreation
OwnerSUFFOLK COUNTY DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS
Owner TypeLocal Government
Hazard ClassificationLow
Condition AssessmentNot Rated
Last Inspection10/14/2011
Emergency Action PlanNot Required

Identifiers

NID IDNY01339
Federal IDNY01339
More InfoState Dam Safety Program

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