Lake Estling Dam dam
Lake Estling Dam
Lake Estling Dam, located in Denville, New Jersey, serves as a vital recreational resource for the local community. Built in 1870, this earth dam stands at a height of 19 feet and stretches 1628 feet in length, creating a reservoir with a storage capacity of 1341 acre-feet. Despite its historical significance, the dam is classified as having a high hazard potential and poor condition assessment, indicating the need for maintenance and potential upgrades to ensure its long-term safety and functionality.
The dam is regulated by the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, with state permitting, inspection, and enforcement processes in place to oversee its operation. The primary purpose of Lake Estling Dam is recreation, providing opportunities for boating, fishing, and other water-based activities for residents and visitors alike. Despite its aging infrastructure and high hazard potential, the dam continues to play a crucial role in the local community's access to water resources and outdoor recreation opportunities.
As climate change continues to impact water resources and infrastructure resilience, the condition and maintenance of dams like Lake Estling become increasingly important. With its location on Den Brook and proximity to the surrounding Morris County area, the dam's management and upkeep will be essential in ensuring the safety and sustainability of this recreational water resource for years to come.
Dam data reference
Condition Assessment
- Satisfactory
- No existing or potential dam safety deficiencies are recognized. Acceptable performance is expected under all loading conditions (static, hydrologic, seismic) in accordance with the minimum applicable state or federal regulatory criteria or tolerable risk guidelines.
- Fair
- No existing dam safety deficiencies are recognized for normal operating conditions. Rare or extreme hydrologic and/or seismic events may result in a dam safety deficiency. Risk may be in the range to take further action.
- Poor
- A dam safety deficiency is recognized for normal operating conditions which may realistically occur. Remedial action is necessary. POOR may also be used when uncertainties exist as to critical analysis parameters which identify a potential dam safety deficiency.
- Unsatisfactory
- A dam safety deficiency is recognized that requires immediate or emergency remedial action for problem resolution.
- Not Rated
- The dam has not been inspected, is not under state or federal jurisdiction, or has been inspected but, for whatever reason, has not been rated.
Hazard Potential Classification
- High
- Dams assigned the high hazard potential classification are those where failure or mis-operation will probably cause loss of human life.
- Significant
- Dams assigned the significant hazard potential classification are those dams where failure or mis-operation results in no probable loss of human life but can cause economic loss, environmental damage, disruption of lifeline facilities, or impact other concerns. Significant hazard potential classification dams are often located in predominantly rural or agricultural areas but could be in areas with population and significant infrastructure.
- Low
- Dams assigned the low hazard potential classification are those where failure or mis-operation results in no probable loss of human life and low economic and/or environmental losses. Losses are principally limited to the owner's property.
- Undetermined
- Dams for which a downstream hazard potential has not been designated or is not provided.
Plan around the weather
Same NOAA / yr.no feed Snoflo's iOS app uses. Watch the precipitation column on the meteogram -- rain on the basin upstream typically lifts inflow 24-72 hours later.
Next 5 days, hour by hour
Temperature line with weather symbols on top, snow + rain accumulation as columns, humidity as a dotted line.
5-day forecast table
Every 3 hours, broken out across temperature, snow, rain, humidity, and wind. Each cell is colour-coded relative to the column min/max.
| Time | Condition | Temp (°F) | Snow (in) | Rain (in) | Humidity (%) | Wind (mps) | Wind dir |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Loading detailed forecast… | |||||||
15-day temperature & precipitation
Daily temperatures, snow, and rain projected over the next two weeks.
Nearby streamflow gauges
USGS streamgauges around Lake Estling Dam -- inflows here typically show up in storage 24-72 hours later.
| Streamgauge | Discharge | View |
|---|---|---|
| Rockaway River Above Reservoir At Boonton Nj | 472 cfs | → |
| Whippany River Near Morristown Nj | 8 cfs | → |
| Rockaway River Below Reservoir At Boonton Nj | 9 cfs | → |
| Green Pd Bk Bl Picatinny Lk At Picatinny Ars Nj | 2 cfs | → |
| Whippany River At Morristown Nj | 24 cfs | → |
| Green Pond Brook At Picatinny Arsenal Nj | 2 cfs | → |
Make a day of it
Boat launches, lakeside camping, fishing access, and other reservoirs near Lake Estling Dam.
Boat launches
- Dell Avenue 9, Netcong
- North Corporate Drive 2, Riverdale
- Jefferson Lake Road Sussex County
- Island Avenue Little Falls
- Lakeside Avenue Pompton Lakes
- Greenwood Lake Turnpike Ringwood
Track Lake Estling Dam in the Snoflo app
Save this dam as a favorite and get the local NOAA / yr.no forecast plus regional flow context wherever you are.
About Lake Estling Dam
Where does the data for Lake Estling Dam come from?
Structural and regulatory data come from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' National Inventory of Dams (NID). Weather forecast comes from NOAA / yr.no -- the same feed Snoflo's iOS app uses.
How often is the report updated?
NID structural data refreshes annually as the Corps publishes updated assessments. The weather forecast refreshes throughout the day.
What does the High hazard rating mean?
The Corps of Engineers' hazard potential classification grades probable consequences if the dam fails: High = probable loss of human life; Significant = no probable loss of human life but possible economic loss / environmental damage; Low = no probable loss of human life, only minor economic / environmental losses. See the Dam Data Reference card above for the full definitions.
What's "% of normal"?
The current storage value compared to the historical average storage on this calendar day. 100% = right on average; values above 100% mean above-normal storage (wet year); values below mean below-normal (dry year or drought).
Can I get alerts when storage crosses a threshold?
Yes -- alerts are managed in the Snoflo iOS app. Favorite this dam, set a threshold, and you'll get a push the moment conditions cross.
Other water bodies near here
Snoflo-tracked reservoirs and dams within driving distance of Lake Estling Dam.