Lake Surprise (Watchung Reservation, New Jersey)
Reservoir in Union County, New Jersey, U.S.
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Lake Surprise[1] is a reservoir made by Surprise Lake Dam[2] on the Blue Brook in Watchung Reservation. On the border of Berkeley Heights and Mountainside in Union County, New Jersey, the lake was created in 1845[3] for David Felt's papermill.[4]
LocationBerkeley Heights, New Jersey, Mountainside, New Jersey, United States
Coordinates40°41′07″N 74°22′45″W
Blue Brook
| Lake Surprise | |
|---|---|
| |
  Lake Surprise Location within New Jersey  Lake Surprise Location within the United States | |
| Location | Berkeley Heights, New Jersey, Mountainside, New Jersey, United States |
| Coordinates | 40°41′07″N 74°22′45″W |
| Type | Reservoir |
| Blue Brook | |
| Blue Brook | |
| Basin countries | United States |
Surface elevation | 269 ft (82 m) |
History
In 1847 David Felt built a secondary water source for powering his mills at Feltville by damming the Blue Brook and creating Feltville Lake.[5] The lake would later be renamed to Ackerman Lake after a summer resort at Glendside Park opened.[5] Starting in the 1920s Union County started buying land, including the lake, for the Watchung Reservation with the County renaming the lake Lake Surprise.[5]
