| Lake Neepaulin | |
|---|---|
 Lake Neepaulin looking northwest from the dam | |
  Lake Neepaulin  Lake Neepaulin | |
| Location | Wantage Township, New Jersey, United States |
| Coordinates | 41°12′59″N74°37′35″W / 41.21639°N 74.62639°W /41.21639; -74.62639 |
| Type | freshwater lake |
| Etymology | derived from the names of the residential community developer's children. |
| River sources | Neepaulakating Creek |
| Built | 1950s |
| Max. length | 0.5 miles (0.80 km) |
| Surface elevation | 509 feet (155 m) |
| References | [1] |
Lake Neepaulin is a small man-madefreshwater lake located inWantage Township inSussex County, New Jersey in the United States.[2] Located in the watershed ofPapakating Creek, atributary of theWallkill River, the lake was created in the 1950s bydamming an unnamed mountain stream as the feature of a private residential development. The stream, now known asNeepaulakating Creek, did not receive a name until 2002.[3]
Lake Neepaulin is a man-made lake created from the damming ofNeepaulakating Creek, a small mountain stream that was not named until 2002.[3] The creek'sheadwaters are located approximately 0.4 miles (0.64 km) northwest of the north end of Lake Neepaulin.[1][3] These headwaters are located a short distance south ofCounty Route 650 (Libertyville Road) roughly halfway between thehamlet of Libertville inWantage Township andSussex Borough.[2][4] Lake Neepaulin's elevation is 509 feet (155m) above sea level.[1] The lake is the center of aprivate residential development. From the dam, the creek flows southeast for 1.5 miles (2.4 km) before flowing intoPapakating Creek, a tributary of theWallkill River. The creek, lake, and its watershed are located in theKittatinny Valley which is underlain by dark shale and limestone of theMartinsburg Formation and has soils that are glacial in origin.[5][6]
According to theNew Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP), two developed lake communities in the Papakating Creek watershed—Lake Neepaulin and the nearbyClove Acres Lake contribute tophosphorus loading in the waters of Papakating Creek. The phosphorus loading may originate from the runoff offertilizer applications on residential lawns, nearby agricultural operations, or from large populations ofgeese that inhabit the lakes.[7]
In the 1950s, a real estate developer dammed an unnamed stream located to the west and south of Sussex Borough and created Lake Neepaulin.[8] The lake was the center of a planned private lakeside residential community.[8] The lake's name is an amalgamation of the names of the original developer's children.[9] In 2014, Wantage Township acquired the lake from the former non-profit management organization and has opened designated public areas to township residents for recreation.[10][11] In acquiring the property, the municipality assumed responsibility for repayment of a $1.2 million dam restoration loan from the NJDEP.[12]
