Where do I find a private property dam inspector in NJ?

There is land I'm interested in purchasing near Morristown New Jersey
which has a tiny 100 foot diameter 10'foot deep pond with a ten foot
tall embankment and a 1-foot diameter pipe about 5 feet long going thru
that bank to the next property.

Where do I find a POND & DAM INSPECTOR to inspect that?
The home inspector the real estate agent set up said just go to the
town but I'm afraid of the town (I'd rather get a private assessment
first).

I don't even know what to look for in my searches (hydraulic engineer?
dam inspector? pond inspector? civil engineer? waterway engineer?)

Whoever they are, I need to ask those dam people if they think the
embankment & outflow pipe is structurally sound and what it might need
to fix it.

Any help for me?

On 6 Apr 2005 11:43:09 -0700, "Cdon" wrote:


Look in the dam NJ phone book ????


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'Some days, it's just not worth chewing through the restraints.'

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I would guess civil engineer

"Cdon" wrote in message
oups.com...
Where do I find a private property dam inspector in NJ?

There is land I'm interested in purchasing near Morristown New Jersey
which has a tiny 100 foot diameter 10'foot deep pond with a ten foot
tall embankment and a 1-foot diameter pipe about 5 feet long going thru
that bank to the next property.

Where do I find a POND & DAM INSPECTOR to inspect that?
The home inspector the real estate agent set up said just go to the
town but I'm afraid of the town (I'd rather get a private assessment
first).

I don't even know what to look for in my searches (hydraulic engineer?
dam inspector? pond inspector? civil engineer? waterway engineer?)

Whoever they are, I need to ask those dam people if they think the
embankment & outflow pipe is structurally sound and what it might need
to fix it.

Any help for me?

I would start with the extension office of that local county. Sounds a bit
weird that the pipe is going to a neighbor.
What are the water/ground water laws for NJ. I know in Colorado you can have
water/river/stream on the property and can not use it. Best check with the
county/local authority and find out what the deed restrictions/title are for
the property. That information can be found in the county recorders office.
It is public record..

I grew up on a farm in Iowa and if the dam did not leak that was good enough
for us.

I would go to a local farm supply store and ask there. If they don't know,
they would know where to find the answer.

--
Bonnie
NJ
"Cdon" wrote in message
oups.com...
Where do I find a private property dam inspector in NJ?

There is land I'm interested in purchasing near Morristown New Jersey
which has a tiny 100 foot diameter 10'foot deep pond with a ten foot
tall embankment and a 1-foot diameter pipe about 5 feet long going thru
that bank to the next property.

Where do I find a POND & DAM INSPECTOR to inspect that?
The home inspector the real estate agent set up said just go to the
town but I'm afraid of the town (I'd rather get a private assessment
first).

I don't even know what to look for in my searches (hydraulic engineer?
dam inspector? pond inspector? civil engineer? waterway engineer?)

Whoever they are, I need to ask those dam people if they think the
embankment & outflow pipe is structurally sound and what it might need
to fix it.

Any help for me?

"Cdon" wrote in message
oups.com...
Where do I find a private property dam inspector in NJ?

There is land I'm interested in purchasing near Morristown New Jersey
which has a tiny 100 foot diameter 10'foot deep pond with a ten foot
tall embankment and a 1-foot diameter pipe about 5 feet long going thru
that bank to the next property.

Where do I find a POND & DAM INSPECTOR to inspect that?
The home inspector the real estate agent set up said just go to the
town but I'm afraid of the town (I'd rather get a private assessment
first).

I don't even know what to look for in my searches (hydraulic engineer?
dam inspector? pond inspector? civil engineer? waterway engineer?)

Whoever they are, I need to ask those dam people if they think the
embankment & outflow pipe is structurally sound and what it might need
to fix it.


A title search should show any water rights currently belonging to your
neighbor.....

Any experienced real estate attorney could likely advise you here,
also....if its been abandoned or fallen into dis-use, it shouldnt be a big
legal hassle to get the rights vacated.

Damn....might turn out this would be an excellent source for geothermal
heating /cooling should you consider using water-source heat pumps.....

--

SVL

Cdon wrote:
Where do I find a private property dam inspector in NJ?



I don't even know what to look for in my searches (hydraulic engineer?
dam inspector? pond inspector? civil engineer? waterway engineer?)

Whoever they are, I need to ask those dam people if they think the
embankment & outflow pipe is structurally sound and what it might need
to fix it.

Any help for me?


http://www.damsafety.org/

wrote:
Look in the dam NJ phone book ????

I should mention I live 1000 miles away from this property so
everything needs to be done by the Internet.

I already called the town who said they didn't have a clue what
category to look under (they gave me the names of three "Engineering"
firms in the town but they also didn't have a clue what to look under".

So, the problem isn't to look in the phone book (I'd be glad to if I
had one and I knew what to look for) ... it's what CATEGORY to look in
the Internet.

PJM:
Do you know what to look for in that phone book?

longshot wrote:
I would guess civil engineer

I tried three civil engineering companies referred to me by the town
"planning and zoning" people.

All three say they didn't have a clue where to get an inspector
qualified to inspect a personal property dam.

BTW, this dam is just an earth embankment with a pipe running through
it so it's not all that complicated ... but I'm no way qualified to
inspect it myself when I visit the property.

AlanBown wrote:
I would start with the extension office of that local county.
I tried the town "planning & zoning" people (after the "construction"
folks referred me to them). They said to call one of three engineering
firms in the town but those engineering firms came up blank. They
didn't have a clue who would inspect an earth embankment.

Sounds a bit weird that the pipe is going to a neighbor.
Maybe I explained it wrong. The pipe merely goes to the other side of
the earch embankment (i.e., it transects the dam). It just sticks out
the other side of this ten-foot-tall embankment. It just so happens the
neighbor's property line is exactly at the foot of that embankment,
parallel to the embankment ... so the results is that the water goes
from the pond on property #1 to the pipe to a brook on property #2.

What are the water/ground water laws for NJ.
I do not know and I'm scared to death of the town becoming involved but
I do know that if the system is broken, I'll need to fix it and if I
want to modify anything I'll need competent engineering advice before I
do anything to the riparian system. But, I'd like to do all that
privately if possible.

In Colorado you can have water/river/stream on the property & can not
use it.
I don't understand what this implies. All I'd use the incoming water
for (which comes in from a stream) is to fill the pond and then spill
out to the neighbor's property. Nothing else is intended (the house is
situated only on 2 acres of hilly lawan so there's not much else to do
with the water but let it run on by).

Best check with the county/local authority and find out what
the deed restrictions/title are for the property.
As per above, I don't understand how this would matter.
All I want to have is some professional person (civil engineer,
hydraulic engineer, dam inspector, whatever) inspect it to tell me if
it's safe and sound and if it's not, to then tell me what I need to do
to fix it so that it is safe and sound.


I grew up on a farm in Iowa and if the dam did not leak that was good
enough
for us.
There's more to the story than I said in that the neighbor is
complaining that it's structurally not sound (I think he is just trying
to keep anyone from purchasing the property but I don't know that for a
fact).

All I need is the Internet listing to find a company that has the
credentials to inspect an embankment such as this and tell me reliably
what (if anything) needs to be done to make that dam safe & sound.

What have I done wrong?
Does anyone know of such a consultant in northern NJ?

Cdon wrote:


All I need is the Internet listing to find a company that has the
credentials to inspect an embankment such as this and tell me reliably
what (if anything) needs to be done to make that dam safe & sound.

What have I done wrong?
Does anyone know of such a consultant in northern NJ?


Buck, Seifert & Jost, Inc., Norwood, NJ

Contact: Mr. Ronald M. Von Autenried, P.E., President
Buck, Seifert & Jost, Inc.
PO Box 415
65 Oak Street
Norwood, NJ 07648-0415
Phone 201/767-3111

Dams are usually regulated by a State agency, rather than the city or
county. Check with your State: Department of Water Resources or something
similar.

--

Walter
The Happy Iconoclast www.rationality.net


"Cdon" wrote in message
oups.com...
Where do I find a private property dam inspector in NJ?

There is land I'm interested in purchasing near Morristown New Jersey
which has a tiny 100 foot diameter 10'foot deep pond with a ten foot
tall embankment and a 1-foot diameter pipe about 5 feet long going thru
that bank to the next property.

Where do I find a POND & DAM INSPECTOR to inspect that?
The home inspector the real estate agent set up said just go to the
town but I'm afraid of the town (I'd rather get a private assessment
first).

I don't even know what to look for in my searches (hydraulic engineer?
dam inspector? pond inspector? civil engineer? waterway engineer?)

Whoever they are, I need to ask those dam people if they think the
embankment & outflow pipe is structurally sound and what it might need
to fix it.

Any help for me?

"Cdon" wrote in message
oups.com...

AlanBown wrote:
I would start with the extension office of that local county.
I tried the town "planning & zoning" people (after the "construction"
folks referred me to them). They said to call one of three engineering
firms in the town but those engineering firms came up blank. They
didn't have a clue who would inspect an earth embankment.

Sounds a bit weird that the pipe is going to a neighbor.
Maybe I explained it wrong. The pipe merely goes to the other side of
the earch embankment (i.e., it transects the dam). It just sticks out
the other side of this ten-foot-tall embankment. It just so happens the
neighbor's property line is exactly at the foot of that embankment,
parallel to the embankment ... so the results is that the water goes
from the pond on property #1 to the pipe to a brook on property #2.

What are the water/ground water laws for NJ.
I do not know and I'm scared to death of the town becoming involved but
I do know that if the system is broken, I'll need to fix it and if I
want to modify anything I'll need competent engineering advice before I
do anything to the riparian system. But, I'd like to do all that
privately if possible.

In Colorado you can have water/river/stream on the property & can not
use it.
I don't understand what this implies. All I'd use the incoming water
for (which comes in from a stream) is to fill the pond and then spill
out to the neighbor's property. Nothing else is intended (the house is
situated only on 2 acres of hilly lawan so there's not much else to do
with the water but let it run on by).

Best check with the county/local authority and find out what
the deed restrictions/title are for the property.
As per above, I don't understand how this would matter.
All I want to have is some professional person (civil engineer,
hydraulic engineer, dam inspector, whatever) inspect it to tell me if
it's safe and sound and if it's not, to then tell me what I need to do
to fix it so that it is safe and sound.


I grew up on a farm in Iowa and if the dam did not leak that was good
enough
for us.
There's more to the story than I said in that the neighbor is
complaining that it's structurally not sound (I think he is just trying
to keep anyone from purchasing the property but I don't know that for a
fact).

All I need is the Internet listing to find a company that has the
credentials to inspect an embankment such as this and tell me reliably
what (if anything) needs to be done to make that dam safe & sound.

What have I done wrong?
Does anyone know of such a consultant in northern NJ?

army corps of engineers should tell you how to deal with water on the
property, or where to find someone to look at it. in az they're the ones to
go to if you have questions on the running of water in washes on your
property.

regards,
charlie
cave creek, az

I might try contacting a few "landscape Architects" which should be in the
yellow pages and if that fails, try your NJ state contractors licensing
board (or equivelent, whatever the actual name) to see what certification is
required for that type of work and search for contractors with that license.



"Cdon" wrote in message
oups.com...
Where do I find a private property dam inspector in NJ?

There is land I'm interested in purchasing near Morristown New Jersey
which has a tiny 100 foot diameter 10'foot deep pond with a ten foot
tall embankment and a 1-foot diameter pipe about 5 feet long going thru
that bank to the next property.

Where do I find a POND & DAM INSPECTOR to inspect that?
The home inspector the real estate agent set up said just go to the
town but I'm afraid of the town (I'd rather get a private assessment
first).

I don't even know what to look for in my searches (hydraulic engineer?
dam inspector? pond inspector? civil engineer? waterway engineer?)

Whoever they are, I need to ask those dam people if they think the
embankment & outflow pipe is structurally sound and what it might need
to fix it.

Any help for me?

On 6 Apr 2005 14:13:21 -0700, "Cdon" wrote:


AlanBown wrote:
I would start with the extension office of that local county.

I tried the town "planning & zoning" people (after the "construction"
folks referred me to them). They said to call one of three engineering
firms in the town but those engineering firms came up blank. They
didn't have a clue who would inspect an earth embankment.

Sounds a bit weird that the pipe is going to a neighbor.

Maybe I explained it wrong. The pipe merely goes to the other side of
the earch embankment (i.e., it transects the dam). It just sticks out
the other side of this ten-foot-tall embankment. It just so happens the
neighbor's property line is exactly at the foot of that embankment,
parallel to the embankment ... so the results is that the water goes
from the pond on property #1 to the pipe to a brook on property #2.

What are the water/ground water laws for NJ.

I do not know and I'm scared to death of the town becoming involved but
I do know that if the system is broken, I'll need to fix it and if I
want to modify anything I'll need competent engineering advice before I
do anything to the riparian system. But, I'd like to do all that
privately if possible.

In Colorado you can have water/river/stream on the property & can not
use it.

I don't understand what this implies. All I'd use the incoming water
for (which comes in from a stream) is to fill the pond and then spill
out to the neighbor's property. Nothing else is intended (the house is
situated only on 2 acres of hilly lawan so there's not much else to do
with the water but let it run on by).

Best check with the county/local authority and find out what
the deed restrictions/title are for the property.

As per above, I don't understand how this would matter.
All I want to have is some professional person (civil engineer,
hydraulic engineer, dam inspector, whatever) inspect it to tell me if
it's safe and sound and if it's not, to then tell me what I need to do
to fix it so that it is safe and sound.


I grew up on a farm in Iowa and if the dam did not leak that was good
enough for us.

There's more to the story than I said in that the neighbor is
complaining that it's structurally not sound (I think he is just trying
to keep anyone from purchasing the property but I don't know that for a
fact).

All I need is the Internet listing to find a company that has the
credentials to inspect an embankment such as this and tell me reliably
what (if anything) needs to be done to make that dam safe & sound.

What have I done wrong?
Does anyone know of such a consultant in northern NJ?

Hmmm...I am not sure you are getting the tips that one would prefer
in this situation, so let me just chew the cud.

There is an earth bank dam holding 10 feet of water possibly ,
abutting a neighbor's land. And the neighbor's stream is close by the
earth dam.
So there is an erosion risk from the stream. Are there people or
livestock down stream from a dam breach? If so, there is a risk.

So, let's think about that earth dam. The biggest Earth dam anywhere
(apparently) is at Dennison, Texas. That's the way they bill it
anyway. It's described as a modern even experimental technique...
Hmmm...no great support there!

How about history?
How long has the dam been in place? What is its service history?
How often has it been full? If the history is favorable - with no
breaches, no unplanned discharges, that seems like a plus.
Then you would be left with inspecting for NEW erosion evidence
which could lead to a first time breach.

If the discharge tube is a high level discharge, could it be rerouted
in some way?
Could you enquire about insurance against a breach?
The insuance company might want to inspect the risk. THEY
would find the person to inspect it then......

....as I say, just chewing the cud.

One more suggestion: if the neighbor is suggesting the dam is unsound,
I would document a question to him asking how the dam appears
unsound, and does the neighbor have any recommendation to ameliorate
his comfort level, as you wish to be a good neighbor.
(You catch more flies with honey...)

Good luck

Brian Whatcott Altus OK