Butler Reservoir
Morris County, New Jersey170 acresView mapDirections
NJDEP publishes the water-quality measurements for Butler Reservoir. Here is what has been measured.
- Eutrophic
- Impaired · Metals (other than mercury)
- Limited data
Butler Reservoir in Morris County, New Jersey has water-quality measurements published by NJDEP, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 6.9 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 18.4 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 9.1 µg/L. Surface area: 170 acres.
Butler Reservoir is a 170-acre productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Morris County, New Jersey. Compared to the 11 other monitored lakes in Morris County, Butler Reservoir ranks #5 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, your state environmental agency, last sampled 2021-10-28. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyLimited data
Based on clarity and algae readings from past sampling — there is no live water temperature and a current cyanobacteria reading for this lake. Check your state or county health department before you swim.
Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Butler Reservoir is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for metals (other than mercury), temperature. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether Butler Reservoir is safe to swim in today is a call for the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection and the county health department, who post current advisories. LakeQuality does not issue swimming clearances.
Water quality measurements for Butler Reservoir
These are the measurements NJDEP publishes for Butler Reservoir, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Moderate clarity, visible to about 6.9 ft. Phosphorus 18.4 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a 9.1 µg/L. TSI 49.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 6.9ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 18.4µg/L | Fair GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | 9.1µg/L | Poor GoodFairPoor |
| Trophic state (TSI)Carlson's 0–100 index of how much algae a lake can support, from clarity, phosphorus and chlorophyll-a. | 49 | Eutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Ask about Butler Reservoir
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Lake Details
Surface area
170 acres
No bathymetric survey has been published for Butler Reservoir, so its depth is not documented here.
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Stays near Butler Reservoir
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near Butler Reservoir in Morris County, New Jersey — live availability and prices for your trip. Switch the map to Satellite to see the lake and how close each stay is to the water. The water-quality readings cover nutrients and algae, not lodging. Cabins and rentals around Butler Reservoir are listed below.
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Fishing Butler Reservoir
Reservoir Info (USACE NID)
Butler Reservoir is a man-made reservoir impounded by the Kakeout Dike, built primarily for water supply on the Kakeout Brook; earth-type dam, 13 ft tall and 300 ft long.
- Surface area
- 170 ac
- Normal storage
- 1,130 ac-ft
- Drainage area
- 4.9 sq mi
- Hazard class
- High
- Owner
- Borough of Butler
Source: USACE National Inventory of Dams, NID ID NJ00028 · Operator website · Matched by proximity (0.69 km)
EPA Impairment Status
Butler Reservoir is officially listed as impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) in the 2022 EPA reporting cycle (IR category 5).
Causes of impairment
Designated uses not supporting: Drinking water, Aquatic life.
Source: EPA ATTAINS assessment unit NJ02030103050070-01 · Official waterbody report
Nearby Lakes in Morris County
Frequently asked questions about Butler Reservoir
Where is Butler Reservoir?
- Butler Reservoir is a lake in Morris County, New Jersey. Its water-quality measurements are published by NJDEP and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of Butler Reservoir?
- Butler Reservoir in Morris County, New Jersey has water-quality measurements published by NJDEP, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 6.9 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 18.4 µg/L. Chlorophyll-a (algae): 9.1 µg/L. Surface area: 170 acres.
Is Butler Reservoir safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Butler Reservoir is listed impaired under Clean Water Act §303(d) (IR 5) for metals (other than mercury), temperature. Check local advisories before you swim.
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Where this data comes from
43 measurements from 3 monitoring stations, 2021. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-21.
Collected and reported by
- NJDEP Bureau of Freshwater and Biological Monitoring
NJDEP_BFBM43 samples · 2021
Analytical methods
- Phosphorus by Colorimetry
- 445.0 ~ EPA; Chlorophyll and Pheophytin in Algae by Fluorescence
Monitoring station identifiers (3)
EPA condition classes from the National Lakes Assessment (EPA 841-R-24-006, Table 6-3), applied by ecoregion. See where the data comes from and data sources.
Other records on this page
Impairment status from EPA ATTAINS 303(d) database