This dam was inspected on 6 November 1979, by Anderson-Nichols and Co., Inc., under contract to the State of New Jersey. The State, under agreement with the U.S. Army Engineer District, Philadelphia, had this inspection performed in accordance with the National Dam Inspection Act, Public Law 92-367. Lake Ames Dam, initially listed as a high hazard potential structure but reduced to a significant hazard potential structure as a result of this inspection, is judged to be in poor overall condition. The dam's two spillways are considered inadequate because a flow equivalent to 19 percent of the Spillway Design Flood - SDF - would cause the dam to be overtopped. (The SDF, in this instance, is one half of the Probable Maximum Flood.).