NJ agency has plans to rid Lake Hopatcong of algae

Lake Hopatcong is receiving $228,900 in state funds to control stormwater runoff, a move environmental experts say will cut down on harmful algal blooms that have plagued New Jersey’s largest lake.

The funding — awarded to the Lake Hopatcong Foundation in partnership with the Lake Hopatcong Commission, Jefferson Township and the Academy for Environmental Science at Jefferson High School — was announced last week as part of $7 million in grants provided by the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection. The money is earmarked for initiatives designed to protect state bodies of water from the impacts of climate change.

“This innovative Stormwater Assistance Grant program is funding projects in all corners of the state that will mitigate flooding and improve the ecological health of our waterways,” said DEP Commissioner Shawn LaTourette. “We are proud to provide our communities with the resources to make them safer, healthier, and more resilient. At the same time, we must acknowledge that we have much work to do to address New Jersey’s pressing water infrastructure needs.”

The Lake Hopatcong project features the installation of a 2,000-square-foot biofiltration basin to treat stormwater runoff from an impervious parking lot at Lakeside Field in Jefferson. The water currently flows into a creek that empties directly into the lake.

The basin will keep phosphorus, silt and other minerals that negatively affect aquatic ecosystems from entering the lake, said Princeton Hydro, the project consultant. The company estimates that the project could prevent the production of more than 3,000 pounds of algae, thus reducing the formation of harmful algal blooms.

Lake Hopatcong has been hit hard in recent years by the algal blooms, or HABs, which are caused by excess cyanobacteria cells in the water and can lead to a variety of symptoms in humans if ingested. The lake was shut down for much of the summer in 2019 due to the presence of HABs, and testing closed the beaches again for parts of 2020 and last summer.

“The Lake Hopatcong Foundation is thrilled to receive this Stormwater Grant from the NJDEP and looks forward to partnering with Jefferson Township for the installation,” said Kyle Richter, executive director of the foundation. “A very exciting part of the project is our partnership with students from Jefferson Township High School Environmental Science Academy to engage them in every step of project implementation.”

The student involvement includes creating an educational outreach video

highlighting the importance of stormwater management in improving Lake Hopatcong’s water quality, Richter said.

Boonton ($46,200) and Randolph ($45,000) were the two other local municipalities to receive Stormwater Assistance Grant funding. Boonton will use the money on a study to improve stormwater management techniques, while Randolph will explore the feasibility of infrastructure retrofits to 75 existing detention basins.