2022 in review

December 16, 2022| Environment, Education, Community, Advocacy

By: Lake Hopatcong Foundation

Environment

• Worked with the Lake Hopatcong Commission and Princeton Hydro to install nine Floating Wetland Islands in Ashley Cove and Landing Channel, providing a low-cost, effective method of improving water quality by removing excess nutrients, like phosphorus, that could fuel algae growth.
• Prevented the spread of aquatic invasive species by monitoring the lake’s shoreline and hand-pulling 115 invasive water chestnut plants through our volunteer Water Scouts program.
• Co-lead the Canada Goose Management Committee with the Lake Hopatcong Commission. The committee developed a flyer outlining steps to deter geese and the flyer was mailed to nearly 2,000 lakefront property owners and hosted a US Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services workshop on goose population control techniques.
• Partnered with the Lake Hopatcong Commission, Hopatcong Borough, and the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection to apply a GreenClean algaecide treatment to five acres within Crescent Cove in response to an ADVISORY level Harmful Algal Bloom.
• Embarked on a trout study in partnership with the Lake Hopatcong Commission and the Knee Deep Club to track trout survival rates and how those rates correlate with the overall health of Lake Hopatcong.

Education

• Honored with the Governor’s Environmental Excellence Award in the category of educator-led environmental education for our field trip program.
• Educated more than 1,300 students on lake ecology and the importance of protecting our freshwater resources through our environmental field trips. Hundreds of students from underserved communities were provided field trips, thanks to a new partnership with the Lake Hopatcong Elks.
• Welcomed hundreds aboard the Lake Hopatcong Floating Classroom for a series of summer public eco cruises where guests enjoyed a day on the water, learning about water quality monitoring and how to protect Lake Hopatcong and our water resources.
• Provided a series of sold-out historical cruises aboard the Floating Classroom, discussing the rich history of Lake Hopatcong and addressing how development and changes to the natural environment around the lake have affected water quality over time. 
• Presented the Lake Hopatcong Historic Flood of 2000 and Climate Change Program, which included a virtual photo exhibit on the 2000 flood and a three-part speaker series featuring New Jersey State Climatologist Dr. Dave Robinson, Rowan University Professor Dr. Ted Howell, and Lake Hopatcong historian Marty Kane.

Community

• Welcomed more than 3,500 visitors to Hopatcong State Park for our annual Lake Hopatcong Block Party for a community day in celebration of New Jersey’s largest lake.
• Continued to promote the B-SAFE dock numbering program, designed to help emergency personnel efficiently respond by land or water. A total of 876 property owners have purchased dock signs, bringing the total percentage of lakefront coverage to 45 percent.
• Facilitated five corporate workday projects around the lake, harnessing the power of corporate groups to do good work while providing companies that care about their communities and the environment an opportunity to engage their employees in volunteerism.
• Coordinated and hosted a meeting along with the Lake Hopatcong Commission, the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary, the NJ State Police Marine Bureau, the Morris County Sherriff’s Office, and the four local police departments around the lake to discuss ways to work together for a safer lake that can be enjoyed by all.  
• Presented a public program featuring local, award-winning photographer and avid kayaker, Jeremy Travers, who discussed his newly-published book, "Flatwater Kayaker: My time spent in the Musconetcong Watershed and surrounding waters."

Advocacy

• Advocated for public lakes funding in New Jersey resulting in the passing of the 2021 $10M Lakes Funding Bill, which subsequently resulted in $1.75 million in grants awarded in December 2022 for water quality improvement projects around Lake Hopatcong.  
• Worked with Jefferson Township and Rep. Mikie Sherrill to include authorization of $90M in federal funding for sanitary sewers in Jefferson Township as part of the 2022 Water Resources Development Act recently passed by congress. Sewer installation along the lakefront area of Jefferson Township would significantly improve water quality and reduce the threat of HABs in Lake Hopatcong. 
• Met regularly with federal, state, county, and municipal representatives to advocate for protection, support, and funding for Lake Hopatcong, its watershed, and public lakes throughout the state.   
• Coordinated the Public Lakes Alliance of New Jersey, a group of representatives from New Jersey’s public lakes who meet regularly to discuss and support each other in environmental, safety and other lake-related challenges.  
• Served on the 16-member Coalition for the Delaware River Watershed Steering Committee, which is comprised of local, regional, and national organizations helping establish priorities and policies for the future of our watershed.

We are able to accomplish all this and more with your support, and we thank you for considering an end-of-year donation that will help us continue to make Lake Hopatcong a great place to live, work, and play!

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