2025 Year in Review

November 25, 2025| Advocacy, Community, Education, Environment, Events

By: Lake Hopatcong Foundation

As 2025 comes to a close, we’re taking a moment to reflect with gratitude on everything we accomplished, together, for Lake Hopatcong this year. With your support, we continued to protect and improve our water quality, educate future environmental leaders, and strengthened a sense of community around New Jersey’s largest lake.

Before we turn the page to a new year, we invite you to look back with us at some of the highlights of 2025, achievements made possible because of you. Thank you for your support and for standing with us in pursuit of a cleaner, healthier, and more resilient Lake Hopatcong, now and for future generations.

ENVIRONMENT

• Developed an Early Detection Aquatic Invasive Species Management Plan, funded through New Jersey Audubon’s Watershed and Community Empowerment Program. The plan outlines science-based strategies that combine emerging technologies and community engagement to detect and prevent new invasive species, protecting Lake Hopatcong’s water quality and ecological health.
• Completed the comprehensive feasibility study and design analysis for a potential oxygenation system for Lake Hopatcong, a collaborative effort with the Lake Hopatcong Commission and Morris County with funding from the Highlands Council. With estimated costs higher than anticipated, partners continue to explore potential funding sources and evaluate more affordable alternatives to determine the most viable path forward.
• Advanced the Landing Channel beneficial reuse and dredging project, which aims to reduce nutrient-rich sediment and restore wetland habitat, in partnership with the Lake Hopatcong Commission and Roxbury Township. Work this year included permitting meetings and supporting the development of grant applications for the next phase.
• Expanded the Lake Hopatcong Boat Shrink Wrap Recycling Program, collecting a record 22.2 tons of material and bringing the program’s total to 50 tons diverted from landfills and waterways—advancing sustainability through strong local partnerships.
• Removed invasive water chestnut from Lake Hopatcong, with volunteer Water Scouts hand-pulling 171 plants containing 248 rosettes before they could spread.  This included plants found at a new location near the entrance to the Jefferson Canals. All water chestnut sightings were reported through the newly launched NJDEP Aquatic Invasive Species Reporting Form. These early detection and rapid-removal efforts are vital for protecting the lake’s ecosystem and preventing proliferation.

EDUCATION

• Launched a new in-class environmental education program that offers schools a selection of grade-appropriate lessons for students from kindergarten through twelfth grade, covering topics like the importance of freshwater resources and watershed science. In its first year, the program reached nearly 1,000 students across six schools, inspiring greater awareness and stewardship of our shared water resources.
• Educated more than 2,000 grade school students from 29 schools across five counties on how to protect freshwater resources through immersive environmental field trips powered by over 50 committed educator s and volunteers.
• Provided immersive watershed science experiences for 224 high school students from six schools, engaging them in real-world water quality testing and ecological investigations on the Musconetcong River and aboard our Floating Classroom on Lake Hopatcong.
• Welcomed more than 200 participants of all ages aboard our summer public eco-cruises, giving them hands-on experiences aboard the Floating Classroom that deepened their understanding of Lake Hopatcong’s ecology and strengthened community stewardship.
• Informed our community through more than 125 articles shared on our website and in our weekly e-newsletter, including community centered information,  safety information, and our educational Creature Feature and Buzzworthy Blooms series. 

COMMUNITY

• Launched the Roxbury Repair Café in collaboration with the Roxbury Public Library and Roxbury Township Recycling, creating new opportunities for the community to share skills, reduce waste, and extend the life of everyday items. Across the spring and fall events, 129 items were repaired or restored with a 73% success rate, fostering sustainability and connection through hands-on learning.
• Mobilized hundreds of volunteers, who collectively contributed a remarkable 4,500 hours (and counting!) of their time. This includes leading educational field trips, assisting with cleanups, conducting ongoing HAB and road salt monitoring, participating in Water Scouts, maintaining trails, supporting events like the Lake Hopatcong Block Party, Lake Loop, and our native plant sale, and much more.
• Organized a series of community programs on a variety of topics, including: Insights on the Lake Hopatcong Water Quality Report, Creating a Home Wildlife Preserve, Plants & Pollinators, Greg Hildebrandt: A Special Art Exhibit, Hooked on Fishing, Autumn Stargazing, The History of Apples and Cider in NJ, Stars of the Station, and Holiday Train Display.
• Expanded recreational opportunities by unveiling the Landing Channel Water Trail, the first of four planned Lake Hopatcong Water Trails featuring route maps, history, and points of interest, and by maintaining more than 12 miles of the Lake Hopatcong Trail, hosting group hikes and paddles, and organizing the annual Lake Loop bike, hike, paddle challenge.
• Welcomed 200 businesses, non-profit organizations, craft vendors, community groups, food merchants, and local governments, along with 4,000 visitors to Hopatcong State Park for our annual Lake Hopatcong Block Party, a community day in celebration of New Jersey’s largest lake.

ADVOCACY

• Championed Lake Hopatcong and its watershed at every level of government by meeting regularly with federal, state, county, and municipal leaders to secure stronger protections, vital support, and critical funding for our lake and public lakes statewide.
• Spearheaded efforts to unite representatives from public lakes across the state, through the Public Lake Alliance of New Jersey (PLANJ), to collaborate on addressing environmental, safety, and lake management challenges while advancing long-term conservation initiatives.
• Advanced regional watershed collaboration by co-chairing the Coalition for the Delaware River Watershed Steering Committee and contributing to planning the 2025 Delaware River Watershed Forum in northern New Jersey.
• Participated in the Coalition for the Delaware River Watershed’s Hill Day in Washington DC, meeting with our federal legislators and their staff to advocate for legislation and funding to help ensure the long-term health of our watershed.
• Scheduled a meeting with the Governor Elect to reemphasize the challenges facing Lake Hopatcong, with a goal of having funding for public lakes included in the state’s annual budget.