October 31, 2025| Environment
By: Holly Odgers
A big congratulations goes out to the Lake Hopatcong Commission, along with Roxbury Township and Princeton Hydro, on receiving a $367,000 Water Quality Restoration Grant from the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) for the Lake Hopatcong Watershed Basin Enhancement Project. We are proud to support this important effort, which will help improve water quality, reduce stormwater pollutants, and enhance the overall health of the Lake Hopatcong watershed.
The basin project, located between King Road and Mount Arlington Boulevard in Roxbury Township, was identified in the 2021 Upper Musconetcong River Implementation Plan (WIP) as a priority effort to reduce non-point source pollution and improve water quality. Planned improvements include retrofitting an existing stormwater detention basin with green infrastructure designed to slow, capture, and naturally treat stormwater runoff, along with erosion and sediment control measures, native plantings, and invasive species management to stabilize soils, support wildlife, and filter pollutants before they reach the lake.
The project also includes a public education and outreach component to promote best management practices and encourage ongoing watershed stewardship. Water quality monitoring will be conducted before and after construction to measure the project’s success and inform future restoration efforts.
Funding for the project comes through NJDEP’s Water Quality Restoration Grant Program, supported by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency under the Clean Water Act Section 319(h). It also includes a $200,000 local match in cash and in-kind contributions from the Lake Hopatcong Commission, Roxbury Township, and the Lake Hopatcong Foundation, and builds on a $98,000 planning grant awarded by the New Jersey Highlands Council in 2024 that helped prepare the project for implementation and future funding opportunities.
As a long-time partner of the Commission, we are grateful for their dedication to improving the lake’s water quality. We are proud to collaborate on projects that protect and improve Lake Hopatcong. Through efforts like the Basin Enhancement Project, we move closer to ensuring the lake remains a clean, healthy, and thriving resource for generations to come.
You can read the full press release from the Lake Hopatcong Commission HERE.
