Don’t Rake Leaves Into the Lake

September 30, 2025| Environment

By: Holly Odgers

Fall is a beautiful time around the lake, with colorful leaves drifting down and covering the shores. While it’s natural for some leaves to fall into the water, it’s important not to add to that by raking or blowing them directly into the lake. Please also use care when clearing leaves into the street, since storm drains can carry them right back into the lake.

When too many leaves end up in the lake, they release nutrients that feed algae and aquatic weeds. This can trigger harmful algae blooms and encourage weed growth near your property. As algae and weeds die off, bacteria break them down and use up oxygen in the water, leaving less for fish and other aquatic life.

Better options for managing leaves:

• Collect: Rake leaves away from the lake and collect them for proper pickup (see town-specific info below).
• Mulch: Use a mower to mulch leaves into your lawn, returning valuable nutrients to the soil.
• Compost: Turn leaves into nutrient-rich compost for your garden and landscaping. CLICK HERE for composting tips.

Each of the four towns surrounding Lake Hopatcong prohibits disposing of leaves in the lake. To make fall cleanup easier, we’ve included links to ordinances and disposal guidelines for each municipality below.

Please share this information with neighbors and lawn maintenance services who may be unaware of the detrimental effects of depositing leaves into the lake. By working together, we can protect Lake Hopatcong’s water quality and beauty for generations to come.

Vegetative waste disposal by town

Please refer to your town's website for full details on vegetative disposal or pickup. 

Hopatcong

Garbage & Recycling

The Borough of Hopatcong shall provide curbside collection of leaves during the month of APRIL and from OCTOBER 17 through DECEMBER 9. Only LEAVES shall be accepted. Branches, twigs, grass clippings, rocks or other vegetative matter shall not be accepted. Leaves are required to be placed in biodegradable brown paper bags only. Leaves in proper bags as detailed above may be brought directly to the Hopatcong Recycling Center. Brush no wider than 4” in diameter will be accepted at the recycling center. Hopatcong Residents can only utilize the recycling center. No contractors allowed. Must show proof of residency by obtaining a window decal from Borough Hall.

Roxbury

Sanitation & Recycling

Grass and leaves are collected curbside only in brown paper yard bags or clearly marked containers. A limit of 50 bags of leaves will be collected weekly during regularly scheduled collection times (beginning the week of March 31, 2025 through the week of December 15, 2025).

Compost material in plastic bags will not be collected. Brush/branches must be tied in bundles & less than 3 inches in diameter. Yard waste is collected on the same day as trash/recycling. Grass, brush and leaves cannot be mixed together. 

Grass, leaves, and brush are also accepted at the Recycling Center. 

Mount Arlington

Utilities Department

Vegetative Waste pick-up is provided on a weekly basis, collected curbside every Wednesday beginning April through the end of November. No plastic bags. Vegetative waste (leaves and grass only) may be in a trash can or container no larger than 32 gallons, or biodegradable paper lawn & leaf bags (required by the Morris County Transfer Station). Paper bags may be purchased at Home Depot, Shop-Rite, etc.  Twigs, branches and sticks must be bundled and tied up (no wider than 2 feet in diameter & no longer than 4 feet in length) or placed in a disposal can.

Jefferson

Recycling

Vegetative Waste consists of grass, leaf, and brush pick up.  Vegetative waste is picked up on Wednesdays beginning the first Wednesday in April and continues through the second Wednesday in December. Two bags or cans of grass, leaves, or brush or two bundles of twigs tied and not to exceed 40 lbs. or 36” inches in length may be placed curbside for pickup on Wednesday.  The hauler will NOT pick up oversized landscaper barrels.

Unlimited Vegetative Waste pickup occurs for six weeks in the spring (approximately the beginning of April through mid-May) and six weeks in the fall, (approximately mid-October until the Wednesday before Thanksgiving), where residents may place an unlimited amount of vegetative waste to the curb for pickup.  After the six weeks are over, the contractor will pick up only two bags until the second Wednesday in December.  There is no vegetative waste pick up during the week of the Memorial Day, July 4th, and Labor Day holiday.

Vegetative Waste pick-up begins on Wednesday, April 2, 2025 and will continue every Wednesday through Wednesday, December 10, 2025.

Local ordinances

Each of the four municipalities around Lake Hopatcong prohibits disposing of leaves in the lake. The local ordinances are linked below. 

Hopatcong Borough – § 143-3 General regulations.

"Disposal of leaves and other vegetative material. No person shall deposit leaves or other vegetative materials on roads or within any lake, pond, stream or stormwater drainage system."

Jefferson Township – § 313-8 Litter in fountains and water bodies.

"No person shall throw or deposit litter, including leaves and other vegetative or yard waste, in any fountain, pond, lake, stream, bay or any other body of water."

Mt Arlington – § 88-2 Fertilizers, use of – Prohibited conduct.

"No person shall deposit leaves or other vegetative materials on roads or within or near any lake or storm water drainage system."

Roxbury Township – § 3-7.10   Litter in Lakes and Fountains.

"No person shall throw, sweep or deposit litter in any fountain, pond. lake, stream, or any other body of water in a park or elsewhere within the township."

For more simple ways you can help protect Lake Hopatcong, check out our Lake-Friendly Living Program & Guide.