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POMPTON LAKES - Work set to improve Pompton Lake's water
(by Leslie Scott - Staff Writer - July 01, 2008)
POMPTON LAKES - Those who live and travel alongside the Pompton Lake could see a much more pristine body of water this summer.
For the past few months, the Lake Restoration Task Force has been working on a project to keep this water clean.
Driving past the lake, someone with an untrained eye would see just a perfect serene view, but a closer look brings out a less desirable sight. In the summer months, algae will grow rapidly on the water, requiring lake maintenance.
“It will be green, it will be still and there will be a tremendous amount of growth on the surface of the lake, and those are the things we are working on right now to alleviate,” said Task Force Member Jeff Lipman.
The Flood Advisory Board formed the task force earlier this year. It comprises a number of volunteers who realize the value of lake restoration for both environmental and investment benefits.
The task force has worked to prevent algae growth from reoccurring this summer. It located a company that specializes in de-weeding the rivers and lakes and it was successful in finding a company willing to fund the project.
According to Aquatic Technologies, a Branchville company specializing in this work, a coagulant and flocculent is added to the water to precipitate phosphorus from the water and reduce its release from bottom sediments. Lake and pond sediments treated may release fewer nutrients and prevent excessive alga blooms.
“It will kill and keep the growth down of any bad vegetation and still allow the good vegetation to grow, which will ultimately allow the lake to flow better. It won’t be stagnant, it will keep the algae down, the color will be better,” said Lipman.
Lipman said much of the algae growth as to do with non-organic fertilizers washing into the lake. They actually spur the growth of some plants in the water.
“The growth is a natural process, but having growth in the lake, it is accelerated due to people treating their lawns,” said Lipman.
Lipman said the Pompton Lake was the first project they chose to work on because it is the core of everything in the borough.
“There has been a stigma with this lake for many years because it has not been maintained so it will increase property values once it is maintained on a regular basis,” said Lipman.
Lipman said they would reach out to the neighboring towns of Oakland and Wayne that border the Pompton Lake.
“They have as much as investment and an interest in the lake as well,” said Lipman.
This year the task force was able to find a company to participate. This $30,000 project was partially funded through a community partnership with DuPont of Wilmington, Del., said David Epps, DuPont project manager.
Epps said DuPont chose to participate in this because it wants to help support the town it once called home.
Councilman Ellis Marples said this is a time-sensitive project that can only be completed in the warmer months.
At the June 25 Borough Council meeting, resident Stephen Grayberg urged elected leaders to move forward on this project because time was running out.
Mayor Katie Cole said the borough’s goal is to get this done this summer.
The borough appropriated its funding portion of the project in the 2008 municipal budget. The next step is finalizing the contract.
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