DEP AWARDS TOWNS WEED HARVESTING MONIES FOR MUSCONETCONG
(04/104) TRENTON -- Department of Environmental
Protection (DEP) Commissioner Bradley M. Campbell today
announced funding in the amount of $28,000 to improve water
quality and fishing and boating opportunities in Lake Musconetcong.
The Lake Muscontecong Regional Planning Board will receive
$14,000 for two consecutive years to pay for weed harvesting
work.
"This action provides the Lake Musconetcong community
stable funding over two years to properly manage the weed
congestion problem," said Commissioner Campbell. "At
the same time, our efforts with the regional board to address
septic and storm water runoff in the watershed will reduce
phosphorous pollution that is the primary water quality
issue for the lake."
The Lake Musconetcong Lake Regional Planning Board is
comprised of representatives from Byram, Netcong, Stanhope
and Roxbury in Morris and Sussex counties. The funding
will support weed harvesting and disposal and equipment
maintenance.
DEP performed an analysis of the Upper Musconetcong watershed,
which includes Lake Musconetcong and Lake Hopatcong, to
determine the various sources of nutrients like phosphorous
that cause excessive weed growth. DEP and the Lake Muscontecong
Lake Regional Planning Board are using this information
to take actions such as storm drain improvements to reduce
the impact of runoff containing pollutants like lawn fertilizers.
Lake Musconetcong is 329 acres in size, with a mean depth
of 1.5 meters (4.8 feet) and a maximum depth of 3 meters
(10 feet). Lake Musconetcong is downstream of Lake Hopatcong,
the largest lake in New Jersey at 2,686 acres. The Upper
Musconetcong watershed covers 14,000 acres.
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