New Jersey Environmental Lobby Newsletter October-December 2009

Attend The NJEL Awards Ceremony on April 27 and Honor Four Environmental Champions -

On Tuesday evening, April 27 NJEL will honor four outstanding individuals at the 2010 Environmental Awards Reception at Seton Hall University.

The Frank Oliver Environmental Award will be presented to New Jersey Assemblyman Reed Gusciora and to Essex County Executive Joseph N. DiVincenzo, Jr.

Assemblyman Gusciora will be honored for his years of leadership on environmental issues. Since his election to the Assembly in 1996, virtually every measure benefitting the environment has been sponsored or co-sponsored by Mr. Gusciora. In many cases, these proposals met with stiff opposition by special interests. He sponsored the legislation that required New Jersey to adopt California’s “Clean Car” standards for low-emission vehicles, which environmentalists sought for years. He sponsored the law banning cigarette smoking in restaurants. Mr. Gusciora was a leader in supporting electronics recycling, the development and use of renewable energy, reduction in pesticide use, and protection of species. As Vice-Chairman of the Assembly Environment Committee and Deputy Majority Leader, Mr. Gusciora has helped to guide legislation to repair and protect New Jersey’s environment.

Essex County Executive Joseph DiVincenzo has worked diligently to rehabilitate and improve the Essex County Park System, the first county park system in the U.S. During his tenure, County parks have benefitted from work ranging from stream bank stabilization to landscape restoration, to building modernization.

Mr. DiVincenzo recognized that safety is of utmost importance for parks and playgrounds. He initiated a $2.5 million investment to upgrade all playgrounds in the system to national safety standards, including rubberized surfaces to reduce injuries.

The current multi-year rehabilitation of Ivy Hill Park demonstrates the County’s recognition that projects are successful when residents are involved in the planning and execution. Planned with the Ivy Hill Neighborhood Association, the project is intended to make the Park a center for neighborhood socialization and recreation for all ages.

Branch Brook Park, now a National Historic Site, was the first property acquired and designated as a County Park. In April, the 33rd Cherry Blossom Festival will celebrate the conclusion of a public/private/volunteer project to plant 4,000 cherry tree seedlings in order to restore and enlarge the Park’s historic collection of cherry trees. For more information on Essex County Parks, including events and improvements, visit www.essexcountynj.org.

The Environmental Legacy Award recognizes those whose contributions to the environment reach beyond specific issues to benefit our entire ecosystem. The 2010 Environmental Legacy Awards will be presented to Leonard Soucy, Founder of The Raptor Trust and to Sally Dudley, former Executive Director of the Association of New Jersey Environmental Commissions (ANJEC)..

Thirty years ago, Leonard Soucy and his wife, Diane, established a backyard haven for injured birds. The Soucys used their own resources to develop that modest venture into one of the most comprehensive and most respected avian rehabilitation centers in the U.S. The objective is to return birds to the wild when possible, but presently, 100 “unreleasable” raptors reside on the Trust property. Just as important as the care of injured and orphaned birds is the public education service provided by the Trust. The Trust welcomes visitors and provides on– and off-site educational programs about raptors, dispelling myths, helping to prevent injuries to birds, and advising the public about what to do with injured or orphaned birds. Mr. Soucy has received numerous awards and recognitions, including a Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Wildlife Rehabilitators Association and an Honorary Doctor of Science degree from Drew University. With their work in one corner of New Jersey, Len and Diane Soucy have helped to protect species and the biodiversity of our planet. They have educated others who will carry their message beyond New Jersey.

Sally Dudley led ANJEC for fourteen years. During that time, ANJEC became an irreplaceable resource to towns and counties in New Jersey. ANJEC training and technical assistance has helped local governments with limited staff and scientific expertise comply with environmental regulations. Beyond that, ANJEC has shown local bodies how to go beyond simple compliance. ANJEC programs have introduced towns to best practices and encouraged initiatives that will improve the sustainability and health of local communities.

Ms. Dudley’s fourteen years as Executive Director of ANJEC are only a part of the service that she has given to New Jersey. She has been active in local government and land preservation efforts for over 30 years. She served for 12 years on the Township Committee of Harding Township, including two years as mayor. Ms. Dudley’s volunteer service has included her township’s Open Space Committee, the Board of the Crossroads of the American Revolution, the NJ Advisory Board of the Trust for Public Land, the Board of the Coalition for the Public Good, Vice Chair of the New Jersey Brownfields Task Force, the Board of Conservation Resources, Inc., and the Board of the Coalition of Affordable Housing and the Environment. The thread running through all of her work is that a sustainable environment is related to the basic human needs of clean water, clean air, and shelter. She has given others the tools to carry that work throughout the State.

The Awards Reception will take place in the Faculty Lounge, University Center, Seton Hall University, 400 South Orange Ave., South Orange, from 5:30 until 8:30 PM.

Wind Energy -
In mid-March, NJEL was granted amicus standing to argue in support of Wayne Auto Spa’s suit against Wayne Township’s denial of a building permit for a 45-foot wind mill on the Auto Spa’s commercial property. One of the ironic twists in this dispute is that the township approved a wind turbine for its own co-generation facility, while questioning the safety and noise impacts of turbines. In the midst of this dispute, the New Jersey Legislature passed a measure declaring renewable energy equipment “inherently beneficial.” NJEL hopes that its support of Wayne Auto Spa will produce a favorable outcome for the business and for the future of wind energy in New Jersey.

Raiding the Clean Energy Fund -
Environmentalists as well as many businesses are opposed to Governor Christie’s appropriation of Clean Energy Funds to the State’s General Fund. Clean Energy funds come from a charge on electric bills. They were earmarked by the Legislature to provide small grants to help consumers pay for energy-efficiency projects. They were not meant to be used for other purposes in the State budget. Besides reducing energy consumption and saving consumers’ money, Clean Energy grants spurred employment in businesses that provide insulation and weatherization services, heating and air conditioning systems, and other products. The Governor also intends to divert the revenue from the carbon permit auctions of the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative to the General Fund. The RGGI revenue was intended for carbon mitigation projects. We are looking to legislators to turn back this raid on funds that were intended to reduce energy waste and offset the negative effects of fossil fuels.

Macroinvertebrates & Water Quality - by Gene Fox, Educational Director

. . . from the Environmental Education Fund. . . In the Oct.-Dec 2009 newsletter, Gene Fox wrote about the tiny animals called macro invertebrates, describing them and how they are indicators of water quality. This second installment describes the specific sources of pollution that degrade water quality and cause stress to macro invertebrates.

A further look at macro invertebrate communities allows the community to be divided into three classes. Class 1 organisms are highly pollution intolerant; class 2 critters are able to withstand a variety of conditions and will live in a less than ideal area. Class 3 creatures are pollution tolerant. All of these classes respond to stressors, both natural and artificial, found in the environment The presence of a class of invertebrates is indicative of the quality of the body of water. Characteristics that produce negative changes in the water are “stressors.” They can be natural or man-made.

Natural stressors include impoundments – lakes or ponds – where the outflow is heated by the sun as it moves slowly through the pond or lake and is thus lower in oxygen than a free running stream. The use of an impoundment by flocks of waterfowl, while attractive in many ways simply increases the stress such ponds produce.

The nature of the riparian border of the stream and its steepness also affect the macro invertebrate community A wide, well vegetated and moderately sloped border slows the flow of storm water and absorbs many nutrients so it allows high community quality. The gradient of the stream is also important. Low gradient, slow flowing streams, tend to have poorer macro invertebrates communities than high gradient streams because the nutrient load is higher while the dissolved oxygen content is lower.

A significant man-made stressor is the effluent from waste water treatment plants. These essential structures often release water that is both warmer and richer in nutrients than the regular flow. Such plants must meet rigorous state requirements for their discharge but, nonetheless, their releases add stress to the natural environment The second major artificial stressor is nutrient run-off. This is most commonly fertilizer and pesticide residue from lawns both residential and commercial such as those associated with office buildings and golf courses. This stressor could be controlled if fertilizers and pesticides were used both less frequently and more carefully by the property owner.

The third most important stressor in New Jersey is parking lot and road run-off. This may contain litter, motor oil residues, detergents and salt. All of these are bad even in small quantities but testing for their presence is difficult and expensive. Contained in this run-off is road salt, a seasonal stressor that is increasing and may soon be a major stressor for macro invertebrates and waste water treatment plant operators. The amount of salt applied to roads in winter is difficult to control but we must do so if we are to continue to enjoy high quality drinking water. Many communities now apply salt sparingly and only as needed, or use a different formulation. Some have even designated stream crossings to be low salt areas where applications are controlled by municipal ordinance.

Last but not least among stressors is erosion. Control of soil loss from building sites is only one aspect of this problem. Measures, such as fences of landscapers’ cloth to control run-off from construction sites are mandated in New Jersey and many other areas. Erosion of stream banks by a stream flow itself can be significant. A storm flow that almost fills the stream bank is a severe erosive force. It can be mitigated but only by using best management practices to control storm water. These practices are part of the storm water management regulations in New Jersey and can be obtained from your city government or NJ DEP.

Pictures and much more information about aquatic invertebrates can easily be found on the internet. Most web sites include pictures of the macro invertebrates. Many contain information about how you can become an invertebrate hunter.

Author's note: Our family has lived in lake communities for over 30 years, but it wasn't until we moved to our current home five years ago, on a charming 19 acre lake just a mile from route 80, that we became aware of the environmental responsibilities – and costs - of living in a lake community. By the middle of our first summer, we were appalled by the smelly green slime covering our beautiful lake. At first, we were angry that the lake had been mismanaged, and wanted to have the responsible people fix the problem. That began a long journey of understanding and accountability. What we learned was that the lake had not been mismanaged, just misunderstood and neglected. Furthermore, that as part of the community, with (a long-forgotten) deeded access to the lake, we were among those responsible for the lake, and that the lake association couldn’t afford to fix the lake's problems through voluntary membership.

This series of articles represents my journey of understanding and accountability over the past 5 years. I hope that by sharing my learning and the actions that we have taken, other property owners will be encouraged to save their lakes, as well. Having lived in New Jersey for most of my life, I think that our neighborhood lakes are the hidden treasures of New Jersey and deserve our protection.

Most people don't think of New Jersey as a haven for lakeside living. But New Jersey does have many lakes, ranging in size from under an acre to the largest freshwater lake in NJ, Lake Hopatcong, washing in at 4 square miles. In Morris County alone, there are over 120 named lakes and in New Jersey, there are perhaps as many as 1200 lakes. Many of the lakes in small lake communities are deteriorating. Reasons include: increased development; population growth; the age, origin and size of the lake; how it was (or was not) maintained; and residents' lack of awareness of the complexities of the environmental stewardship necessary for, and the costs associated with, lake community living. If your local lake has been looking a little green around the edges – or even further into the middle of the lake, your lake may have problems. The green may be any number of things, from filamentous or blue-green algae blooms, to an excess of native lily pads or arrowhead, to non-native invasive plants, such as water chestnut, duckweed, fanwort, or Eurasian water milfoil. Where do these things come from? Why are they growing now, and not before? How can we control them? And the show stoppers: how much will it cost to control them and who should pay?

Basic Limnology
To answer these questions, we need to understand a small amount of limnology – the study of freshwater ecology, and explore the unique issues surrounding lakes in New Jersey. In future articles, we'll explore some control measures: chemical, physical and biological. Finally, we'll take a look at where funds might be found for these measures. Our ultimate goal, over several years, is to bring a lake closer to ecological balance, and restore its scenic beauty and recreational value.

Information Sources: There have been many books, articles and PhD theses written on limnology; for a more in-depth review, I recommend searching the internet as a start. Our own NJ-DEP, like many other states, has a department devoted to water resources. There are many citizen organizations, whose primary mission is to educate members about lake management and watershed issues, such as NJ Coalition of Lake Associations (NJ COLA) and the Watershed Partnership of New Jersey (WPNJ). Finally, there are many lake management companies, who make it their business to study lakes, and are licensed by the state to apply control measures to manage the nuisance growths.

Lake Ecosystem: A lake is a complex, and ideally, balanced ecosystem of hundreds of inter-related plant and animal organisms and their physical-chemical environment. That environment includes not only the actual lake that you see, but also the terrestrial sources of the lake's water, its watershed, which may extend for miles around the lake. Other factors influencing the ecosystem include the lake's size and depth, its water sources and outlets, and water's thermal and chemical properties, as well as the sources and uses of its nutrients, its dissolved oxygen concentration, and other factors.

Nutrient Cycles and the Food Chain:All the lake's organisms require a source of nutrients to live. These nutrients originate both externally, washed in from the watershed, and internally, recycled from within the lake itself. At the bottom of the lake's food chain, and at the bottom of the lake, is the layer of muck, the dead plant and animal matter that has built up over the years of the lake's existence. This muck is digested by bacteria to produce dissolved nutrients, which are fed upon by hundreds of species of algae and green plants, which are then fed upon by microscopic animals (rotifers and zooplankton), then insects, and small and larger fish, reptiles, birds and mammals. All of which digest their own food, produce their own waste products to add to the muck, and eventually die, and sink into the muck to decompose and recycle their nutrients.

Many lakes in New Jersey were created by damming, or impounding, a small stream or river. If this type of lake has been in existence for several decades, and has a relatively slow rate of flushing, it may have built up a substantial layer of decomposing organic muck on its bottom from both the external inflow from its watershed and the internal life cycles of the organisms living in the lake. This muck layer, rather than the external watershed, may be the primary source of nutrients.

Phosphorus: Green plants and algae will use all available nutrients to grow, and the nutrient that is most often least available in fresh water lakes, is phosphorus. Just like on our lawns, any increase in available phosphorus will probably cause a rapid growth in algae and green plants in the lake. This increased rate of plant growth is termed eutrophication, and it takes only a very small amount of added phosphorus to result in significant algae or plant growth problems in a lake: 1 lb of phosphorus can produce 1000 wet lbs of algae!

Balance – or Not!: As a simplification, if the total of both the internal and external sources of the lake's nutrients are balanced by both the nutrients flushed out, and the nutrients used by the food chain in the lake, the lake ecosystem will be in equilibrium, and no excessive growth of weeds, algae, or any organism, will occur. If, however, there is an increase in nutrients, primarily phosphorus, from any external or internal source, algae blooms or excessive plant growth may result in the lake. Remember that this is a simplification. There may be additional factors to consider. It is worthwhile to carefully evaluate the nutrient cycles of a particular lake, and to consult with a lake management company, before any control measures are implemented.

Nutrient Control: The key, then, to long term control of excessive plant growth and/or algae blooms in a freshwater lake, is control of both the external and internal sources of nutrients, primarily phosphorus. We will explore some of the more common control measures in the next article.

REMEMBER!

The New Jersey Environmental Lobby is your voice in Trenton. We are an independent, nonpartisan, nonprofit organization focused on the preservation and protection of a healthy environment for all our citizens. We need your support! JOIN NJEL and help us change the laws!







	President: Anne Poole Legislative Director: Michael Pisauro


	Volume 39 No. 1

	January - March 2010

	NJEL Awards Reception April 27 Honoring Four - On Tuesday evening April 27th, NJEL will honor four outstanding individuals at the 2010 Environmental Awards Reception at Seton Hall University. Read More ... Update on Energy Issues - Topics: Wind Energy and Raiding the Clean Energy Fund. Read More ... Macroinvertebrates & Water Quality *- by Gene Fox*, Educational Director - Second in a series...A further look at macro invertebrate communities allows the community to be divided into three classes. Read More ... Lakeside Living in New Jersey... from EEF - *by David Hobart* This first in a series of articles represents my journey of understanding and accountability over the past 5 years. Read More ... Attend The NJEL Awards Ceremony on April 27 and Honor Four Environmental Champions - On Tuesday evening, April 27 NJEL will honor four outstanding individuals at the 2010 Environmental Awards Reception at Seton Hall University. The Frank Oliver Environmental Award will be presented to New Jersey Assemblyman Reed Gusciora and to Essex County Executive Joseph N. DiVincenzo, Jr. Assemblyman Gusciora will be honored for his years of leadership on environmental issues. Since his election to the Assembly in 1996, virtually every measure benefitting the environment has been sponsored or co-sponsored by Mr. Gusciora. In many cases, these proposals met with stiff opposition by special interests. He sponsored the legislation that required New Jersey to adopt California’s “Clean Car” standards for low-emission vehicles, which environmentalists sought for years. He sponsored the law banning cigarette smoking in restaurants. Mr. Gusciora was a leader in supporting electronics recycling, the development and use of renewable energy, reduction in pesticide use, and protection of species. As Vice-Chairman of the Assembly Environment Committee and Deputy Majority Leader, Mr. Gusciora has helped to guide legislation to repair and protect New Jersey’s environment. Essex County Executive Joseph DiVincenzo has worked diligently to rehabilitate and improve the Essex County Park System, the first county park system in the U.S. During his tenure, County parks have benefitted from work ranging from stream bank stabilization to landscape restoration, to building modernization. Mr. DiVincenzo recognized that safety is of utmost importance for parks and playgrounds. He initiated a $2.5 million investment to upgrade all playgrounds in the system to national safety standards, including rubberized surfaces to reduce injuries. The current multi-year rehabilitation of Ivy Hill Park demonstrates the County’s recognition that projects are successful when residents are involved in the planning and execution. Planned with the Ivy Hill Neighborhood Association, the project is intended to make the Park a center for neighborhood socialization and recreation for all ages. Branch Brook Park, now a National Historic Site, was the first property acquired and designated as a County Park. In April, the 33rd Cherry Blossom Festival will celebrate the conclusion of a public/private/volunteer project to plant 4,000 cherry tree seedlings in order to restore and enlarge the Park’s historic collection of cherry trees. For more information on Essex County Parks, including events and improvements, visit www.essexcountynj.org. The Environmental Legacy Award The Environmental Legacy Award recognizes those whose contributions to the environment reach beyond specific issues to benefit our entire ecosystem. The 2010 Environmental Legacy Awards will be presented to Leonard Soucy, Founder of The Raptor Trust and to Sally Dudley, former Executive Director of the Association of New Jersey Environmental Commissions (ANJEC).. Thirty years ago, Leonard Soucy and his wife, Diane, established a backyard haven for injured birds. The Soucys used their own resources to develop that modest venture into one of the most comprehensive and most respected avian rehabilitation centers in the U.S. The objective is to return birds to the wild when possible, but presently, 100 “unreleasable” raptors reside on the Trust property. Just as important as the care of injured and orphaned birds is the public education service provided by the Trust. The Trust welcomes visitors and provides on– and off-site educational programs about raptors, dispelling myths, helping to prevent injuries to birds, and advising the public about what to do with injured or orphaned birds. Mr. Soucy has received numerous awards and recognitions, including a Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Wildlife Rehabilitators Association and an Honorary Doctor of Science degree from Drew University. With their work in one corner of New Jersey, Len and Diane Soucy have helped to protect species and the biodiversity of our planet. They have educated others who will carry their message beyond New Jersey. Sally Dudley led ANJEC for fourteen years. During that time, ANJEC became an irreplaceable resource to towns and counties in New Jersey. ANJEC training and technical assistance has helped local governments with limited staff and scientific expertise comply with environmental regulations. Beyond that, ANJEC has shown local bodies how to go beyond simple compliance. ANJEC programs have introduced towns to best practices and encouraged initiatives that will improve the sustainability and health of local communities. Ms. Dudley’s fourteen years as Executive Director of ANJEC are only a part of the service that she has given to New Jersey. She has been active in local government and land preservation efforts for over 30 years. She served for 12 years on the Township Committee of Harding Township, including two years as mayor. Ms. Dudley’s volunteer service has included her township’s Open Space Committee, the Board of the Crossroads of the American Revolution, the NJ Advisory Board of the Trust for Public Land, the Board of the Coalition for the Public Good, Vice Chair of the New Jersey Brownfields Task Force, the Board of Conservation Resources, Inc., and the Board of the Coalition of Affordable Housing and the Environment. The thread running through all of her work is that a sustainable environment is related to the basic human needs of clean water, clean air, and shelter. She has given others the tools to carry that work throughout the State. The Awards Reception will take place in the Faculty Lounge, University Center, Seton Hall University, 400 South Orange Ave., South Orange, from 5:30 until 8:30 PM. Update on Energy Issues - Wind Energy - In mid-March, NJEL was granted amicus standing to argue in support of Wayne Auto Spa’s suit against Wayne Township’s denial of a building permit for a 45-foot wind mill on the Auto Spa’s commercial property. One of the ironic twists in this dispute is that the township approved a wind turbine for its own co-generation facility, while questioning the safety and noise impacts of turbines. In the midst of this dispute, the New Jersey Legislature passed a measure declaring renewable energy equipment “inherently beneficial.” NJEL hopes that its support of Wayne Auto Spa will produce a favorable outcome for the business and for the future of wind energy in New Jersey. Raiding the Clean Energy Fund - Environmentalists as well as many businesses are opposed to Governor Christie’s appropriation of Clean Energy Funds to the State’s General Fund. Clean Energy funds come from a charge on electric bills. They were earmarked by the Legislature to provide small grants to help consumers pay for energy-efficiency projects. They were not meant to be used for other purposes in the State budget. Besides reducing energy consumption and saving consumers’ money, Clean Energy grants spurred employment in businesses that provide insulation and weatherization services, heating and air conditioning systems, and other products. The Governor also intends to divert the revenue from the carbon permit auctions of the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative to the General Fund. The RGGI revenue was intended for carbon mitigation projects. We are looking to legislators to turn back this raid on funds that were intended to reduce energy waste and offset the negative effects of fossil fuels. Macroinvertebrates & Water Quality *- by Gene Fox, Educational Director* . . . from the Environmental Education Fund. . . In the Oct.-Dec 2009 newsletter, Gene Fox wrote about the tiny animals called macro invertebrates, describing them and how they are indicators of water quality. This second installment describes the specific sources of pollution that degrade water quality and cause stress to macro invertebrates. A further look at macro invertebrate communities allows the community to be divided into three classes. Class 1 organisms are highly pollution intolerant; class 2 critters are able to withstand a variety of conditions and will live in a less than ideal area. Class 3 creatures are pollution tolerant. All of these classes respond to stressors, both natural and artificial, found in the environment The presence of a class of invertebrates is indicative of the quality of the body of water. Characteristics that produce negative changes in the water are “stressors.” They can be natural or man-made. Natural stressors include impoundments – lakes or ponds – where the outflow is heated by the sun as it moves slowly through the pond or lake and is thus lower in oxygen than a free running stream. The use of an impoundment by flocks of waterfowl, while attractive in many ways simply increases the stress such ponds produce. The nature of the riparian border of the stream and its steepness also affect the macro invertebrate community A wide, well vegetated and moderately sloped border slows the flow of storm water and absorbs many nutrients so it allows high community quality. The gradient of the stream is also important. Low gradient, slow flowing streams, tend to have poorer macro invertebrates communities than high gradient streams because the nutrient load is higher while the dissolved oxygen content is lower. A significant man-made stressor is the effluent from waste water treatment plants. These essential structures often release water that is both warmer and richer in nutrients than the regular flow. Such plants must meet rigorous state requirements for their discharge but, nonetheless, their releases add stress to the natural environment The second major artificial stressor is nutrient run-off. This is most commonly fertilizer and pesticide residue from lawns both residential and commercial such as those associated with office buildings and golf courses. This stressor could be controlled if fertilizers and pesticides were used both less frequently and more carefully by the property owner. The third most important stressor in New Jersey is parking lot and road run-off. This may contain litter, motor oil residues, detergents and salt. All of these are bad even in small quantities but testing for their presence is difficult and expensive. Contained in this run-off is road salt, a seasonal stressor that is increasing and may soon be a major stressor for macro invertebrates and waste water treatment plant operators. The amount of salt applied to roads in winter is difficult to control but we must do so if we are to continue to enjoy high quality drinking water. Many communities now apply salt sparingly and only as needed, or use a different formulation. Some have even designated stream crossings to be low salt areas where applications are controlled by municipal ordinance. Last but not least among stressors is erosion. Control of soil loss from building sites is only one aspect of this problem. Measures, such as fences of landscapers’ cloth to control run-off from construction sites are mandated in New Jersey and many other areas. Erosion of stream banks by a stream flow itself can be significant. A storm flow that almost fills the stream bank is a severe erosive force. It can be mitigated but only by using best management practices to control storm water. These practices are part of the storm water management regulations in New Jersey and can be obtained from your city government or NJ DEP. Pictures and much more information about aquatic invertebrates can easily be found on the internet. Most web sites include pictures of the macro invertebrates. Many contain information about how you can become an invertebrate hunter. Lakeside Living in New Jersey... from EEF - *by Gene Fox.* Author's note: Our family has lived in lake communities for over 30 years, but it wasn't until we moved to our current home five years ago, on a charming 19 acre lake just a mile from route 80, that we became aware of the environmental responsibilities – and costs - of living in a lake community. By the middle of our first summer, we were appalled by the smelly green slime covering our beautiful lake. At first, we were angry that the lake had been mismanaged, and wanted to have the responsible people fix the problem. That began a long journey of understanding and accountability. What we learned was that the lake had not been mismanaged, just misunderstood and neglected. Furthermore, that as part of the community, with (a long-forgotten) deeded access to the lake, we were among those responsible for the lake, and that the lake association couldn’t afford to fix the lake's problems through voluntary membership. This series of articles represents my journey of understanding and accountability over the past 5 years. I hope that by sharing my learning and the actions that we have taken, other property owners will be encouraged to save their lakes, as well. Having lived in New Jersey for most of my life, I think that our neighborhood lakes are the hidden treasures of New Jersey and deserve our protection. Most people don't think of New Jersey as a haven for lakeside living. But New Jersey does have many lakes, ranging in size from under an acre to the largest freshwater lake in NJ, Lake Hopatcong, washing in at 4 square miles. In Morris County alone, there are over 120 named lakes and in New Jersey, there are perhaps as many as 1200 lakes. Many of the lakes in small lake communities are deteriorating. Reasons include: increased development; population growth; the age, origin and size of the lake; how it was (or was not) maintained; and residents' lack of awareness of the complexities of the environmental stewardship necessary for, and the costs associated with, lake community living. If your local lake has been looking a little green around the edges – or even further into the middle of the lake, your lake may have problems. The green may be any number of things, from filamentous or blue-green algae blooms, to an excess of native lily pads or arrowhead, to non-native invasive plants, such as water chestnut, duckweed, fanwort, or Eurasian water milfoil. Where do these things come from? Why are they growing now, and not before? How can we control them? And the show stoppers: how much will it cost to control them and who should pay? Basic Limnology To answer these questions, we need to understand a small amount of limnology – the study of freshwater ecology, and explore the unique issues surrounding lakes in New Jersey. In future articles, we'll explore some control measures: chemical, physical and biological. Finally, we'll take a look at where funds might be found for these measures. Our ultimate goal, over several years, is to bring a lake closer to ecological balance, and restore its scenic beauty and recreational value. *Information Sources: There have been many books, articles and PhD theses written on limnology; for a more in-depth review, I recommend searching the internet as a start. Our own NJ-DEP, like many other states, has a department devoted to water resources. There are many citizen organizations, whose primary mission is to educate members about lake management and watershed issues, such as NJ Coalition of Lake Associations (NJ COLA) and the Watershed Partnership of New Jersey (WPNJ). Finally, there are many lake management companies, who make it their business to study lakes, and are licensed by the state to apply control measures to manage the nuisance growths. Lake Ecosystem:* A lake is a complex, and ideally, balanced ecosystem of hundreds of inter-related plant and animal organisms and their physical-chemical environment. That environment includes not only the actual lake that you see, but also the terrestrial sources of the lake's water, its watershed, which may extend for miles around the lake. Other factors influencing the ecosystem include the lake's size and depth, its water sources and outlets, and water's thermal and chemical properties, as well as the sources and uses of its nutrients, its dissolved oxygen concentration, and other factors. *Nutrient Cycles and the Food Chain:All the lake's organisms require a source of nutrients to live. These nutrients originate both externally, washed in from the watershed, and internally, recycled from within the lake itself. At the bottom of the lake's food chain, and at the bottom of the lake, is the layer of muck, the dead plant and animal matter that has built up over the years of the lake's existence. This muck is digested by bacteria to produce dissolved nutrients, which are fed upon by hundreds of species of algae and green plants, which are then fed upon by microscopic animals (rotifers and zooplankton), then insects, and small and larger fish, reptiles, birds and mammals. All of which digest their own food, produce their own waste products to add to the muck, and eventually die, and sink into the muck to decompose and recycle their nutrients. Many lakes in New Jersey were created by damming, or impounding, a small stream or river. If this type of lake has been in existence for several decades, and has a relatively slow rate of flushing, it may have built up a substantial layer of decomposing organic muck on its bottom from both the external inflow from its watershed and the internal life cycles of the organisms living in the lake. This muck layer, rather than the external watershed, may be the primary source of nutrients. Phosphorus:* Green plants and algae will use all available nutrients to grow, and the nutrient that is most often least available in fresh water lakes, is phosphorus. Just like on our lawns, any increase in available phosphorus will probably cause a rapid growth in algae and green plants in the lake. This increased rate of plant growth is termed eutrophication, and it takes only a very small amount of added phosphorus to result in significant algae or plant growth problems in a lake: 1 lb of phosphorus can produce 1000 wet lbs of algae! *Balance – or Not!:* As a simplification, if the total of both the internal and external sources of the lake's nutrients are balanced by both the nutrients flushed out, and the nutrients used by the food chain in the lake, the lake ecosystem will be in equilibrium, and no excessive growth of weeds, algae, or any organism, will occur. If, however, there is an increase in nutrients, primarily phosphorus, from any external or internal source, algae blooms or excessive plant growth may result in the lake. Remember that this is a simplification. There may be additional factors to consider. It is worthwhile to carefully evaluate the nutrient cycles of a particular lake, and to consult with a lake management company, before any control measures are implemented. *Nutrient Control:* The key, then, to long term control of excessive plant growth and/or algae blooms in a freshwater lake, is control of both the external and internal sources of nutrients, primarily phosphorus. We will explore some of the more common control measures in the next article. *REMEMBER!* The New Jersey Environmental Lobby is your voice in Trenton. We are an independent, nonpartisan, nonprofit organization focused on the preservation and protection of a healthy environment for all our citizens. We need your support! JOIN NJEL and help us change the laws! BACK TO TOP