Borough of Mountain Lakes

Lakes Management Advisory Committee

Minutes of May 6, 2008

Acting Chair: Jim Bailey

Borough Manager: Tempesta

Council Liaison: Wilson

Members: Hardek, Mesicek, Mimberg, Rodgers, Tippy, Wexler

Allied Biological: Sullivan

Members of the public.

Meeting called to order at 7:38 PM

Chair:

< April minutes approved.

Allied Biological:

< Report on current treatments:

Shadow and Grunden – Filamentous algae treatments. Present in 2007 as well.

Mountain Lake – filamentous algae also present.

Birchwood – vascular plant treatment

Wildwood – there have been alum and Sonar treatments already, addressing Curly Leaf Pondweed.

Weekly lake assessment has begun with focus on algae identification.

Alum and herbicide treatment for Crystal will be scheduled.

Question on surface scum at Wildwood.

Most probably pollen on surface.

Discussion of benthic algae in Sunset.

Question on water lilies at Birchwood and Crystal.

Too early to treat.

Question on oxygen levels in Birchwood.

Will be starting monitoring soon.

Question on dead fish seen at Wildwood.

At the observed level, probably not a significant event.

Old Business and New Business and Public Comment combined:

Public discussion of the 4/13/08 Wildwood Lake homeowners meeting.

The “Wildwood Lake Stewards Manifesto” was read into the Committee minutes.

Acting Chair Bailey discussed some of the issues around treatment. He stated that the Lakes Management Committee did not state that Wildwood Lake residents had used more fertilizer than “average” residents. Soil sampling had been discussed as part of many thoughts about trying to find root causes of last year’s problems at Wildwood.

Discussion of treatment history and context. Discussion of Wildwood homeowner suggestions. Discussion of the Canal’s contribution. Discussion of Wildwood/Mountain/Canal system water levels and spillway boards (see Committee minutes from 3/08). Discussion of enforcement of phosphorus fertilizer law. Discussion of riparian buffers. Discussion of education methods to alert town to issues, possibly a flyer that homeowners could give their landscapers.

Acting Chair Bailey thanked the Wildwood homeowners for the suggestions and thoughtful approach to correcting the 2007 problems in Wildwood. The Committee agreed with many of the comments and expressed commitment to avoiding the problem, as did Allied Biological and the Council Liaison.

Next meeting 6/3/08 7:30

Adjournment at 8:50

MANIFESTO

Wildwood Lake Stewards

4/13/08

From spring through fall of 2007, Wildwood Lake remained algae-covered despite one Alum and 17 algaecide applications by Allied Biological. On April 13, 2008 family members representing 19 of 26 lakefront residences met at the invitation of Marla Wexler and Peter Bolo in an attempt to comprehend and effect improvement in the appalling condition of Wildwood. We banned together as Wildwood Lake Stewards, establishing our mission to jointly oversee the beautiful natural resource we share. We agreed to do whatever is in our power to enhance the quality of Wildwood Lake, both directly and through collaboration with our Lakes Management Committee and Borough Manager. Included among our members are several past and present Lakes Management Committee representatives: Peter Bolo, Cleo Deones, Jerry Stock and Marla Wexler.

We recognize the following attributes which predispose Wildwood to algae growth:

*its relatively small size;

*its extensive shallows along the northern (Boulevard) end where sunlight penetrates and temperature rises;

*its relative stagnation in the shallows as flow predominates across the deeper, southern end from the canal over the dam;

*its position as last in a series of interconnected lakes ending finally in a debris-filled canal, tending to concentrate nutrients;

*its high levels of nitrogen and phosphorous, both nutrients exceeding limiting concentrations

for algae growth.

We identify the following major sources of nutrients in Wildwood Lake:

*direct run-off from shoreline properties carrying both naturally-occurring and man-made

(fertilizer) nutrients into the lake;

*indirect run-off from the entire watershed via the canal from Mountain Lake and the stream

traversing Boulevard which drains the Hill section;

*breakdown of organic vegetative matter including leaves and branches accumulated on the lake

bed;

*Canada Goose waste.

We do not concur with a theory advanced by the Lakes Management Committee last year that our algae problem is the result of Wildwood shoreline property owners applying more fertilizers than others in the municipality. That said, we believe there is always room for improvement in our practices and recognize that emerald lawns beget emerald lakes.

We plan to pursue the following to promote the health and beauty of Wildwood:

*minimize all lawn and garden fertilizing and adhere to the ordinance banning phosphorous-containing products;

*avoid excessive lawn sprinkling which washes nutrients into the lake;

*encourage homeowners to plant a suitable riparian buffer along shoreline where one does not yet exist to serve as a nutrient sponge and discourage Canada Geese;

*educate our neighbors throughout the Borough as to the negative impact of lawn and garden fertilizing;

*attend Lakes Management Committee meetings to advocate for adequate professional interventions to control algae.

We strongly advise the Lakes Management Committee and Borough Manager to take the following steps to improve conditions on Wildwood Lake:

*provide two Alum applications per season as this has proven far more effective in the past than only one;

*maintain a higher water level throughout the year by positioning the boards at the dam to the springtime level in order to diminish the impact of stagnant shallow areas;

*more assertive cleaning of the canal bed to remove decaying organic matter;

*hydroraking along the northern shoreline where organic debris has accumulated since the 2002 cleaning;

*redouble efforts at culling and egg-addling to control the resident Canada Goose population;

*consider hiring an independent consultant to assess and monitor the choice and adequacy of interventions provided to Wildwood Lake by Allied Biological.

*actively seek bids from alternative vendors should Allied Biological fail to resolve the recurrent algae problem on Wildwood Lake this season.

The Wildwood Lake Stewards