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The three candidates for this week's election of New Jersey's governor were sent a short questionnaire in late September with questions about the Lake Hopatcong community. Only one responded with answers.
Chris Christie, who resides in Morris County, has long been
championed by local officials as the best candidate to bring funds to
the Lake Hopatcong Commission. But incumbent Gov. Jon
Corzine, was the only one to respond to the questionnaire with
answers. The office of Chris Daggett, the independent candidate, replied, but no answers were sent as of Sunday, November 1. If Christie or Daggett
sends answers before the Tuesday election, they will be posted here.
A search of both candidates' websites did not reveal any mention of Lake Hopatcong, otherwise that information would be presented. For now, these are the verbatim answers provided by Corzine:
Response to the 2009 Lake Hopatcong Questionnaire
Governor Jon S. Corzine
Q: What do you think are the biggest issues facing Lake Hopatcong and how do you plan to
address them?
A: Lake Hopatcong is a very significant recreational resource for the State of New Jersey and
therefore a significant contributor to the local and regional economy. Any thing that threatens
the recreational use of the Lake must be taken seriously, and there is no shortage of potential
issues. Last spring, we had difficulty restoring the water level in the lake after the planned five
year draw down due to a very dry late summer and early spring. My Administration took action
to reduce the outflow from the lake, and with the help of mother nature’s rains, we were able to
reach normal water surface elevation by mid-June.
The single biggest threat to the Lake and the very important recreational uses it supports is water
quality within the Lake, specifically the introduction of the nutrient phosphorus which causes
excessive plant growth and algae within the Lake. This plant growth can make it difficult, if not
impossible, to navigate or swim in the Lake. The Department of Environmental Protection
(DEP) has monitored the water quality and identified the most significant sources of phosphorus
to the Lake: septic systems and stormwater runoff. My Administration has been working
together with the towns surrounding the Lake and the Lake Hopatcong Commission to shut off
those pollution sources in several ways.
With the help of Environmental Infrastructure Trust funding supported by DEP, the Borough’s of
Hopatcong and Mount Arlington eliminated septic systems replacing them with sewers.
Jefferson Township, with the help of federal grant money passed through the DEP, is
investigating septic management around Lake Shawnee, just upstream of Lake Hopatcong, to
determine the best way to manage septic systems to reduce their contribution of phosphorus to
both lakes. Between the Environmental Protection Agency and the DEP, almost $3,000,000 in
grant money has been made available to the Lake Hopatcong Commission to implement
stormwater management practices to reduce the runoff component of phosphorus.
The Lake Hopatcong Commission has focused much of its independent budget on removing
weeds from the Lake. While these weed harvesting efforts treat the symptoms, they do not
represent a long-term efficient solution to the weed problem. Phosphorus must be controlled
before it enters the Lake which will result in fewer weeds and less algae. My Administration has
provided significant financial and technical support to the Commission to harvest weeks in the
past, as we work toward more permanent, sustainable solutions.
Q: What is you vision for the future of the Lake Hopatcong Commission, and how do you
believe that it should be funded?
Since its inception in 2001, the Lake Hopatcong Commission has fulfilled an important roll for
Lake Hopatcong.
First, the Commission has been extremely successful in competing for grant funding to
implement phosphorus controls around the Lake. Second, the Commission has played an
important role in public education to inform residents of actions they can take to address some of
the pollution issues. For example, the Commission’s successful Lake Friendly Fertilizer
Campaign for phosphorus free fertilizer has been presented to a national audience. Third, the
Commission serves as an important link to the DEP, raising awareness of emerging local issues
and ensuring that the DEP can respond with necessary assistance. Lastly, the Commission serves
an important role in unifying the four towns and two counties that make up the Lake Hopatcong
watershed and acts as a catalyst for local watershed protection. These efforts have turned the
trend of water quality degradation into water quality restoration, as evidenced by documented
water quality improvement. However, there is more work to be done, and I remain committed to
the goals of a healthy Lake Hopatcong.
I believe that the Commission should continue to compete for grant funding to control the inputs
of phosphorus and other pollutants into the Lake, and I believe that the Commission is keenly
positioned to be successful in those efforts. I am certain that the Commission will continue its
leadership role in watershed management and look toward shared service agreements or
stormwater utilities that will result in cost efficiencies.
Historically, the Lake Hopatcong Commission has spent the overwhelming majority of its
operating budget, $500,000 a year or more, on weed harvesting. As I mentioned earlier, this is
not an efficient means of addressing the problem because so long as phosphorus pours into the
lake, weeds will be uncontrollable. Moreover, weeds are a part of a healthy lake ecosystem. At
present, the Lake Hopatcong Commission’s operating budget is funded through appropriations
under the DEP’s budget. Unfortunately, we have had to make very difficult fiscal decisions in
light of the worst economic recession since the Great Depression. The Lake Hopatcong
Commission’s appropriation has been one of those tough choices. We cobbled together an
agreement in 2007 that allowed the Commission to operate under an MOA with the State until
2008. In 2009, the members of the Commission scrambled to dedicate staff to the weed
harvesting effort with the hard costs for equipment repair being paid for from a State Watershed
Grant. If the Commission decides that it is necessary to continue its harvesting operation, it
would be better served to establish a dedicated revenue source to support those activities.
I would support the Commission developing a stable revenue source to support those operations
that are determined by its members to be important to the Lake and its users. The key to this idea
is that revenue must be distributed fairly and that any money raised locally in support of the
Commission should be dedicated directly to the Commission.
Q: What role do you believe the State should play in the management of the Lake?
I believe that the State should maintain its ongoing support for the Lake and the Commission.
The State now provides office space for the Commission at Lake Hopatcong State Park and we
will continue to do so. The State also now provides a storage and maintenance facility for the
Commission’s equipment in Franklin. We are in the process of retrofitting that facility to make
the space more accommodating to the needs of the Commission. The State is taking over
payment of the water level gauges both in the Lake and immediately downstream. The State will
continue to provide technical support to the Commission and provide responses to inquiries that
it receives concerning fish and wildlife in and around the Lake, water quality, evaluation of
emerging management techniques, and providing permit assistance. The State will also continue
to make grant money available for the implementation of source controls for phosphorus until we
have achieved the water quality objectives necessary to maintain recreational uses and fisheries
resources.
To read a voter guide from The Citizen of Morris County regarding the 25th District Assembly race, click here.
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