Organizations Recognized for Efforts on Lake Health
Lake Hopatcong, N.J. (November 29, 2021)— The Lake Hopatcong Commission and the Lake Hopatcong Foundation, together, were honored with a “Lake Management Success Stories Award” from the North American Lake Management Society (NALMS) this week at its 2021 virtual conference.
“Meeting the ecological, recreational, and personal needs of the residents and visitors of New Jersey's largest lake is not an easy task,” said Chris L. Mikolajczyk, the newly elected president of NALMS. “However, the folks from the Commission and the Foundation continue to do so year in and year out, sometimes with limited resources.”
The mission of NALMS is to forge partnerships among citizens, scientists, and professionals to foster the management and protection of lakes and reservoirs, for today and tomorrow. The organization’s Lake Management Success Stories awards are presented to an individual or team that has demonstrated improvement in lake/reservoir condition or watershed management in a cost-effective manner.
The Lake Hopatcong Foundation (LHF) and the Lake Hopatcong Commission (LHC) were nominated by Princeton Hydro, largely for their efforts in addressing harmful algal blooms (HAB) on Lake Hopatcong. Princeton Hydro is a Ringoes, N.J.-based firm that, since 1998, has been committed to improving ecosystems, quality of life, and communities, and serves as an environmental consultant for Lake Hopatcong.
“We deeply appreciate Princeton Hydro for nominating us and the LHC,” said Kyle Richter, the Foundation’s executive director. “It’s an honor to be recognized for all of the work being done to prevent harmful algal blooms on Lake Hopatcong."
The scope of these projects, Richter noted, could not have been accomplished without the support and collaboration of the four municipalities and two counties that surround the lake. He also cited support from Rutgers University, and Princeton Hydro, as well as funding from the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection.
“It really does take a village,” said Colleen Lyons, the Commission’s administrator. “The successes we are seeing on Lake Hopatcong are due to an extraordinary level of collaboration and support for the health of our lake.”
Mikolajczyk is also the senior project manager at Princeton Hydro. He says he has seen, first-hand, the work that the Lake Hopatcong Commission and the Lake Hopatcong Foundation have done, in concert with Princeton Hydro’s Dr. Fred Lubnow.
“The efforts of the Commission and the Foundation, in collaboration with municipalities surrounding Lake Hopatcong, continue to make the lake one of the most treasured jewels of New Jersey’s outdoors,” added Mikolajczyk. “I'm not alone at Princeton Hydro in saying this Lake Management Success Stories Award is well deserved."
The Lake Hopatcong Commission is an independent state agency created in, but not of, the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection. The Commission is responsible for fulfilling the obligations of the Lake Hopatcong Protection Act, to safeguard Lake Hopatcong as a natural, scenic, and recreational resource. To learn more, visit lakehopatcongcommission.org.
The Lake Hopatcong Foundation is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to protecting the lake environment and enhancing the lake experience by bringing together public and private resources to encourage a culture of sustainability and stewardship on and around New Jersey's largest lake, for this and future generations. To learn more, visit lakehopatcongfoundation.org.
