CAPE MAY POINT — Several ecological factors have continued to affect the complex ecosystem of Lake Lily, from the severe drought New Jersey experienced in the past year to invasive vegetation and aquatic weeds.
Borough Commission continues to address and maintain the valued water resource. Commissioner Suzanne Yunghans provided an update on the health of Lake Lily during a Borough Commission meeting May 27.
The borough has the responsibility to manage and preserve the lake.
“We are not alone in struggling to maintain our lake; lakes and ponds everywhere across the country are working on the same issues,” she said. “I am humbled by the complexity of this task, and I know there is more to learn. It’s not a quick fix.”
Yunghans discussed three steps the commission should take to help resolve the issues.
The first was to move forward with a comprehensive analysis of all aspects of the lake; the second was to try a pilot program of lake mats in the south end; and lastly, create a plan to address the invasive vegetation during the winter and recommended planting native vegetation in spring 2026.
The commission unanimously agreed to move forward with these suggestions after a robust discussion.
Yunghans reiterated the importance of providing stormwater management and flood control and supporting wildlife by caring for the lake. The borough has a longstanding contract with Clean Flo to aerate the lake using 11 diffusers (also referred to as bubblers) and non-toxic enzyme products to improve water quality, liquefy organic matter and reduce muck build-up.
At the end of May, Clean Flo delivered the summer enzyme products and trained the new Public Works staff on how and when to apply them.
“While they were here, they took a water sample and sent it to their lab,” Yunghans said. “We will have a baseline data before the summer treatment.”
Clean Flo previously notified the borough that it does not address aquatic weeds and recommended the borough reach out to Tigris Water Management. Yunghans said Tigris field operations manager Ryan Flannery visited Lake Lily on April 22 to conduct a visual assessment and make recommendations.
“Tigris recommends using an algaecide and selective herbicides to diminish the green algae and slowly eradicate the invasive specifies in the shallow south end of the lake,” Yunghans said, adding some of which are duckweed, parrot feather and overgrown water lilies.
Yunghans said the products Tigris uses are EPA-registered and in accordance with the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection guidelines. She added that Tigris recommends seven treatments to the south end only between May and September.
“After each treatment, Mr. Flannery will provide a report on the water quality, specifically pH and dissolved oxygen,” Yunghans said. “At the end of this treatment cycle, Tigris can do a more comprehensive water quality test for phosphorus and nitrogen.”
The products used will have no harmful effects on the fish, turtles and birds that make the lake their home, Yunghans said, adding that there would be no effect on the groundwater surrounding the lake.
“Mr. Flannery expects this treatment series to be an ongoing need each year, with the main objective to keep the lake vegetation at a manageable level with as minimal interference as possible,” she added.
Yunghans reached out to another water management company, SOLitude, and its recommendation was to hydrorake the south end of the lake in the fall to remove the majority of the aquatic weeds and overgrown water lilies.
“They would follow up with an assessment and treatment of emergent weed growth early next spring,” she said. “They’re sending me a quote, but it’s quite a bit more expensive than Tigris.”
Additionally, Yunghans took a course on pond management presented by Rutgers professor Steven Souza. She said the key principle he emphasized was to know the body of water in detail to address its problems properly.
“Dr. Souza is not anti-algaecide or -herbicide treatment but rather advocates for using what he calls a ‘soft touch’ approach to keep the lake in an ecologically balanced state,” Yunghans said, adding that another option he discussed was lake mats.
Lake mats are large, framed fabric mats that self-settle on the lake floor. Yunghans said the mats effectively block sunlight from reaching invasive aquatic plants, allowing them to die off slowly.
“The mats are inexpensive, can easily be placed in the lake and are chemical-free,” she said. “They are supposed to last indefinitely, and the only maintenance is cleaning them off once per year.”
Yunghans said she plans to get more information on lake mats and speak with people who have used them effectively.
She said the island in the lake is being consumed by invasive plants.
“Matt Pelegrino, a longtime naturalist at the Lighthouse State Park, with Public Work employees waded out to the island on May 13 to evaluate the vegetation,” she said, adding they began to tag invasive plants but realized 95 percent of the vegetation is invasives and covered in poison ivy.
Only three native saplings exist on the island, and Yunghans said they are not worth the time and effort it would take to penetrate the thick, invasive vegetation to save them.
“[Pelegrino] recommends we wait until winter and do a controlled burn of the existing island vegetation, and replant it with all native plants,” she said. “Based on his knowledge from successful replanting in the state park, he can recommend native plants that should do well and support our bird population.”
Yunghans added that Pelegrino volunteered his time, and she appreciates his help.
Mayor Anita VanHeeswyk thanked Yunghans for the information she provided and the many hours of work that went into her report.
Deputy Mayor Elise Geiger echoed VanHeeswyk, adding that she applauded Yunghans for finding people to provie scientific advice.
“One of the things if we go through with this and take out vegetation with a controlled burn [is that] we may have to wait a year or two in-between planting,” Geiger said. “It’s called invasive for a reason; they all come back.”
Protecting new vegetation from Canada geese is another aspect Yunghans mentioned.
“Dr. Souza said that towns who have replanted their shoreline have to fence it for the first year, because the geese will come in and destroy it,” she said. “It’s a process to reclaim the restoration.”
Resident Sandy Allison said she was glad the borough was doing a deep dive on research on caring for the lake.
“I’m also glad we’re going to look into non-chemical ways of actually trying to suppress some of the plants that grow in the south end of the lake,” Allison said. “One thing I would caution — and I mean caution with a capital C — is that burning poison ivy releases the oil from the poison into the air.”
By RACHEL SHUBIN/Special to the Star and Wave
