CAPE MAY POINT — “I want to assure constituents that we are doing our due diligence on all aspects of the lake, specifically water quality, the aquatic weed management and looking at the overgrowth on the island,” Commissioner Suzanne Yunghans said.
She provided an update on the health of Lake Lily during a Borough Commission meeting April 22.
Yunghans said the lake is a valued resource, aiding stormwater management and supporting wildlife, both key parts of the Master Plan.
She said the state owns and regulates the water in the lake, as well as the groundwater at the lake and the shoreline. However, the shoreline border was deeded to the borough in 1941 to manage and preserve.
For 20 years, the borough has used a water management company, Clean Flo, to aerate the lake using 11 diffusers (also called bubblers) and non-toxic enzyme products to improve water quality, liquify organic matter and reduce muck buildup.
“The severe drought New Jersey has experienced in last year or so has impacted lake, resulted in lower water levels, and increased product needs,” Yunghans said, adding that Clean Flo serviced the bubblers and applied the winter warrior product last month.
Yunghans said the resulting report from Clean Flo’s visit was that the bubblers are working properly. A sonar scan of the lake was done. The maximum depth is 6.7 feet and the average depth is 3 feet, with the bottom vegetation coverage at 100 percent.
“Clean Flo staff probed the lake bottom to assess the muck levels and found them to be similar to the last visit and adequately managed by the application of the product,” Yunghans said. “The sonar scan was inconclusive, as the vegetation will not start growing until the lake water warms up, so they will come back next month for a repeat sonar scan.”
She added that Clean Flo will deliver its summer products, train public works staff on the proper application of their products and take a water sample for analysis.
Clean Flo has recommended that the borough contact TIGRIS Water Management regarding the aquatic regrowth at the south end of the lake.
Mayor Anita VanHeeswyk said that was the most comprehensive report she could ever hope to hear. Deputy Mayor Elise Geiger said it was nice to hear that, even though it is early in the season, the muck levels are like the last visit.
Other business
In other news, the commission tabled an ordinance on the location of HVAC units and mechanicals after receiving suggestions from resident Ed Barnhart, who is an architect, that VanHeeswyk said the Planning Board had missed.
The ordinance had been set for a second reading April 22 but with the changes being substantial in nature, solicitor John Amenhauser suggested tabling it and re-advertising for a second meeting with amended language included.
“The nature of my comments were that I felt potentially the ordinance was too restrictive, only allowing noise-producing equipment to be located in the backyard,” Barnhart said. “[I] suggested there might be other language to be incorporated that would enable it to be put in other areas of a person’s property.”
VanHeeswyk thanked Barnhart and said the information was well received when it went back to the Planning Board. She added that it would be great if he could attend the next Planning Board meeting, as they will be discussing it with his information in mind.
By RACHEL SHUBIN/Special to the Star and Wave
