Lake Hopatcong Weed Harvest

There are several options available for residents to dispose of their weeds. Each of the four lake municipality (Jefferson, Mount Arlington, Hopatcong and Roxbury) have different weed disposal arrangements for its residents.

To dispose of weeds at the Commission harvesting locations, please contact the Commission office at 973-601-1070. Weeds are accepted at harvesting access locations when arrangements are made in advance through the Commission office or with a member of the field staff.

The 2006 weed harvesting program began the week of June 5. Unlike last spring, this year the weeds are growing rapidly early in the season. During this past winter, the lake did not freeze over for an extended period of time and there was little snow accumulated on the ice. This allowed the sun to penetrate through the ice and water providing light to the aquatic vegetation. During the spring, the lake level was very low and the sun penetrated further down fueling the weed growth even more. The harvesting teams will be out in early June trying to reach as many locations as possible during the upcoming weeks.

The harvesters move very slowly and due to the heavy weed growth this year, typically only a small area can harvested each day. When cutting weeds, the harvesters move at less than 5 mph and move considerably slower if the water is choppy or if it is windy. As an example, on a beautiful sunny day with no wind or waves, it takes the harvester approximately 15 minutes just to travel from the Point Pleasant in Hopatcong to the beach at the State Park when the harvester is not cutting weeds. Under the same conditions, if the harvester was cutting one pass from Point Pleasant to the State Park beach, it would take at least 30 minutes to harvest that distance.

During harvesting season, two harvesting crews are deployed. Many shallow sections of Lake Hopatcong are susceptible to an abundant density of rooted aquatic plants, commonly referred to as weeds. To harvest these areas, the harvester operator cuts the weeds toward the center of an infested area typically closer to the middle of the lake and will remove weeds closer to the shoreline as the harvesting is completed in that area. Before moving to another section of the lake, the operator will pick up floating weeds (floaters) with the harvester near the shoreline. The operator will not harvest weeds near rocks, in shallow water or near bulkheads.

In the 2006, approximately 1,300 tons of aquatic vegetation was removed from the Lake. The cool spring temperatures reduced the early season weed growth and the high water level made it impractical to harvest the weeds until mid-June. The crews continued to harvest through early October. The actual end date is contingent upon the amount of weeds being removed and/or the water level of Lake Hopatcong.

During the off season, the LHC field staff maintain and repair the harvesting equipment. Additionally, through shared service agreements with the local municipalities and County of Sussex, the field staff clean and maintain catch basins within the Lake Hopatcong Watershed.

Click here to learn more about the benefits of weed harvesting. To learn why the weed growth in 2006 is so heavy, click here.

Week of	North Team Barry Marke - Crew Chief	South Team Michael Calderio - Crew Chief