Budd Lake, Lake Musconetcong now under NJ algal bloom advisory

Photo by Daniel Freel/New Jersey Herald – A boater travels through Lake Hopatcong on Monday, as seen from the River Styx Road bridge in Hopatcong.

By Jennifer Jean Miller New Jersey Herald

Two more lakes have been added to the state Department of Environmental Protection’s harmful algal bloom list, with Budd Lake and Lake Musconetcong both under a no-swimming advisory until further notice.

Although the DEP did not release specific bacteria counts on its website, it placed the latest two lakes on its list of those impacted by the algal bloom’s cyanobacteria, the bacteria that can cause health issues, including skin rashes, flu-like symptoms, eye irritation, respiratory and gastrointestinal problems and other health implications. DEP advisories have been issued when the bacteria reaches minimally 20,000 cells per milliliter in water sampling tests.

The Lake Musconetcong Community Association announced on its Facebook page on Thursday that the DEP notified it that there is a “confirmed harmful algal bloom present with levels quantified at or above the NJ Health Advisory Guidance.” The community association advised the public that the lake will continue to be monitored and to check back on the organization’s Facebook page for updates.

“It seems we are under the same notice as Lake Hopatcong, where boating is allowed but any contact with water is strongly discouraged,” the association announced. “Fishing seems to be allowed but fish should not be eaten. We assume use of gloves while fishing would be recommended.”

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The Budd Lake Beach, Mount Olive Recreation and Mount Olive Township Facebook pages all posted on Thursday that the algal bloom was detected in the lake and Budd Lake Beach would remain closed until test results come back during the week. The Wibit inflatable water park event scheduled for today has been rescheduled to Aug. 18. The beach had previously been closed for five days for an algal bloom incident detected on July 18.

Greenwood Lake in West Milford and New York state has remained under a no-swimming advisory since test results in early July detected the cyanobacteria. Test results from the July 31 water sampling show all sampling sites above the guidance levels. During the last aerial surveillance on Greenwood Lake on July 30 to detect the presence of the phycocyanin — the algal bloom’s greenish pigment visible from the air — the DEP noted cyanobacteria was observed on both the New Jersey and New York sides of the lake.

At Lake Hopatcong on Thursday, the DEP announced the no-swimming advisory remained in effect for all locations on the lake except for the open water areas in Henderson Cove and Indian Harbor, with all beaches throughout the lake closed. The latest water sampling from Indian Harbor on Thursday and released Friday showed the bacteria count was up again to 19,750 cells per milliliter, close to the threshold; and was 11,250 on the July 30 reading.

The DEP continues to recommend no bodily contact for humans and their pets with waters in any lake where there remains a presence of harmful algal bloom. Additionally, drinking lake water or eating fish caught from water containing the bloom also should be avoided.

Boating on a deck or pontoon-style boat is permitted. However, canoeing, kayaking, waterskiing and other sports that could promote close bodily contact to the water are discouraged under the DEP’s advisory guidelines.

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