Township of Rockaway Watershed Assessment

In response to Township request, the Township of Rockaway (Township) includes multiple private lakes and their respective lake associations within the Township limits. Although these lakes are private, the Township wished to take an active role in the management of the surrounding watersheds of these lakes, as the lakes themselves are managed by their respective associations.

This regional approach to lake management has recently been informally suggested by staff of both the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection  and the New Jersey Highlands Council and has been implemented in other New Jersey Highland communities such as Ringwood Borough and West Milford Township.

As a result, the agreed upon list of lakes listed in this assessment were: Green Pond, Egbert Lake, Durham Pond, Lake Emma, Camp Lewis Lake, Lake Telemark, Lake Ames, Mount Hope Pond, Mount Hope Lake, White Meadow Lake, and Fox’s Pond.

As part of this project, a Watershed-based Assessment was completed, with the following objectives met:

1. Identification, quantification, and prioritization of watershed-based factors which may cause eutrophication;

2. Identification of watershed management measures needed to address general causes of water quality impairments;

3. Identification of the relative cost of the recommended general watershed management measures;

4. The generation of a schedule, based on priority, for the implementation of the recommended watershed management measures; and

5. A general assessment report was authored at the conclusion of the study.

Funding for the Watershed-based Assessment for the Lakes of the Township of Rockaway was provided by the New Jersey Highlands Council through a grant reimbursement to the Township. The Township of Rockaway reviewed and, where feasible, implemented any suggested actions surrounding the lakes. The final report, provided to the Township by Princeton Hydro, identified and prioritized watershed management techniques and measures that are best suited for immediate and long-term implementation, as well as provided cost projections for implementation in both the short-term and long-term. The Township has since indicated that it intends to apply for Federal and State grant funding, using the plan as its cornerstone, as soon as programs are announced.