‘No Wake’ Zones Set for Lake Hopatcong, Mohawk After Ida

HOPATCONG, NJ — After the remnants of Ida roared through Hopatcong and Sparta this past Wednesday and Thursday, dropping about four inches of rain in both spots, the region heads into Labor Day weekend with “no wake” restrictions in both Lake Hopatcong and Lake Mohawk, in place until further notice.

As of noon on Friday, Lake Hopatcong’s gage height measured by the U.S. Geological Survey near Landing was at 9.8 feet, with the New Jersey State Police restricting boat speeds that disallow wakes, when the height reaches 9.5 feet.

According to the USGS, the dam is considered "crested" in Lake Hopatcong at this particular location when the gage height reaches nine feet.

On Sept. 1, the day that Ida mainly raged in the area, the rain gage at that location measured close to 4.5 inches of new rainfall, because of the storm.

Hopatcong’s State Park stressed the announcement of the no wake restriction on Thursday, sharing a Facebook post from the Lake Hopatcong Foundation, mentioning that boaters could register for alerts here, to be notified when restrictions are lifted.

What is a no wake restriction? The Lake Hopatcong Foundation explains in a post on its website more about the topic of lake levels, detailing that "no wake" means any boat should travel at “the slowest speed possible while still maintaining steerage to minimize wake.”

Wakes, when lake levels are high, can damage property, boats and docks close to the shore, with New Jersey State Police’s Marine Division enforcing speeds on Lake Hopatcong.

In Sparta’s Lake Mohawk, there were already three boats that capsized because of wakes after Ida, according to a Facebook post from the Lake Mohawk Marine Patrol.

Throughout Lake Mohawk, there are signs up about the no wake restriction, which will be taken down and a message posted on the Marine Patrol’s Facebook Page once the restriction is lifted, the Marine Patrol currently enforcing speed limitations on the lake.

At the Wallkill River near Lake Mohawk, the National Weather Service’s Weather Monitoring and Standards measured over 3.47 inches of rainfall over 48 hours at that location, 3.35 inches of rainfall pummeling the spot over 24 hours when Ida passed through this past Wednesday.

RELATED: Ida Initially Leaves Almost 3,000 Without Power In Sparta

Questions or comments about this story? Have a news tip? Contact me at: jennifer.miller@patch.com.