Council Adopts Lake Management Plan

The West Long Branch Council took another step toward eradicating invasive plant species in recently-dredged Franklin Lake, during its meeting on Feb. 2.

The council passed a resolution authorizing the award of a contract for the implementation of a management plan for Franklin Lake which will help stop hydrilla from growing, according to Borough Engineer Francis Mullan.

The contract was awarded to Allied Biological Inc. of New Jersey, which submitted a low bid of $29,530 for the three phases of lake management plan, which will take place over the next three years. The first phase of the project will cost $13,850 in 2011, $11,990 in 2012 and $3,690 in 2013.

Mullan said the plan is to map the aquatic vegetation of the lake and apply herbicides which will "manage the hydrilla and other vegetation."

"We will apply the herbicides to the aquatic vegetation to diminish and ultimately eradicate them," Mullan said.

He said the herbicides have been pre-approved by the state Department of Environmental Protection and specifically target invasive plant species.

Shortly after Franklin Lake was dredged last year, residents began to notice an unusually high amount of hydrilla in the lake and brought the matter to the attention of the governing body.

The council acknowledged the presence of the hydrilla and began forming a plan to help manage it.

Another option, according to Mullan, was to drain the water from the lake and let the frost and snow destroy the invasive vegetation.

"That was only a potential practice that we're not recommending," Mullan said.

Councilman John Aria asked about the possibility of adding carp to the lake, as they are a natural predator of the hydrilla. When the lake was dredged, carp were removed from the lake as they are considered an invasive species of fish.

However, Mullan said that removing the carp may have contributed to the increase in hydrilla. 

Aria said the only problem with carp is that they breed in large numbers and "eat everything."

Mullan said that sometimes the state does not allow carp are to be introduced into an environment.

Councilman J. Thomas DeBruin said that any measure that will help stop the hydrilla will be good for lake.

"I wouldn't want to spend millions of dollars to dredge the lake and then have the hydrilla take it over," DeBruin said.

Every council member with exception of Councilman Christopher Neyhart voted to approve the resolution.