From Lake to Sea: Educating & Engaging Citizens

COA Education Ambassadors Deborah Ives and Lynn Mandon are on a mission: to educate students and citizens about pollution-causing water quality problems in northern NJ lakes, and to show how the pollution affects local lake communities and the downstream ocean. In 2019, freshwater Harmful Algae Blooms (HAB) forced the closure of both large and small lakes and reservoirs throughout NJ. These affected waterbodies included, among others, nearly all of Lake Hopatcong (Morris/Sussex County), the Spruce Run Reservoir (Hunterdon County), Rosedale Lake (Mercer County), with advisories in Deal and Sunset Lakes (Monmouth County), and Lake Mohawk (Sussex County). In Deborah and Linda’s own town of West Milford, Greenwood Lake was shut down.  These lake waters feed into the rivers and streams that, ultimately, drain into the ocean.

COA uses EnviroScape as an educational tool!

As trained volunteer COA Education Ambassadors, Deborah and Lynn have stepped-up to specifically educate students and residents in the northern lake communities using COA’s presentations and materials. They have already established ongoing partnerships with the NJ Coalition of Lake Associations (COLA) and the West Milford Association of Lakes. The COLA was so impressed by Deborah and Linda’s presentation about their plans that they unanimously awarded them $2000 to help purchase their own Enviroscape and other materials.  Stay tuned for updates as they launch their efforts in early 2020 with COA’s guidance.