N.J. officials to decide on plan to raise water level at Lake Hopatcong

Posted on April 26, 2009 11:28 am

The state is expected to decide soon whether to close the dam at depleted Lake Hopatcong to help it retain water, a member of the commission that oversees the man-made lake said tonight.

"I think DEP has a grasp of the problem," Russell Felter said of the Department of Environmental Protection during a Lake Hopatcong Commission meeting. Commission member Felter also is Jefferson Township's mayor.

Jefferson Township Mayor Russell Felter stands on a dock earlier this month at Lee's County Park Marina at Lake Hopatcong. Low water levels at the lake are causing concern among boaters and business owners, who blame the state for the problem.

The panel heard a barrage of complaints from local residents and business owners who said the state failed to follow its management plan for the lake, which is located in Morris and Sussex counties.

 

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