Volunteers to Remove Invasive Lake Plant

Editor's Note: The following is from the Lake Hopatcong Commission.

At a recent Lake Hopatcong Commission meeting, the Knee Deep Club (KDC) announced that a volunteer group of approximately 70 water scouts will be conducting a shoreline survey of Lake Hopatcong to identify the invasive species water chestnut which the lake community is trying to prevent from spreading to Lake Hopatcong.

One small group of water scouts will be conducting the survey of the canal section of Lake Hopatcong in Jefferson Township on June 22 at 9 a.m., launching from Marine Max at 134 Espanong Road in Lake Hopatcong.

If you are interested in learning more about this community-wide effort or seeing the water scouts in action, please contact KDC Water Scout Coordinator Tim Clancy at tim.clancy@verizon.net.

Water chestnuts grow and spread so fast that it often makes the water body unusable for any recreation by the time the public becomes aware that it is there.  One water chestnut seed that takes root will quickly spread at a frightening rate.  When it sprouts it reaches the surface forming a cluster of leaves called a rosette (pictured below) and will eventually grow up to 10-15 rosettes.

Each rosette produces up to 20 seeds.  One single seed can quickly grow into acres in just a couple of years.