November 17, 2022| Education, Environment, Events
By: Kyle Richter
Photo: Lake Hopatcong Foundation (LHF) Board Chair Marty Kane, LHF Executive Director Kyle Richter, LHF Development Director Caitlin Doran, and Musconetcong Watershed Association Executive Director Tom Dallessio attend the 10th annual Delaware River Watershed Forum.
The Lake Hopatcong Foundation isn’t the only clean-water group celebrating a 10-year milestone this year. The Coalition for the Delaware River Watershed (CDRW) is celebrating a decade of protecting and restoring the land and waters in the Delaware River Basin, and on November 4, we proudly participated in their 10th annual Delaware River Watershed Forum.
The event, held at the Logan Hotel in Philadelphia, was the first in-person forum in two years and brought together many of the 170 member organizations from around the greater Delaware River Watershed, along with other stakeholders, to brainstorm solutions, identify gaps, improve skills, and build relationships to advance our shared missions.
In addition to being the largest Lake in New Jersey, Lake Hopatcong is the headwaters to the Musconetcong River, which flows 42 miles southwest from our lake, ultimately meeting the Delaware River in Riegelsville, NJ. When we all work together and take action to protect and steward Lake Hopatcong, it not only positively affects the people and wildlife in our watershed but an entire downstream ecosystem. For that reason, the Lake Hopatcong Foundation joined the CDRW steering committee in 2021, and the collaboration has been a beneficial exchange of ideas and resources ever since. The Forum is a great place to further discuss the ways we can work together, through discussion, field trips, and learning sessions.
The event’s 30 learning sessions covered a wide range of topics, including outdoor recreation access, public policy, conservation and restoration projects, stormwater management, pre-and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), funding opportunities, and much more.
For our part, we hosted a panel entitled “It’s Not Just Stormwater: the Challenges of Lake Management in the Delaware River Watershed.” Panelists included myself (LHF Executive Director), LHF Board Chair Marty Kane, Senior Technical Director, Ecological Services Dr. Fred Lubnow, and NJ Department of Environmental Protection Associate Commissioner for Science & Policy Kati Angarone. The panel examined five issues impacting lakes, including climate change, road salt, public access, invasive species, and internal phosphorous loads. The session was well attended, and a great discussion followed on how we can all work together to improve lakes in the Delaware River Watershed.
We also had many takeaways from other sessions – like possible partnerships to expand rain gardens, how to encourage more community involvement in programs, and federal funding opportunities for water quality improvement, just to name a few. We’ll certainly be back in 2023!
