Page 8 THE VILLADOM TIMES III • July 20, 2011 Waldwick An island of debris that had been accumulating in the middle of White’s Pond in Waldwick forced borough officials to move up cleanup efforts at the pond. Princeton Hydro, LLC of Ringoes, NJ used its aquatic leaf harvester/collector for several days last week to remove weeds, floating tree limbs and other debris and accumulated leaf litter from the lake and dump it at the lake’s edge. DPW personnel then loaded the material into a dumpster for removal off-site, thus maximizing Princeton Hydro’s daily productivity. The company charges $1,800 a day for its equipment, according to Borough Administrator Gary Kratz. The work is being funded from the borough’s Open Space Trust Fund. DPW Superintendent Joseph Agugliaro said that about 10 yards of material were being carted away per day, including trash cans and fishing nets. The long-awaited project to improve the quality of the lake was scheduled to begin in early fall, but the sudden formation of the island of materials forced officials to have it removed now to avoid sediment build-up and more costly cleanup operations. “A tree suddenly appeared in the middle of the lake and was acting as a dam to the point where an island was forming. By getting everything out early, we eliminated the potential for additional sediment buildup,” Kratz explained. He said the accumulation was formed by higher than normal water flow carrying the material, which then trapped other matter. Removal of the organic matter is not the same as dredging. Since there is no digging and no appreciable amount of sediment is removed, the lake’s bottom is not affected; therefore, no permits are required from the NJ Department of Environmental Protection. The borough has obtained all the necessary NJDEP aquatic pesticide permits for any future growth and algae control, should it become necessary to stabilize the lake, Kratz said. Princeton Hydro would use fast-acting herbicide for submerged weed growth at the 7.8-acre lake. Any Pond cleanup gets underway earlier than expected Workers picking up debris and leaf litter from the pond. A full grown tree had been removed earlier. Inset: Tree limbs which had been trapped. drinking and irrigation restrictions associated with the herbicide would be posted. Proposed algeacides are not toxic to fish, specifically trout, and no water restrictions would be needed. Products are EPA-registered, and all applications would be conducted by NJDEP licensed aquatic pesticide applicators and operators. Kratz said now that the major buildup has been removed, the harvester will continue with the project in early fall, as originally scheduled. He added that this early work has provided a better handle on the overall project. “We didn’t know how it would work; how much material would be removed or how long it would take. “Now we have a better handle on the operation,” he said.