Lake Hopatcong: Swimming Advisory Lifted for a Second Area of the Lake: Henderson Cove

Published on August 02, 2019

Joins Adjacent Indian Harbor in Having Advisory Removed

The state Department of Environmental Protection's advisory about bodily contact with lake water has been lifted for a second section of Lake Hopatcong, namely Henderson Cove in the northeast section of the lake.

That follows last week's lifting of the advisory for the the Indian Harbor area, which is immediately adjacent to Henderson Cove.(PNG, 2MB)

According to the state DEP, measurements in Henderson Cove indicate that cyanobacteria levels are below the state's 20,000 cells per milliliter advisory threshold. Bacteria levels in Henderson Cove were 17,250 on July 25, and 11,250 on July 30.

The DEP continues to strongly caution residents and visitors to be aware that elevated bacteria levels continue throughout the majority of the lake. However, there is no suggested limitation on more passive boating that does not involve bodily contact with lake water.

The dedicated work of DEP staff€”who are continuously monitoring Lake Hopatcong€”is giving us the necessary data to make science-based decisions, said DEP Commissioner Catherine McCabe in announcing the Henderson Cove news.

DEP recommends that the public avoid bodily contact with lake water in areas beyond Indian Harbor and Henderson Cove. Swimming and watersports such as jet-skiing, water-skiing, paddle-boarding, canoeing or kayaking should be avoided because skin exposure or accidental ingestion of the water containing these bacteria could cause adverse health effects.

The state will continue bi-weekly water sampling and has placed real-time monitoring buoys in the lake to continue to assess the lake's health.