Lake Lowering (Official release from HT Public Works)

November 26, 2008

To: All Lake Lenape Residents

On December 4th, we are going to start lowering the Lake, as per the permit with the DEP. This is to allow lakefront residents to perform maintenance and clean-up activities.

On January 20, 2009, we will start raising the level of the lake.

We are still in the process of creating a Database with e-mail addresses of the lake residents. If you are receiving this in paper form and have an e-mail address, please email me at Swellington@townshipofhamilton.com.

If you do not want to be on the mailing list for the lake please call me or return this to Town Hall, attn: Stacey, with your name and address and I will remove you from the list.

Also, please check the website for information regarding the lake at Townshipofhamilton.com.

If you have any questions please feel free to call me at 625-6311 Ext 495.

Thank You,

Stacey Wellington
Public Works Clerk
Township of Hamilton
609-625-6311 X495

Lake Lenape to be lowered

Brett Noll of HT Public Works indicated that the annual lowering of Lake Lenape will occur from 12/4/2008 - 1/20/2009. For more information please contact HT Public Works at (609)625-6311 x454

Aline Dix Presents Saucer

Aline Dix donated a vintage water ski saucer to the Water Ski Hall of Fame & Museum in Polk City Florida. Pictured above is Carole Lowe, the Director of the American Water Ski Educational Foundation and Aline Dix presenting the saucer.

A quote from Aline:
"I used the saucer from 1968 to 1988. Carole Dougherty Rogers rode with me when she was age 4. The saucer was one of many waterskiing tools like shoe skis, slalom skis, air rafts, even a canoe paddle that Dave Morris used in the 1960's.

The saucer is tilted in the water, the rider places knees on middle to bottom edge. A single handle rope was held at the top edge of saucer; the boat tightens the rope and away you go. From kneeling or standing, wake cuts at times but mostly doing 360's behind the boat. Speed of boat was about 18-20 mph.

The 1957 Water Ski Show from Cypress Gardens Florida featured a young polio victim named Gary Gruber who vacationed at Duberson's Lakeview Cottages. Gary sat on a peach basket then tossed it to stand on his head while skimming atop the lake! I have 8mm movies memorializing this Show & his performance.

The Museum was pleased to receive this saucer as they have very little artifacts of this category. :)"

Going back in time

I recently spent an evening searching the internet for old pictures of Lake Lenape and the surrounding area. Below are some of my findings. The pictures are from early to mid 1900's, a few where taken by a guy by the name of F.A. Austin. I put in as many details as I could for each picture, if anyone has further info about the pictures please post it in the comments.

Pictures of temp dam plate install

Brett Noll of HT Public Works provided pictures of the metal plate being installed in front of gate #1 on July 1, 2008. The blue material acts as a gasket between the metal plate and the dam gate.

HT Public works installs new rock bulkhead at The Cove

Public Works workers build a new bulkhead at the parking area of The Cove. The area was washed out by flood waters last year. The funding was provided by FEMA.

Lake Lenape Light Remains a Part of History

(From July 1999 Edition of Lighthouse Digest)

The Lake Lenape Lighthouse in Mays Landing, New Jersey was never a real lighthouse in the sense of the word, but it truly is a part of New Jersey's rich and interesting history as well as a popular landmark of the area.

It was back in 1939 when the Leiling family, who owned the Lenape Park, commissioned Herman Dehn Sr. to build a lighthouse on the lake. First Dehn had to create an island for the lighthouse to be built on. He did this by using bags of mixed concrete and 30-gallon size drums to form the island's foundation. In the winter time he piled dirt onto the ice which would sink to the bottom in the spring thaw.

Once the island was completed he built the 65-foot wooden tower with mostly simple hand tools and the help of some neighborhood children. The lighthouse with its five floors, connected with a semi-sprial staircase took four years to complete.

For many years the tower was known as the "singing tower" because of the hymns that were played from speakers that were installed atop the tower. When new owners, Ed & Winnie Young, took over the park in 1960's, local public officials said there were to many complaints from neighbors about the music and it had to stop. The children of the Youngs then took over the lighthouse, spending the nights there in the summer months.
Today, the lighthouse serves mainly as a storage building for beach and boating supplies, but is still a popular spot for those in love. Because of its romantic setting, many people have been married at the lighthouse.

The old lighthouse is an ongoing financial strain for the owners, who say they are constantly having to repair something at the lighthouse and have been for 15 years. But they haven't altered it and as Mr. Young once said, "We want to keep the nostalgia of the place and the lighthouse is a big part of that."

Lake Panorama

Ever wonder what it's like sitting in a kayak in the middle of the lake? Got board of taking pictures of the dam the other day and took this panorama. It was taken from the south side of Lake Lenape near the dam. You can move the picture by clicking on it.

Temporary Fix Applied To The Dam

Good news!! Yesterday 4/1/08 the Township placed a metal plate along with additional debris to slow the loss of water from the lake. This morning less then 24 hours later the lake level was up 2 inches. This proves, as mentioned in past posts, the low water level in the lake was caused from the water pouring out of the stuck gate, not from the lack of rain or Collings Lakes.

Click To Enlarge

Click to enlarge

New Dam Gate Picture

Apparently the water flowing from gate #1 is from it being stuck open about 8 inches or 17%. I'm not a civil engineer, however the volume of water flowing from gate #1 in the pictures below would lead me to believe that the gate is stuck open more than 17%

Comment on press article below

A study is not needed and would be a huge waste of tax payers dollars! The Township and County must begin operating the damn in a responsible pro-active fashion and notify residents when there are issues.

The flood last year was a byproduct of the dam gates not being operated properly. The lake level was very high, the gates where closed, it rained substantially and the flood occurred.

This year its the same problem in reverse. Dam gate #1 became stuck open on April 16th. It took almost 2-1/2 months and the lake level dropping almost 2 feet, for the Township and the County to make the first attempt to fix the problem, with sandbags. There where several call made to the County a month ago about the lake loosing 1 inch of water a day. This has nothing to do with the lack of rain or Collings Lakes.

Low water level prompts study of Lake Lenape tributaries

(From Press of Atlantic City)
Current low-water levels in Lake Lenape have officials from Hamilton and Buena Vista townships saying it's finally time to come up with a plan they hope would better manage water sources for the lake.

The plan would likely address how to monitor water flow on the Great Egg Harbor River and other tributaries, including water sources from Collings Lake, in times of flooding and little rainfall.

"It's time to work through that," Hamilton Township Mayor Charles Pritchard said. "We need to take a stronger look at this thing."

"As a good neighbor to any other town, I'd be happy to discuss that issue," Buena Vista Township Mayor Chuck Chiarello said.

But Chiarello issued one caution, and that has to do with having no control over the weather.

"If there's just not enough flowing from the main tap heading down, that could be a problem no matter how hard anyone tries," he said.

Too little rain, a stuck sluice gate at Lake Lenape Dam and a series of closed sluice gates on lakes at Collings Lakes in Buena Vista Township are being blamed for the recent drop in water level in Lake Lenape in Mays Landing.

The Great Egg Harbor River is Lake Lenape's primary water source. A significant portion of water also makes its way to Lake Lenape from Collings Lakes, where private dam operators recently closed sluice gates to keep water levels on their lakes from dropping.
The problem was just the opposite a year ago.

Heavy rain in April 2007 dumped as much as 8 inches of rain in southern New Jersey. Much of that rain eventually drained into the Great Egg Harbor River.

The result was extensive flooding in the Indian Branch and Weymouth Furnace sections of Hamilton Township. Floodwater forced evacuations and buried decks under three to five feet of water. Sections of Mays Landing also were flooded, and officials were busy pumping water out of Lake Lenape to prevent further flooding.

Many Hamilton Township residents blamed the flooding on poor operations at the Lake Lenape Dam. They claimed dam gates were not opened soon enough to ease flooding upriver.
However, Atlantic County and municipal officials said the solution involved more than dam operations. They contend a coordinated effort along the length of the river, from its headwaters in Camden County to Lake Lenape, is the solution.

The plan never came about.

Chiarello said Buena Vista and Hamilton townships can work together and with private civic organizations in and around Collings Lakes to reach some kind of plan.

Pritchard said officials who oversee the Great Egg Harbor River's watershed also should be involved.

Conversation with Brett Nolls of H.T. Public Works

I spoke with Brett Nolls of the Public Works department this morning. He indicated that dam gate #1 became stuck on April 16th 2008. He did have dialog with the County around that date, who is responsible for the dam infrastructure.

He indicated the first attempt to remedy the situation, through the use of sandbags, was this week. Unfortunately it was unsuccessful. The next plan, is to put a metal plate in front of the stuck gate, on the lake side. A crane will be required to do so. They plan on attempting to maneuver it into place this Monday 6/30 or Tuesday 7/1. The downside to this, will be if there is substantial rain, in the future and all of the gates must be opened, a crane will be required to remove the plate. He also indicate that there are additional gates in the power house that can be opened in emergency situations.

Shrinking Lake Lenape raises concerns in Hamilton Township

From the Press of Atlantic City.....

HAMILTON TOWNSHIP - A little more than a year ago, officials were furiously pumping water out of a Lake Lenape that was rising quickly because of heavy rains that swelled its tributaries during a strong northeaster.
Now, Atlantic County and local officials are trying to stop as much water as possible from flowing out of the lake, whose level has dropped substantially during the past several weeks.
Too little rain, a stuck sluice gate at Lake Lenape Dam and a series of closed sluice gates on lakes at Collings Lakes in Buena Vista Township are being blamed for the recent drop in water level, according to local and county officials.
"We're very concerned about this," said Township Administrator Edward Sasdelli, one several local and county officials who met at the lake Thursday.
While National Weather Service statistics show more rain has fallen this year compared with the same period in 2007, Sasdelli said the problem is that little rain has fallen in the past few weeks.

That's decreased the amount of water flowing into the lake from the Great Egg Harbor River, the lake's biggest water source, he said. Operators of dams at Collings Lakes have closed their sluice gates to maintain water levels there, shutting off another water source to Lake Lenape, he said.
Additionally, one of the Lake Lenape dam's three sluice gates is stuck open by about 8 inches, allowing water to drain out of the lake, Sasdelli said. The county may install a metal plate to cover the sluice gate to shut it completely, he said.
The county is also working with an engineering firm to develop a plan for the installation of a coffer dam to improve the operation of the dam's sluice gates. The proposed plan requires permit approvals from the state Department of Environmental Protection, DEP.
"We have been diligently working to optimize the operation of the gates for over a year," said Atlantic County Executive Dennis Levinson. "We are now waiting for the appropriate DEP approvals to proceed."
Meanwhile, county officials are recommending that Lake Lenape boaters reduce the speed of their crafts to 5 mph, down from the normal speed of 45 mph. They're also telling boaters to be careful of underwater hazards that are now exposed or closer to the lake's surface.
"We understand the concerns of nearby homeowners and local boaters and we are doing our best to ensure their safety under these temporary circumstances," said Levinson.
Following an April 2007 northeaster, Lake Lenape experienced excessively high water levels which required emergency pumping to help draw down the levels to avoid street flooding. The rains stopped in time to prevent excessive flooding around the lake.
Now, forecasts call for a chance of showers and thunderstorms over the next several days - a weather forecast county officials say they'll welcome for the sake of Lake Lenape water level.
"Beach-goers and vacationers may not like it, but we'd welcome some help from Mother Nature," Levinson said.

Whats missing from the press release below??

Unfortunately, the County failed to mention in their press release that the lake is draining from a major leak in gate #1. The lack of rain had very little to do with it, we are not in a drought and I have never seen the lake this low. This picture was taken at 9AM this morning...

Click for full size

County Press Release Regarding the Lake Level

County Addresses Low Water Levels on Lake Lenape

Atlantic County officials are working to address concerns regarding the noticeably low water levels currently being experienced on Lake Lenape in Mays Landing.

Due to a lack of significant rainfall, the water levels are down substantially, according to Vince Jones, Atlantic County Emergency Management Coordinator.

The county is recommending that boaters on the lake reduce their speed to 5 mph and exercise caution to avoid exposed underwater hazards. The normal speed is 45 mph.

"We understand the concerns of nearby homeowners and local boaters and we are doing our best to ensure their safety under these temporary circumstances," stated County Executive Dennis Levinson.

The county has placed sand bags along the Lake Lenape dam gates to help minimize additional water loss and will continue to work with Hamilton Township officials and consulting engineers to seek additional alternatives.

The county is also working with O’Brien & Gere Engineers on the development of a plan for the installation of a cofferdam to improve the operation of the dam’s sluice gates. The proposed plan requires permit approvals from the state Department of Environmental Protection.

"We have been diligently working to optimize the operation of the gates for over a year. We are now waiting for the appropriate DEP approvals to proceed," noted Levinson.

Following an April 2007 nor’easter, Lake Lenape experienced excessively high water levels which required emergency pumping to help draw down the levels to avoid street flooding. More than a year later the lake’s water levels are at a near record low.

Forecasts call for a chance of showers and thunderstorms over the next several days.

"Beach goers and vacationers may not like it, but we’d welcome some help from Mother Nature," concluded Levinson.

Linda Gilmore
Public Information Officer
County of Atlantic
Department of Administration
1333 Atlantic Avenue
Atlantic City, NJ 08401
Voice: 609-343-2313
FAX: 609-343-2194
gilmore_linda@aclink.org

Lake Level Dangerously Low Again

Because of a major leak in dam gate number 1, the level of Lake Lenape is almost 1.5 feet below normal and is currently loosing over an inch of water a day. I personally have never seen the lake this low this time of year, even during drought conditions. The Township or County has yet to officially inform residents as to what the problem is or how they plan to resolve it. After talking with an Atlantic County official, I learned that the County does not know why the gate is leaking and they did make an unsuccessful attempted at sandbagging the leaky gate yesterday, 6/24/2008. Within the next few days, they plan on inspecting the gate with a video camera for debris or damage. If you are or plan on boating on the lake please use extreme caution.

What a catch!!

Carl Pitale and his daughter Maddy along with a beautiful Lake Lenape sunset, pose with a nice size bass they caught recently.

Hometown Celebration Fireworks

As you may already know the township will be unable fund the hometown celebration fireworks display this year and for years to come. Luckly the Mays Landing Merchants Association stepped up to the plate and saved the day by starting a save the firework fund. If you would like to help please send your donation to:

Mays Landing Merchants Association
P.O. Box 193
Mays Landing, N.J. 08330

For more information please visit the Mays Landing Merchant Associations website.

Lake Lenape East Committee Minutes 4/24/2008

LAKE LENAPE EAST COMMITTEE MINUTES
MANOR HOUSE AT LAKE LENAPE
APRIL 24, 2008

The meeting was opened and the minutes were approved as mailed.

1. There was question of whether or not the County had reviewed the infrastructure (electric,gas,sewerage,etc.)at the facility. The Facilities Director,Glen Mawby and the County's Open Space Coordinator, Ranae Fehr, said that had all been reviewed prior to the signing of the sale documents.

2. The question was asked as to the Lenape property's relationshipto Mr. Young's property.lt was explained that there were at least three easements that have a long history and existence with respect to Lake Lenape East. There were easements for getting on to Lake Lenape East's property from Mr. Young's land. That easement no longer exists. The second easement involved was Mr. Young's sewer line. His sewerage line connects to the pumping stationon the Lake Lenape East property and that is then jetted out to the street sewerage connection. The third easement that existed is with Young's Skating Rink. Approximately 60 X 124 ft. plot behind the Young's Skating Rink can be utilized when the need for over flow parking for the skating rink is required.

3. The Committee wentto all of the structures on the propertyand reviewed the structures to the Consultant's recommendations.

4. Mr. Mike Diamond, a member of the Committee,handed out an article on Washington Square Park in Chicago. Mr. Diamond is also willing to help establish this type of program at a park of our choice.

5. A set of specifications to do a Master Plan for Lake Lenape East were passed out. There was a discussion about the content and the purpose of the Master Plan. The group agreed that we would get in all our comments by April 30, 2008. This will then allow the County to go to our Purchasing Agent to have it advertised. The RFP will be let and the County will receive proposals for review. In addition,there was a discussion that we would have a committee established to review the RFP's once they are returned. The following individuals agreed to sit with County staff to review those proposals: Ms.Terry Dailey; Mr. Elmer Ripley; Mr. Dean Rocap; Mr. Joe Yeoman; Mr. Joe Haney and Mr.Mike Diamond. The next full Committee meeting will be set up based on when we will be receiving proposals back from the community with respect to the Master Plan.

Having no further business, the meeting was adjourned.

County Project Improves Lake Lenape Fishing

(Press Release)
Atlantic County Executive Dennis Levinson has announced another effort by the county to enhance recreational fishing at Lake Lenape. The current project involves sinking more than 300 cut Christmas trees in strategic locations along the lake bed to provide cover for target species of game fish as well as the abundance of bait fish in the Lenape fishery. Locations were selected by state biologists based on depth, water flow and oxygen content.The project, a cooperative venture of the Atlantic County Park System, the New Jersey Division of Fish and Wildlife, and several volunteer organizations, will improve fishing at Lake Lenape for local favorites such as largemouth bass, chain pickerel, crappie and yellow perch.Approximately two years ago, the county opened a fish ladder at Lake Lenape Dam that allows migratory fish, including native herring and shad, access into the lake and the headwaters of the Great Egg Harbor River with 15 miles of spawning and foraging habitat. The Great Egg Harbor River is a designated National Wild and Scenic River, only the second river in the state to receive this distinction."Not only do these projects benefit recreational fishing, but they also serve to enhance the ecosystem and encourage the interest of osprey, bald eagles and the great blue heron," stated Levinson. "We will continue to protect these valuable resources for the pleasure of our residents and visitors."For more information on Lake Lenape and the Atlantic County Parks System, visit www.aclink.org/parks or call (609) 625-8219.

Attention Lake Lenape Home Owners

There will be a meeting on Thursday Jan. 17 7:30 PM at the Inn at Sugar Hill. Atlantic County Executive Dennis Levinson is in the process of establishing the Lake Lenape Park Committee to define short and long term uses for the park. As part of that committee the executive would like to appoint a representative from the Lake Lenape Homeowners Association. Since we currently do not have defined officers I have volunteered to temporarily take that position until we can formally meet to identify a representative.

In an effort to keep the process moving I have taken the liberty to schedule a meeting at the Inn at Sugar Hill to discuss the goals and objectives of the committee and to select a representative who will attend the committee meetings and keep other homeowners and stake holders apprised of developments. I invite all Lake Lenape homeowners to attend and to participate in the process.

Come, be a part of the future of Lenape Park.

Teresa Thomas
933 Morningside Drive
625-8623
tmt933@yahoo.com

PS Don’t forget to patronize the Inn at Sugar Hill for their hospitality.