Kirkwood Lake Sprayed for Spatterdock

Professionals from Princeton Hydro went to Kirkwood Lake on May 19 to spray the overgrowth of spatterdock that has been spreading across the lake in recent years.

This will be the first spray of the season and the second year in a row the lake will receive treatment for the spatterdock. A second round of spraying is scheduled for later in the season, around August.

The overgrowth of spatterdock is apparent, although there are signs the spraying is having a positive effect.

“There is significantly less growth this season than when we began to spray the lake last year,” Alice Johnston, president of the Kirkwood Lake Environmental Committee, said. “This isn’t a permanent solution, though. At best, spraying is a delay tactic.”

The permanent solution is dredging, which would get rid of much of the silt that is lying on the bottom of the lake, according to Johnston.

The silt contains lead and arsenic from the paint that was dumped into the lake for decades in the early part of the century, which has lead to the loss of depth in the lake. This loss of depth is the reason the spatterdock continues to cover more and more of the lake every year.

“It has really become a problem for the residents trying to use the lake,” Johnston said. “People can barely get a boat through all of it, and there are less people fishing here than I’ve ever seen before.”

The Camden County Municipal Utilities Authority has been working with the JMT Engineering firm to develop a plan for the dredging of the lake. A private meeting has been set for June 12 to come up with a proposal to present to the Environmental Protection Agency. A public meeting is scheduled for June 24, where the proposal will be presented.

While JMT Engineering will be doing some initial dredging, the EPA will be responsible for the bulk of the project; however, until the EPA signs off on the proposal, nothing can be done.

“I am pleased that there is finally some progress being made toward creating a plan,” Johnston said. “But at the same time, the plan doesn’t mean anything until the EPA puts their stamp of approval on it.”

The county is doing what it can to improve the condition of Kirkwood Lake. Besides spraying the lake, there have also been clean up initiatives and the installation of swing gates to keep out off-road vehicles.

“I’ve lived on this lake for nearly my entire life,” Johnston said. “The lake is dying and we need to save it before there is nothing left to save.”