Swan Boats: Jean Bredin photographs the only wildlife on the Lake that is immune to filthy water. There is an illusion of clarity in this sunny photo. by “Around Town With Jean.” © August 29, 2019 re-post.
Stephen Goldfinger, Blogfinger staff, documents the mucky, dirty water in Wesley Lake.
Ducks manage to survive in Wesley Lake 8/29/19 by Stephen Goldfinger. Lately 2021 he has reported on the great blue heron who comes here.
Somehow there is wildlife in Wesley Lake: herons, cormorants, swooping birds, turtles, fish and more, but this can’t be good for them.
Have you noticed that no human swims or fishes in this lake? Would you eat any fish that is caught here?
What will OGNED, the North End pseudo-redeveloper, do to help the situation, and where does A. Park, the biggest polluter, stand on this matter? OGNED recently said that they will clean the water at the North End. What assurances did they give the DEP?
Large sums of money would be needed for dredging, but the dirty ground water runoff must be dealt with for an ultimate solution.
If you live in Ocean Grove you can’t help but be cynical regarding ecological help at all levels of government. It’s good that the Wesley Lake Commission has abandoned its Don Quixote-like quest for justice under Bridgegate (2019). They need to keep their noses close to the ground to help Wesley Lake.
BARRY MANILOW: In contrast to the frog’s plea, “It’s Not Easy Being Green,” here is Barry with a squeaky-clean musical image to enjoy.
“Uncle Britton White agrees very promptly to comply with all reasonable suggestions from the Board of Health, and will clear out all that colony of squatters, west of the railroad so that their drainage shall not pollute the waters of Wesley Lake.” OGR 19 Feb 1881
“The water of Wesley while delicious for boating purposes, never was good for ice. The surface drainage for so long a distance through the swamps, of itself, was enough to contaminate it for this purpose, although it did not interfere with boating. In addition to this,..the fact that so many people lived along its head waters, and this made the use of its ice less desirable still.” OGR 4 Feb 1882
“Dr. J. H. Alday, sanitary officer, says in the [1905] annual report of the Association, that the head of Wesley lake, especially in summer, “presents a very unsatisfactory and humiliating condition.” Covered as it is by repulsive, unhealthy and disgusting refuse exhaling deadly germs.” OGT 20 Jun 1906
“At the head of Wesley Lake, two or three hundred loads of mud were taken out during last winter.” OGCMA 1880
“Each foot of dredging will require the removal of approximately 24,200 cubic yards of material.” OGT 19 Apr 1929
“Under the current $1.4 million project, both Wesley Lake, between Asbury Park and Ocean Grove, and Fletcher Lake, between Ocean Grove and Bradley Beach, will be dredged.” The Coaster 19 May 14
Additional dredging campaigns are mentioned in: OGT 23 Nov. 1912, 15 Dec. 1933, 2 Sep. 1938, 26 Mar. 1954, 12 Oct. 1975.
“dredge” verb (T ) to remove unwanted things from the bottom of a river, lake, etc. using a boat or special device. Cambridge Dictionary
David H. Fox,
In 1880, the water in Wesley Lake was crystal clear, and the Lake had never been dredged.
Removing hazardous sludge from the Lake to a dump site is an expensive process called de-silting.
“Dredging” takes place in the ocean to replenish the beach with sand.
My information comes from the OGCMA Annual Reports, the AP and OG historical newspapers, and The Coaster (19 May 2014) in regard to the most recent dredging. There are people that do serious historical research. What particular part do you find nonsense? I will quote the references if you wish.
David H.Fox,
I don’t know where you are getting your information from,
but it’s all nonsense.
The water quality of Wesley Lake has been a problem since about 1880. An early attempted remedy was to drill an artesian well at the lake’s head merely to drain into it.
Originally, ice was to be collected from it, but this operation was relocated to spring-fed Fletcher Lake early on. Dredging has taken place at intervals of 10-20 years.
The most recent activity was in 2014 in both Wesley and Fletcher lakes. There are historical accounts of rejoicing at the failure of the lake dam causing it to drain so the new water could fill it. This would be unsightly and perhaps odiferous in summer but would be an inexpensive thing to do. Perhaps Jimmy Hoffa might turn up.
Wesley Lake was, is, and will always be an estuary.
But the Lake is now referred to by local officials as a Retention/Detention Basin to be used to hold dirty street-water runoff before being released untreated into the Atlantic Ocean to wash upon our beaches.
However Wesley Lake is also reserved by the State Green Acre Program and the State of New Jersey for recreation and conservation in perpetuity.
Conservation is the wise use of natural resources (like Wesley Lake.)
The elected and appointed officials responsible for protecting Wesley Lake from other commercial developments are not very wise in matters of conservation.
And developers make larger campaign contributions than fish
Phillip Orton: Blogfinger or myself never reported that “Wesley Lake is considered by the State Government to be a detention basin.”
What was reported is : “The Lake is reserved by the State for recreation and conservation.”
The street water that drains into the Lake comes off State, County, and local roads.
The Neptune Planning Board Engineer said. “Wesley Lake is not a detention basin.” He is correct.
As Blogfinger reporting uncovered, Wesley Lake is considered by the State Government to be a “detention basin”, which means it is used to divert goose and dog poop ladened street runoff from running directly into the ocean.
Thus the algal blooms and pathogens (which cause diarrhea and other ailments) are kept away from our beaches. This years warm temperatures and heavy rains would have caused many beach closures, had it not been for stormwater management practices, however detrimental to our Lake.
I agree it would be wonderful if the Lake were not used for this purpose. The alternative in an urban environment is extraordinarily expensive wastewater treatment. Perhaps that is part of the solution- pushing the now relatively wealthy Asbury Park to treat the water.
I’m still baffled why people–some with children–rent the swan boats and paddle around in this murky mess.