Paul Goldfinger © Wesley Lake looking towards Ocean Grove. Click to enlarge.
By Paul Goldfinger, Editor @Blogfinger
June 27, 2017. The Wesley Lake Commission got off to a good start tonight when they began their meeting with a spirited discussion regarding the main cause of Wesley Lake pollution— storm water drainage from the streets of Neptune Township and Asbury Park. The Commission clearly didn’t know much about how to remediate the problem but they were anxious to learn.
They brought in a consultant from Maser Company of Red Bank, Joseph Raftery, P.E. He had been asked to review the results of Wesley Lake water quality monitoring.
He said that his company had one of their Ecological Services project managers review the data, and Raftery did a pretty good job of discussing the situation. But unfortunately he made a mistake that cast a cloud over his expertise. He insisted that Wesley Lake is “man- made.”
His report went on to say, “The water quality results are consistent with most man-made lakes in a coastal plain.” He said that the “storm water runoff that enters the Wesley Lake brings in nitrogen and phosphates, resulting in a retention pond and/or “sink.”
But Jack and I were concerned when he based his opinions on the notion that the Lake is man-made. We have studied the history which clearly shows that Wesley Lake was a natural body of water—an estuary—when the town was founded in 1869. We posted old maps that showed large streams entering from the west, and the Lake connecting to and draining naturally into the ocean. It is true that the Lake was dammed in the past, but water from the Lake still winds up in the ocean.
We have discussed trying to return the lake to an estuary—-ie its natural state. Raftery never used the E word.
As the meeting ended, Raftery tried to exit quickly, but I caught up with him and asked him why he characterized the Lake as being man-made. He refused to answer the question as he scurried down the stairs and out the door to the parking lot, saying that he “would not speak to a blog.” He knew that we were from Ocean Grove.
Why did he refuse to answer a legitimate question about his analysis? Why wouldn’t he speak to a citizen? Perhaps he is not the right engineer to be a consultant for a public entity such as the Commission.
His presentation is now all suspect.
THE CAMBRIDGE SINGERS. “For the Beauty of the Earth.” John Rutter
For the beauty of the earthFor the glory of the skiesFor the love which from our birthOver and around us liesOver and around us lies
Thank you David H Fox for bringing this important fact to the attention of Ocean Grove residents.
That fact is : Wesley Lake was, and still is, protected under the jurisdiction of the DEP, Green Acres, and the Army Corp of Engineers.
Dr Paul Goldfinger and myself have been saying this for years .
This is what happens when voters keep electing politicians that have more concerns for developers than for the general public they really should be serving. An entire system built on dishonesty.
At one time, ocean fish entered Wesley Lake to spawn.
“Large quantities of herring have been taken this week at the Ocean Grove flume leading from Wesley lake. The fish are of good size. Some have been caught with scoop nets, while in many cases the bare hands was all that was needed.”—OGT (10 Apr. 1910)
In late 1871, Rev. E. H. Stokes, the President of the Ocean Grove Camp Meeting Association, made the suggestion that a dam be placed at the eastern end of the lake to provide greater water depth. This was apparently done as the lake is described as “fresh water” by 1874. Ice was collected from Wesley Lake and sold in the summer as early as 1870, but the water quality soon became unsatisfactory from upstream sewage.
With a few exceptions, the members of the Township Committee, Wesley Lake Commission, Board of Adjustment, and the Planning Board, should be replaced after a SPECIAL MASTER appointed by the STATE ATTORNEY GENERAL investigates the alleged conflicts of interests in Neptune Township.
The only other agency that has both redeeming social value and
jurisdiction over LAND USE PROCEDURES is the Historic Preservation Commission.
According to DEP Land Use Regulations, Wesley Lake is a tidal waterway (subject to the tides)and is subject to the Public Trust Doctrine and is held in trust by the State for the benefit of all the people (last updated 1/4/16.)
The Wesley Lake Commission appears unaware that the Lake is subject to public trust rights and is Reserved for Recreation by the Green Acres Program.
BUT an exception to a Riparian Zone is any “man-made lagoon or stormwater management basin.”
The “consulting engineer” at last night’s meeting testified that Wesley Lake is a”man-made lake.”
So you can see why developers might want Wesley Lake designated as “man-made.”
Is it because that Neptune Township whatever that means is a shadow government?
A 5 minute search on a Rutgers old map website provides proof that Wesley Lake is a naturally occurring water feature with feeder streams to the west, an island, and drainage directly to the ocean.
Boating and fishing were popular pastimes on the lake at one time. Other coastal lakes in the area have been cleaned up; why not this one?
I’s not a man-made lake! It’s been there since before Ocean Grove was founded. There was even an island there – Fairy Island – complete with an Adirondack-type bridge, crafted by lovers of the Lake. At that time Asbury Park was a forest.
There is some regulatory and unwise deception here such as allowing our Wesley Lake, a natural resource, to turn into a dump hole that now allegedly needs only waste protection, rather than habitat protection. I see birds and wildlife there every morning.
So no, Neptune, you don’t get to craft public policy based on your craven distain and disparagement for Ocean Grove residents, once again.