LIBERTY TOWNSHIP, NJ (Warren County) — The Mountain Lake Community Association (MLCA), in partnership with the Liberty Environmental Commission, continues to monitor a harmful algae bloom in Mountain Lake, first confirmed by the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP) last week.
According to MLCA, the bloom remains active, and residents are urged to avoid contact with the water. Specifically, pets should not ingest lake water, and fish caught in the lake should not be consumed until further notice.
The association noted that the bloom is likely being prolonged by current spring conditions. “Cool early spring weather is causing the lake to remain vertically mixed,” the update stated, “which contributes to the bloom by keeping phosphorus—an essential nutrient for algae—available throughout the water column.” It is expected that once the lake stratifies, this mixing will stop and the algae bloom may begin to subside.
Daily monitoring is ongoing. Once MLCA’s algae meters show signs of improvement, NJDEP will return to take official water samples to assess algae cell counts and toxicity levels.
