Greenwood Lake

Greenwood Lake, New York

“Greenwood Lake is having a tough time […] a lot of people spend a lot of time and money at every level for the betterment of the lake; nobody can do it alone.” – Eric Hastings, Commissioner, New Jersey Representative, Greenwood Lake Commission http://www.northjersey.com/news/opinions/105504723_Tough_times_demand_tough_decisions.html

Saving Greenwood Lake

For us, Greenwood Lake demonstrates both the effectiveness of our lake-saving technology, and our commitment as a company to collaborate with lake communities to restore their lake. In this project we worked closely with stakeholders to help them understand lake ecosystems, and design, implement and finance a comprehensive lake-saving strategy.

When we were initially contacted in 2007, the northern part of the 9 mile long lake was under siege from invasive Eurasian Water Milfoil which had appeared 10 years earlier. Out-of-control algae was choking the waterway surrounding lake-front properties, marinas, and beaches, and decades of accumulated decayed matter (“muck”) covered the lake bottom – in some places as much as 3’. Water quality was substandard and some areas of the lake had a noticeable fetid odor.

Previous to 2007, attempts were made to solve the problem with mechanical harvesting of weeds and temporarily reducing the lake’s water level in an effort to expose and kill weeds close to shore (“draw-downs”). By 2007, however, it was clear these methods were not winning the battle for the lake.

The Greenwood Lake Commission was formed and for the next three years (2007-2010), various options were reviewed, explored and debated. Proposed strategies included dredging, chemical treatment and even more aggressive harvesting efforts such as shortening the time period between “draw-downs.” In our 2007 presentation and subsequent collaboration, we explained that Greenwood Lake had a serious nutrient overloading problem which was the root cause of the lake’s deterioration.

While some on the commission saw the benefits of our solution, many were skeptical. In June of 2010 the Village of Greenwood Lake contracted with us to restore the northern part of the lake.

Our Solution

Our solution was implemented in the same month. We enacted an 80 acre treatment plan with a supportive financing agreement that enabled the Village of Greenwood Lake to (a) manage the cost over time and (b) ensure our management and maintenance of the system year after year.

In July of 2010 after 5 days of weed harvesting we installed our Whole-Lake Technology™.

Greenwood Lake Village Success

Near miraculous results quickly followed.

60 days after installation the level of phosphorous, milfoil growth, and sediment smothering organic muck had been reduced more than 50% by volume and chemical composition. There were also dramatic improvements in water clarity and quality.

[UPDATE: 12.20.2010]

In a recent Greenwood Lake Commission proposal to schedule a controversial 2011 “draw-down” to address “warmer-than-usual temperature s” and “heavy weed growth,” Greenwood Lake Mayor Moore responded that in the northern part of Greenwood Lake, “that was not the case.”

Lake restoration requires a clear understanding of the root causes of why lakes deteriorate in the first place, and then working within the nature of lakes to repair their ecosystems. We ask lakes what they need to be healthy, and then we respond accordingly to meet the lake’s needs and the community’s constraints.