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The Deal Lake Commission Fall Cleanup will be held from 9 a.m. to noon Saturday, expanding into a collaborative effort to also rid Sunset and Wesley lakes of debris, Commissioner Don Brockel said.

The event draws a host of area residents, Monmouth University students and faculty volunteers, who will be joined this year by not only Deal Lake, Sunset Lake, and Wesley Lake Charter commission members, but also volunteers from the Elks Club, Boys and Cub scout troops, AP Rotary Club, and members of the Colonial Terrace Homeowners Association, Brockel said.

The Monmouth University participation is part of its 18th Annual participation in The Big Event, a college and university community service initiative that began at Texas A&M. Every fall, approximately 400 people from Monmouth University community sign up to be a volunteer at one of the 25 to 30 Big Event work sites in neighboring towns.

Deal Lake Dock Company will donate its equipment to aid in the cleanups, owner Brian Watkins said.

Brockel said close to 100 people from Monmouth will disperse to the cleanup launch sites, which includes at the Asbury Park Boat Ramp [next to 7-11 on Main St], at the Allenhurst Gazebo, at the Flume on Ocean Ave, and at Sunset and Wesley lakes.    

Volunteers should wear weather-appropriate work gloves, clothing and shoes, [waders are recommended]. Work gloves, trash bags, and tools will be available, and those with boats and kayaks are needed.

Lakeshore residents are being encouraged to help clear their shoreline of debris during the event, Brockel said. To facilitate this, Deal Lake is being lowered.

“Do your best to remove trash and unwanted debris on your shoreline,” Brockel said in a written statement. “Please ensure the shoreline’s nature settings are preserved to prevent erosion and maintain wildlife. If you would like to help out in your section via your boat or Kayak stop over to the boat ramp for nets and bags before you head out near your home.”

Rain is expected to return on Sunday, thereby refilling the lowered lake, he said.

For more information, visit the event Facebook page or deallake.org.

Below, Ocean Township Police Department’s Community Advisory outlines steps to help protect the 158 acre waterbody.

How can you help Deal Lake:

Please do not blow/Rake your leaves, grass clippings or yard debris into Deal Lake or its feeder streams or lakes. Ensure you comply with Ocean Township Landscaper Guidelines:

Grass clippings and leaf litter are storm-water pollutants.

Yard debris, including leaves and other organic plant material like shrubbery trimmings and grass clippings, are a significant source of storm-water pollution. When you blow your lawn waste into the street it can clog storm drains and cause drainage and flooding issues. Storm drains are not connected to the wastewater treatment plant. There is no treatment to remove the debris from the water before it reaches nearby lakes, and streams.

Why are grass clippings and leaf litter harmful? As this waste breaks down in our local waterways, it adds excess nutrients like nitrogen and phosphorus to the water. This leads to unwanted and uncontrolled growth of algae and native and non-native aquatic weeds.

What is so bad about algae? Algae will naturally occur in lakes and ponds, but excess nutrients can lead to high levels of algae growth which happens almost every year in Deal Lake. Apart from looking unsightly, excessive algae blooms can block out sunlight and deplete the oxygen level in the water, which can lead to fish kills and limit lake use.

What can you do to protect water quality while keeping your yard maintained?

– Mow your lawn often enough so no more than one-third the length of the grass is removed. Taller grass has deeper roots – that prevents soil loss & helps the rain soak into the ground.

– Leave the clippings on the lawn or compost them. Be sure to sweep or blow clippings off paved surfaces and back onto the lawn.

– Fertilize only when necessary, or not at all if it might rain in the next day or two.

– In the fall, place leaves for municipal collection and away from storm drains. Leave space by the curb for water to flow to drains. do Not Blow Them In The Lake. 

– Clean up after your pets. Scoop up pet waste and put it in the trash.

– Only use dry cleanup methods (broom and dustpan or absorbent chemicals or fuels; never hose a spill into a storm drain.

– Directing your roof drains to a rain garden can significantly reduce the storm-water runoff from your property.

Ocean Twp Pollution Prevention Program 

[Photos courtesy of the Deal Lake Commission]

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