What to Know
- New Jersey environmental officials say people still shouldn't swim or do anything in Lake Hopatcong over the July Fourth weekend
- Recreational watersports like personal watercraft use, water-skiing, paddle-boarding, canoeing or kayaking are all prohibited due to algae
- Several people have already gotten mild skin rashes from touching the water, and the warning could remain "for weeks, if not longer"
New Jersey environmental officials say people still shouldn't swim or do anything in Lake Hopatcong over the July Fourth weekend due to the presence of an extensive harmful algal bloom.
Recreational watersports such as personal watercraft use, water-skiing, paddle-boarding, canoeing or kayaking are all prohibited as the level of harmful algea is still too high.
People are also urged not eat fish caught in the lake or windsurf, kayak, paddleboard or ride Jet Skis there. Pet owners should also keep their animals clear of the lake.
Officials say the advisory could remain in place "for weeks, if not longer." They note several people have already gotten mild skin rashes from touching the water.
People along the lake began reporting blooms on June 17. Since then the Department of Environmental Protection says it's received 30 more reports of blooms in the 4-square-mile lake which straddles the border of Sussex and Morris counties.
