LAKE COMO — Decreased geese populations and a new aerator in Lake Como have helped to improve overall water health, as supported by over half a decade of water testing discussed in a report from the borough’s environmental commission.
The mayor and council received the commission’s annual report during the communications portion at the start of last week’s meeting by Environmental Commission Chairperson Debbie Hilliard and Commission Member John Buckley, who provided an update regarding testing with the lake’s health.
According to Mr. Buckley, the commission’s lake testing is possible through the Coastal Lakes Community Observing Network [CLONet] thanks to a grant from the Jules L. Plangere Jr. Family Foundation to Monmouth County in 2019, which allowed them to work with the Urban Coast Institute to monitor ten lakes in the county, including Lake Como.
“They recruited citizen volunteers and they supplied us, the Lake Como Environmental Commission, with test kits and instruction on testing the lake once a week in the summer and once every two weeks in the winter,” he said.
Mr. Buckley explained that the commission tests the lake water for conductivity and temperature, as well as the lake’s levels for dissolved oxygen, PH and phosphate. High conductivity can indicate pollution, while high temperatures and low levels of dissolved oxygen can cause algae to grow. Fish in the lake can also be affected by fluctuating temperature and low levels of dissolved oxygen.
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