A unique resource of the Borough of Mountain Lakes is the chain of man-made lakes within its borders. The bottoms of the lakes are fine sediments and organic material. Before construction of the dams, the lake areas consisted of swamps and woodland. The water source is from springs and surface drainage of land within the Borough. This geographical arrangement makes it possible for Mountain Lakes to provide more control of the surface water quality than is possible in most communities. Conversely, the responsibility for pollution falls squarely upon the residents. The total area of all of the nine lakes in the chain is approximately 162 acres.
The lakes provide recreation in all seasons. Residents and their guests enjoy swimming from sandy beaches on two lakes: Birchwood and Mountain. (Beach tags are required.) Swimming and boating from private property is popular on all the lakes. The sandy beaches in the Borough have been artificially created by bringing sand from other sources. Fishing is good with such species as bass, perch, pickerel, crappie, sunfish and catfish to be found in most of the lakes. Each spring a Trout Derby is held on Birchwood Lake for the children of the community. Those trout that are not caught, survive and continue to be caught throughout the summer. Trout will live in the lakes but will not breed, apparently because the summer water temperatures are too high. Sailboat races are held during the summer on Mountain Lake where some international class sailors have been developed. Canoeing is also very popular. During the winter there is skating on all lakes with the Borough providing a warning system of ice safety.
The lakes provide a haven and a home for many wild creatures. At one time muskrats became so numerous that a professional trapper was employed who took 124 muskrats from Birchwood and Crystal Lakes in just a few weeks. Since then they have again become well established. There are several species of turtles visible on logs and rocks around the shore during a warm summer day. In addition a large snapping turtle can be seen occasionally in the upper lakes, especially in the spring when it leaves the water to lay eggs. There are also some non-poisonous water snakes in the upper lakes. Water fowl including Canada geese and several varieties of ducks stop on the lakes. During the 1950's and early 1960's a pair of swans nested on Sunset and Olive Lakes.
The primary contaminant of the surface water is probably fertilizer, which is rich in nitrates and phosphates, used to stimulate lawn growth. In the spring there is a considerable amount of salt residue from ice control efforts found in the run off. It has not been established that serious harm results, though it remains an area of concern.
A brief description of each lake follows, along with other names by which it has been known.
Surrounded entirely by Borough-owned woodlands, this 14 acre lake has the best water quality because of its many springs. It is located at the beginning of the chain and gets little surface run-off because of the absorptive quality of the woodland soil. Until recent years little or no algae control was required. The most serious problem has been control of lilies in the upper portion. The construction of the public beach facilities has caused some siltation of the lower end due to sand hauled in for the beach. An effort has been made by the Borough to control sedimentation by constructing walls of wooden ties and of concrete. The lake is very shallow in the upper portion with an average depth of only 3 to 4 feet., In the lower portion, where areas are designated for public swimming, the deepest areas are 12 to 15 feet. Several platforms and floats are located in this area for use in the extensive swimming and diving programs promoted here.
The second in the chain and the deepest, Crystal lake is partially surrounded by Borough woodlands. As a result of its water purity, this lake and its adjacent lake were used for many years as sources of high quality ice for commercial and home use. It was during this era that these lakes were named First, Second and Third by the Fox Lakes Ice Company. Crystal has an area of 20 acres. The depth in the upper portion above the island is 4 to 8 feet. Between the island and the outflow dam the depth varies from 12 to 18 feet. Until 1970 no treatment for algae was required and the clarity of water was remarkable, making it a favorite place for snorkeling and scuba diving. Additional development has taken place on both the east and west side of the lake, requiring more roads with storm drains leading to the lake, with a considerable increase in surface run-off. This has resulted in some increase in sedimentation. The algae problem has worsened requiring a modest amount of treatment to control it each summer. Its depth, attractive natural surroundings and the variety of fish species has made this lake a favorite with fishermen in both summer and winter.
About one third of the total shoreline of Sunset Lake is woodland. The area is 153-1/2 acres with an average depth of 6 to 8 feet. This lake also receives moderate algae and weed control treatments. Many undeveloped parklands surround the northern and western shores. In 1974, a Borough access site for residents was dedicated. It is located on Pocono Road.
Next in the chain are the two connected ponds Valley Road. Shadow and Olive with a combined area of 3-1/2 acres. Then comes Cove with an area of one acre, and across the Boulevard is Reservoir Lake with 2-1/2 acres. All these ponds are surrounded almost entirely with attractive private residential properties and roadways. There is some sedimentation from surface drainage. Because of this drainage and their shallow depth of 4 to 8 feet, these ponds are subject to considerable algae growth. A full-scale control program is provided to keep the water in desirable condition. Dredging has been done in most of these ponds to help counteract the undesirable effects of sedimentation.
By far the largest lake with 79 acres, Mountain Lake has an average depth of about 6 to 8 feet in the area north of Island Beach and Midvale Dock. The balance of the lake has an average depth of 8 to 10 feet--slightly more near the dam. Normally the outlet at the dam is kept closed to force all available water to flow through Mountain Lake and on through the canal to Wildwood Lake. In the spring and when storm conditions are expected, the valve at the dam is opened as a safety measure to prevent overloading the stream where water exits from Wildwood Lake.
This lake provides the facility for regularly scheduled sailboat racing which is very popular in the Borough. It is also a dramatic setting for the Fourth of July fireworks celebration. Island Beach, the public swimming area, is particularly attractive for smaller children because of the extensive area of shallow water and its pleasant beach. It is also very convenient because of its central location.
In recent years, the Borough government has been successful in controlling algae and weed growth. This has resulted in greater enjoyment of the lake by Borough residents during the summer months. There are certain areas of the lake where sedimentation has caused some filling of shoreline areas.
This is the final lake in the chain. It is slightly over 26 acres in area and has an average depth of 3 to 4 feet in the end nearest the Boulevard and of 6 to 8 feet for the balance of the lake. It is slightly deeper near the dam. There are two small streams which flow into the lake on the north end near the Boulevard. They come from springs located up the hill in the vicinity of Laurel Hill Road. The lake is surrounded mostly by private property with some small Borough-owned sections. This lake also requires careful monitoring and treatment to control algae and weeds. There is considerable sedimentation in the northern end.
This is a privately-owned pond of less than an acre at Valley Road.
There are portions of two additional lakes in the Lake Arrowhead section of the Borough. They are Great Bay with an area of almost 2 acres in the Borough and the Bay of Deep Waters with about 2-1/2 acres in Mountain Lakes. These lakes are not part of the main chain originating at Birchwood. They both extend into the neighboring township of Denville and flow into the Rockaway River Basin. Both lakes are surrounded entirely by privately-owned land and provide recreational opportunities for the adjoining residents.
Their utility as drains, the streams add interesting and attractive features to the many properties through which they pass. The Borough government is aware of the environmental advantages of streams and is striving to maintain them by means of conservation easements, physical maintenance and refusal to sell any properties containing wetlands of any sort. Most of the larger Borough-owned properties with wetlands have been dedicated as parkland.
Water temperature variation can significantly alter stream ecology and result in the loss of organisms important to natural processes of cleansing and purification. Thus, it is of overriding importance to preserve the natural tree cover along our streams.
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