June 20, 2009 Update:  Recent rainfall has helped Lake Hopatcong's water levels tremendously.  Lake Hopatcong water levels are finally approaching normal levels.  Click here to view the most up to date data regarding water level on Lake Hopatcong.

Right now, your Lake is not being properly managed.  The current Lake Hopatcong Water Management Plan does not have the best interest of Lake Hopatcong in mind.  The current plan does not provide adequate measures or methods for assuring proper water levels are sustained in Lake Hopatcong.  The NJDEP does not consider adequate water levels in Lake Hopatcong to be a critical aspect of water management at Lake Hopatcong.

The goal of this website is to provide relevant information to you regarding the current management of Lake Hopatcong and her waters.  We should all wish to improve and preserve the quantity and quality of Lake Hopatcong's waters for the fish, fauna, and wildlife, as well as people who rely on Lake Hopatcong to enhance their quality of their life.

Right now, you can make a difference.  You can be part of the solution.  Local residents, boaters, anglers and tourists of Lake Hopatcong should have a greater voice in the overall management of Lake Hopatcong.

It is our duty to protect Lake Hopatcong's water levels and water quality to assure its future recreational, environmental and economic value to the State of New Jersey.

What happened to our water?

Despite what you may have heard, the primary cause of the low water level issue we have experienced this year is the result of mismanagement of Lake Hopatcong waters, not Mother Nature.  The main cause of this season's low water problem began after December 15, 2008.  As of December 15, 2008, the NJDEP was supposed to lower the lake's outflow to 7.5 million gallons per day (MGD) to allow the lake to begin filling by taking advantage of winter precipitation before the lake freezes solid.  From December 15, 2008 to January 7, 2009 the NJDEP discharged 1.26 billion gallons in excess of the requirement, which equals approximately 19.38 inches of water level in Lake Hopatcong. 
Even in light all this gross error, the NJDEP has been discharging between 4 million to 8 million gallons per day from Lake Hopatcong to Lake Musconetcong.  All the while, Lake Musconetcong is at flood stage and has been overflowing and passing millions of gallons per day in excess of the discharge requirement to the Musconetcong River (i.e. the Musconetcong River does not require Lake Hopatcong's water).  The continued outflow of water from our lake only made matters worse for our lake and made it difficult to recover from the management errors in December. 

Even in light of the management errors, the low precipitation in our Lake, our low water level, and excessive waters flowing to the Musconetcong, the State will not acknowledge that our Lake is in a dire situation.  The State refused to formulate a plan to return Lake Hopatcong water levels. 

The NJDEP has not acted responsibly.  The NJDEP was made aware of their errors months ago and were asked to review and explain their mistake, and furthermore to review decreasing the Lake's outflow below the 7.5MGD flow to aid in remedying their earlier mistake.  The NJDEP was provided exhaustive data and facts proving they can decrease or stop the Lake's outflow to save the Lake Hopatcong.