JEFFERSON � What do 13 appliances, 14 batteries, 141 pieces of clothing, 506 plastic bags, 1,100 tires, 1,500 glass bottles and 2,000 beverage cans have in common? If you said �being trash,� you are correct. If you said �being trash at the bottom of Lake Hopatcong,� then give yourself a gold ribbon.

By GREG WATRY

gwatry@njherald.com

JEFFERSON � What do 13 appliances, 14 batteries, 141 pieces of clothing, 506 plastic bags, 1,100 tires, 1,500 glass bottles and 2,000 beverage cans have in common? If you said �being trash,� you are correct. If you said �being trash at the bottom of Lake Hopatcong,� then give yourself a gold ribbon.

According to the Lake Hopatcong Foundation, more than 23,000 pounds of debris were removed from the lake by more than 400 volunteers on Nov. 9, during the foundation�s lake-wide community cleanup.

Every five years, the state drops the lake 5 feet, which exposes more of the lake bed than usual and allows access to it. This time, the foundation decided to take advantage of that drainage.

�There is no doubt that Lake Hopatcong is a healthier ecosystem today because of the efforts of all these volunteers to remove debris from its waters,� said Lake Hopatcong Foundation President Jessica K. Murphy.

Donna Macalle-Holly of the Lake Hopatcong Foundation organized the event, and placed team leaders and volunteer groups at 40 access points surrounding the lake. A group of divers, from Elite Divers in Randolph, also joined the cleanup initiative. Their effort was headquartered at Dow�s Live Bait Shop in Great Cove.

�In addition to the improvement to the lake environment, it was also nice to know that so many groups were working together, having fun, and supporting one another in this effort,� Murphy said.

The lake was last cleaned in such a manner in 2003 by the Lake Hopatcong Commission staff. After 10 years time, this year�s catch was ample.

Some notable items removed from the lake include a lawn mower, a Jet Ski, a shopping cart, political and real estate signs, a trampoline, a couch frame, carpets, lounge chairs, cell phones, a leather jacket and even a mannequin.

Of the 43 categories listed on the International Coastal Cleanup Data Card, which was developed by the Ocean Conservancy, only crab/lobster/fish traps were not found on the lake bottom.

�I keep saying that I�m not sure if I�m encouraged or discouraged by the amount of debris removed from the lake, since it�s unfortunate that all of that was in the lake to begin with,� Murphy said. �But I am nothing but encouraged by the enthusiasm of those who participated in this event.�

�This is just a small taste of what we can do, but we need the community�s support through membership and donations, and then the possibilities for Lake Hopatcong are endless,� she said

With tires being one of the biggest hauls, Bridgestone Retail Operations lent its services in proper collection and recycling of the tires as part of its Spent Tire Program. Bridgestone collects tires from parks, waterways and other public areas.

The Lake Hopatcong Foundation is a nonprofit organization that was founded in 2012 �to improve Lake Hopatcong for everyone, now and in the years to come.�