Oxford Furnace Lake

Jack Clucas, 14, of High Bridge, flips into Oxford Furnace Lake in July 2012. The lake had to close for several days this year because of high levels of fecal bacteria from goose poop.

(Express-Times File Photo | Ashli Truchon)

Oxford Township Mayor Jade White wants people to know Oxford Furnace Lake is again open for business after high levels of bacteria forced its closure earlier this summer.

The popular swimming hole closed for at least three days during a prime summer weekend and reopened Monday, White said. That's when township officials received the second passing water quality test result from an independent lab, he said.

The closure came with a cost to the township-run lake's bottom line. White estimates the township easily lost a few thousand dollars in revenue. Although geese blamed for the bacteria are unlikely to go away any time soon, the staff can be diligent about keeping the lake's perimeter clean, White said.

"It's a lake in a beautiful, wooded area of Warren County. There's always going to be nature," White said. "We're always going to err on the side of public safety. We're not going to put profits in front of safety."

The geese stay away during the day because of all the activity at the lake but come in and make a mess at night, White said. In addition to swimming, visitors can also kayak, canoe and stand-up paddleboard there, he said. Employees put a covering over the docks where swimmers jump into the water. The covers are easier to clean than the docks in the water, he said.

They also make sure droppings along the water's edge are properly disposed of instead of being allowed to wash into the water, he said. Louis Accetturo, who is in charge of the lake, could not immediately be reached to elaborate on the efforts to manage water quality at the lake.

Warren County Health Officer Peter Summers confirmed the lake passed its tests and reopened Monday. He said as far as he can recall, it was the only lake in the county closed for health reasons this year.

The county received a federal permit to exterminate geese at Oxford Furnace Lake to reduce bacteria levels there. Summers said he wasn't familiar with all the details or whether they'd be taking such action, but said he thought it "sounds like it might be a reasonable step to take."

White said there have been problems with geese in the past, but the problem is probably smaller than it's been in recent years. The township's seen lower numbers of beach-goers than normal in the past week, he said. Officials want to make sure people know the lake is a safe place to swim.

"We just want to let people know it's open, and we'd love for them to come back and enjoy the last month of summer," White said.