MATAWAN – With the goal of removing the remnants of past storms and accumulated debris, the Matawan Environmental Commission, with support from the mayor and Borough Council, recently held a cleanup at Lake Lefferts.
On Sept. 18, Borough Council President John Lazar and Councilman Nick Reeve were joined by volunteers to collect trash in and around the lake.
Dan Carroll, who is a member of the environmental commission and the owner of A Canoe to You, provided kayaks, canoes and life vests for the volunteers’ use during the two-hour event.
Commenting on the need for the cleanup, Lazar said, “Our lake has gotten so much more use since the (coronavirus) pandemic started. I would say that in the past two lake seasons, I have had more people (use the lake) than maybe the last 15 years combined.
“We like seeing people use the lake, that’s a great thing. It’s a great resource, but what comes with the increased activity is some trash. This (cleanup) seemed like the perfect way to address some of that.
“We do a once-a-year cleanup in the spring, a town-wide cleanup … we (clean) around the lake a little bit, but nothing really specific to the lake. Being out on the lake … taking (items) out the water and off the shore … we figured that would be an awesome thing,” Lazar said.
He said the cleanup at Lake Lefferts served two purposes: preserving the environment and maintaining a clean community space.
“You only get one planet. We have two lakes in Matawan and Lake Lefferts is the one with the most public access.
“Lake Lefferts is such a precious resource that we really want to be careful and mindful to keep it clean for future generations to enjoy so it is always there and everyone can have the same great experience we get to have now, where you can go fishing or go out on a kayak and have a really great day and enjoy the scenery and nature.
“That is something we want to preserve for future generations in Matawan,” Lazar said.
In a few hours of work, the volunteers filled up numerous bags of garbage and removed several large items, such as benches and chairs, from the lake.