By Stephen Appezzato
FAIR HAVEN – With spring in full swing and warmer temperatures making the environment ripe for algae blooms, Fair Haven officials are taking proactive steps to protect McCarter Pond from being overtaken by thick vegetation this year.
At its most recent public meeting, the borough council unanimously approved a series of measures aimed at curbing the persistent algae issue, which has become a seasonal concern for the community. The council committed to spending up to $25,000 on efforts to control and prevent algae growth in the pond using multiple strategies.
A significant portion of the approved funds – approximately $15,000 – will go toward the installation of sediment capture devices. These devices will be placed on various storm drain inlets that lead into McCarter Pond. By intercepting waste, organic debris and other pollutants before they enter the water, officials hope to reduce the amount of nutrient-rich material that fuels excessive plant growth and disrupts the pond’s ecological balance.
Additionally, Fair Haven will hire a company to conduct regular pond maintenance through September. The firm will conduct shoreline weed control, algae control and water quality monitoring, while another company deploys beneficial bacteria to the pond that would break down organic matter and help maintain cleaner water.
The council also added a line in its brush and leaf ordinance explicitly prohibiting residents from raking leaves, brush and lawn waste into storm drains or bodies of water, like McCarter Pond, Fourth Creek and the Navesink River.
These actions were put
into motion after Fair Haven’s McCarter Pond Subcommittee provided its recommendations to the council earlier in April. Over the months, the committee, which was formed last year in response to the recurring summer algae issue, explored various strategies to maintain McCarter Pond and prevent future algae blooms.
“What we want to do here is really get ahead of fighting the algae, as opposed to trying to fight it after it’s already there,” explained council member Kristin Hoey at the council meeting April 7. “It’s starting to grow now and we want to get to it before it has a chance to (take) hold,” she said.
According to borough administrator Christopher York, the pond program will also include herbicide and algaecide treatments that are approved by the state Department of Environmental Protection.
Algae blooms are a recurring issue on McCarter Pond, especially during warm and sunny weather, which spurs plant growth, inhibiting underwater wildlife. While algae are natural, blooms are often exacerbated in residential communities due to high levels of nutrients in ponds, like nitrogen, carbon and phosphorus, which are commonly found in animal waste, urban runoff, septic systems and some fertilizers. When alga overtakes a pond surface, it can prevent oxygen from mixing with the water, suffocating wildlife.
“We’re eager to take action and it seems the time is right. We have the information,” council member Tracy Cole said at the Monday evening meeting.
In Other News
The Fair Haven Farmers Market returns for a second year May 10, with future dates set for June 14, July 12, Aug. 9, Sept. 13, Oct. 11 and Nov. 8. The event, from 9 a.m. to noon on Willow Street, features an array of vendors, local businesses, live music and more.
The article originally appeared in the May 1 – 7, 2025 print edition of The Two River Times.
