Harry Wright Lake Cleared for Swimming

Both sides of Harry Wright Lake are open to swimmers, the township's Department of Recreation announced Tuesday. 

Testing by the Ocean County Health Department showed that fecal coliform levels at the Whiting lake's high side, which has been closed since last Wednesday, once again have dropped to a safe level. 

The entire lake was closed to swimming mid-last week after county testing showed that fecal coliform levels at the low and high sides of the lake were at an unsafe level. A day later, the low side near Nature Drive reopened when bacteria there decreased. 

If there is a certain amount of bacteria per 100 milliliters of water, the health department takes daily samples until the bacteria is down to an acceptable level for swimming. Until then, they close the affected beach to swimming.

At Monday's meeting, resident Hank Glenn asked if there is anything administrators can do to help keep the waters clean and the lake open.

"It's the same year after year," said Business Administrator Elena Zsoldos, referring to the arrival of geese at the lake. "We've tried everything. It's a problem all over the state."

Horns, blinking lights and other geese-repelling measures have not kept the birds away from the waters. 

"They get used to it, and when the horn stops, they come back," Zsoldos said. 

Glenn, who lives in the Renaissance community, suggested that the Geese Police, a company with a headquarters in Howell that specializes in keeping the birds away from bodies of water, might be able to help. He said that lakes in his community are kept clean by the service.