Ken Manzi, our mason, has completed Phase II of repairing the stone hut roof. He used the platform to pull his men and equipment back and forth. See the aluminum canoe? That’s how he got the platform off the island to use. We have to be creative to get this job done. Thanks Ken.
January 2016
If you remember, in 2014, two Whale Pond Brook watershed regional meetings were sponsored by Ocean Township. Chris Obropta, PhD P.E. Rutgers Cooperative Extension (RCE) Water Resources Program and Dave Peifer, ANJEC addressed storm water issues. The goal of these meetings was to begin to find solutions to mitigate our watershed flooding and stream bank erosion.
As of January 2016, Chris Obropta and the Whale Pond Brook Watershed Association have entered a formal agreement to help further those goals of the Whale Pond Brook regional meetings: to help reduce flooding and improve water quality on our watershed.
Dr Obropta’s team has been busy performing the following tasks and will make presentations to each of the watershed towns.
The RCE Water Resources Program will use the impervious cover reduction plans for the five municipalities to identity priority green infrastructure sites and prepare engineering design plans for two green infrastructure projects within the Whale Pond Brook Watershed. Recommended green infrastructure methodologies will include rain gardens, bioswales, pervious pavement, tree filter boxes, stormwater planters, and/or rainwater harvesting systems.
One of the sites currently being assessed by the team is on the Ocean Township Swim Club property. We are hoping this team will help us find a suitable place for our volunteers to plant a native plant and butterfly rain garden. This rain garden is part of the education and outreach grant from the Stony Brook-Millstone Watershed Association – Watershed Institute to conduct a series of workshops entitled ‘Restoring a Watershed: A Community Takes Action.
Our first seminar “Watershed Ecology” will be held at the Ocean Township library on April 23 during the Ocean Township Green Fair. We have a website where we would like you to put your comments about our watershed. Do you have flooding on your property? Do you see algae in the water where you live? Send us pictures and we’ll post them on the website. Please let us know how the brook effects your yard and neighborhood. What is your vision? Let’s work together to make it better for the brook and the neighborhoods.
We hope to see you at the Ocean Township Green Fair on April 23 and bring the children.
Our good friend Beth Woolley, Long Branch Historic Commission, attended the Monmouth County Historic Preservation award ceremony on Feb 22, 2016. The WPBWA received a grant to complete the work on the east side of the stone hut roof. A huge Thank You to Monmouth County and the City of Long Branch for their continuing financial assistance in restoring the Ross Island Stone Hut, a rare Architectural Folly that remains from Long Branch’s Gilded Age.
The work is being done by Ken Manzi, our stone mason.
Here are some of our volunteers at the stone hut during a clean-up in December. 
For many of us, it’s that time of year to clean up after the holidays. The post below is from Clean Ocean Action, a local non-profit organization dedicated to ocean advocacy. www.cleanoceanaction.org
Read on about how to deal with holiday decorations!
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The first picture was taken today from the high water line looking west towards the flume. The picture below it was taken Dec 27 looking east from the flume. 
The wood is no longer visible at Tak beach. There is one dumpster with wood pieces. It is gratifying to know that a call to 877-warnDEP really does work. Thanks to Laura Fonde, Office of Emergency Management, Bureau of Emergency Response for alerting Dave Sorenson, Monmouth County Health Department. He went to the site and requested that the wood be removed immediately. We also received a call from the DEP Coastal Enforcement Office, Michelle Kropilak who said DEP inspectors will be there again tomorrow to check the site.
Thanks to all the people in this community who showed that you care about our watershed.
We had two clean-ups at the Tak Trestle Trail this past month. We noticed the water in the lake was very low.
We went to look at the dam and this is what we saw.
The water is flowing unencumbered through the dam.
We received a call today to go down to Tak beach and see what is going on there. A surfer called a friend so I called some friends and we went to look. This is what we saw:
These creosote soaked pieces of wood are all over the beach and in the water.
They might come from this big pile of wood which stinks of creosote.
Some of it may come from the dismantling of the flume.
This is the Whale Pond Brook flowing into the ocean where the flume used to be.
If you see something that you think may not be right, don’t hesitate to call 877 warnDEP.
Welcome to the Ross Lake Park Garden Journal, a dedicated space where the Whale Point Brook Watershed Association (WPBWA) captures the evolution of our sanctuary in Long Branch. If you’ve been seeking a moment of peace, we invite you to walk our paths, breathe in the lake air, and watch our native landscape thrive.
The hear of our work at Ross Lake Park is the native shrub and pollinator garden. By prioritizing plants indigenous to our coastal region, we are doing more than just landscaping, we are rebuilding a broken ecosystem. There plants provide essential food and habits for local birds, bees, and butterflies, ensuring the the watershed remains vibrant and resilient.
Our seasonal updates keep you informed on the “who’s who” of the garden. Currently, our native shrubs are establishing deep roots, providing a lush backdrop for the seasonal pops of color from milkweed, goldenrod, and aster. These selections aren’t just for show—they are hardworking filters that help manage runoff before it enters Ross Lake, protecting our water quality.
Beyond the environmental benefits, Ross Lake Park offers a rare urban escape. There is a specific magic in standing among the wildflowers and gazing across the water toward the historic Ross Island Stone Hut. It is a view that connects the history of Long Branch with the future of our conservation efforts.
We look forward to seeing you by the water!
