About Us

Lake Mohawk Preservation Foundation

A primary goal of the Lake Mohawk Preservation Foundation is to research and pursue new treatment methodologies to preserve Lake Mohawk and further its water quality as well as to share that information for the benefit of the Walkill River watershed and other lakes.

Constructed in the 1920’s – Lake Mohawk (“Lake Mohawk” or “Lake”) is a man-made lake approximately 800 acres in size and located in Sparta and Byram Townships in Sussex County, New Jersey. Lake Mohawk is the headwaters of the Wallkill River that flows north and eventually into the Hudson River.

The Lake has been on the forefront of lake water quality and aquatic technology efforts that have resulted in increased water quality through the use of conventional and innovative methods, which achievements have been recognized and awarded by the State of New Jersey.

About Our Foundation

The Lake Mohawk Preservation Foundation is an all-volunteer nonprofit organization focused on improving and preserving lake water quality now and for future generations. Our aspirations, visions and priorities for projects focus on initiatives aimed at attracting volunteer support and contributions from LMCC members, private individuals, foundations, businesses and others interested in lake and watershed ecology.

Lake Water Quality

The sustainability of a lake community is critically influenced by the health of its lakes and ponds. Lakes and ponds, left to their own devices without intervention, are in a constant state of “eutrophication,” -- continually in the process of trying to die.

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Environmental Education

Community outreach and lake environmental education are crucial to the preservation, protection, and sustainability of a lake community. It is our mission and goal to invest in and support multiple approaches and communication channels.

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Scientific Studies

The Foundation will identify and seek funding for enhanced treatment processes and systems to support lake water quality, planning, and achievement of water quality value opportunities for lake communities.

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Aquifer Protection

The Foundation will invest in programs, education, and the development of approaches to effectively manage potable water consumption, and to maintain adequate water supplies and the water quality of the supplying aquifer systems.

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Land and Energy Conservation

Land Conservation has been a fundamental driver for environmental protection at Lake Mohawk. We invest and support programs related to the protection, preservation, management, or restoration of natural resources.

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Collaboration and Sharing Information

Cooperative technical programs, studies, and information sharing are essential in achieving the mission of the Lake Mohawk Preservation Foundation.

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Cultural and Social Benefits

Community and cultural benefits including education, recognizing and celebrating successes, and preservation of historical lake structures are among other purposes stated in the Foundation’s formation papers.

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Dollars Raised

Contributors

Our Board of Trustees

Bill Askin

President

Bill is a founding partner of the law firm Askin & Hooker, LLC, in Sparta, New Jersey. He has more than 25 years of experience practicing Real Property Law, Wills, Trusts, Estates, and Elder Law.

Bill has been an active Trustee with the Lake Mohawk Preservation Foundation since 2013. He currently serves as President of the Foundation and has previously served as Treasurer and Secretary. He is a fourth-generation Lake Mohawk resident and began his involvement with the Foundation with the goal of preserving the lake and its’ resources for his children and generations to come in the future.

Tom Nerviano

Vice President

Tom, a Sparta resident for 21 years, settled in the Lake Mohawk community in 2017. He and his wife have a great appreciation for our lake and the natural resources of the surrounding area.

Tom has been involved with the Lake Mohawk Preservation Foundation for three years. He believes that protecting and improving water quality is critical to the future of our lake community and the restoration of the watershed.

Tom’s career includes 33 years at Unilever and post-retirement work as an HR consultant. He brings extensive HR experience and a focus on engagement, education, teamwork, and continuous improvement to the foundation.

Bill Askin, Sr. (Pop)

Treasurer

Pop retired from JP Morgan Chase Bank after 38 years of service and spent four years in Romania on a consulting assignment to the Romania Telephone Co. Currently, Pop serves as Financial Operations Manager of the Askin & Hooker Law Firm in Sparta.

Pop is responsible for oversight of the Preservation’s financial and bookkeeping operations including the day-to-day accounting, and financial activities, and providing the Foundation’s Board of Trustees with current financial statements and reports.

Pop has grown up in Lake Mohawk and is extremely interested in trying to have some influence over the future of the Lake for his family and those who love living at the Lake.

Julia Kelly

Board Member

Julia has lived most of her life in New Jersey. She has been a part of the Lake Mohawk community for almost nine years. She has been an elementary teacher for twenty-two years and most of her teaching has centered around earth literacy and environmental sustainability with her students. While teaching young students she wrote a sustainable curriculum through the Cloud Institute.

Julia is passionate about protecting the environment and helping to educate our youth to sustain the earth for generations to come. She loves spending time emersed in the natural world and enjoys sharing this with others. She loves gardening and received her Master Gardener certificate through Rutgers cooperative extension several years ago.

Jim Wardell

Board Member

For more than 40 years, Jim and his family have been weekend/summer residents at Lake Mohawk becoming a full-time resident 25 years ago. Jim began his professional career as an elementary school teacher and then changed professions spending 30 years with the Wall Street Journal as an advertising and marketing manager in many cities across the country.

Jim has been an active member of our Lake Mohawk community for the last 20 years volunteering on many committees and serving on the LMCC Board of Trustees for 8 years. In 2012, he spearheaded and was a co-founder of the Lake Mohawk Preservation Foundation.

He is committed and dedicated to helping others and preserving the quality of our environment today and for future generations.

Ryan Caruso

Board Member

Ryan is a 30-year resident of Lake Mohawk, NJ. From going to Oak Tree Pre-School by boat back in 96’, to lifeguarding on most of the beaches, the lake has been a very special place to Mr. Caruso and the family that raised him.

Mr. Caruso now resides on West Shore Trail and is more active on the lake than ever. He has recently launched a Lake Services business known as “Caruso Lakeshore Construction & Services” and is a new board member of the Lake Mohawk Preservation Foundation. Mr. Caruso is hoping through his volunteerism on the board, and his business on the lake, he can help to maintain this beautiful lake community and provide support to ensure the longevity of the lake for generations to come.

Mark Scott

Board Member

Mark M. Scott is a resident of Lake Mohawk and has been a member of LMCC for over 30 years. Mark has had the pleasure of raising two successful daughters, Lauren and Erin. He is happily married to Marjory Murphy, who is a lifetime resident of Lake Mohawk. Mark is an active member of the Lake Mohawk Aesthetics Committee, Sparta Zoning Board, and Lake Mohawk Ski Hawks.

Mark graduated magna cum laude from the University of Connecticut with a BS in Business Administration, Finance/Real Estate Urban Economic Studies and received his MBA from Purdue University.

A Letter from our President

To Our Beloved Community,

The Lake Mohawk Preservation Foundation is an all-volunteer nonprofit organization proudly focused on enabling the conservation initiatives of our community to protect and improve the water quality of Lake Mohawk and the greater Wallkill River watershed. It is our goal to not only preserve the water quality of the beautiful community lakes we all enjoy but in doing so also preserve the lakeside lifestyle that is so dearly cherished. For many, generations of families have had the privilege to grow and grow old alongside the natural beauty of our community lakes. Through this foundation, we wish to enable this community’s ability to thrive alongside these precious bodies of water for generations to come.

Our ability to support our lakes comes largely in the form of fundraising and educational community events. As the devastating impacts of COVID-19 rippled across all industries, nonprofit organizations such as the Lake Mohawk Preservation Foundation were not spared. This pandemic has greatly inhibited our ability to conduct such events, and your continued support is requested to further our mission.

In previous years, the Lake Mohawk Preservation Foundation has positively impacted Lake Mohawk and the Wallkill River watershed with the community’s generous support. Together, we have conducted six Earth Day community clean-ups, prohibiting garbage, and debris from entering these bodies of water. To this day we estimate 180 bags of trash have been collected, amounting to 7,000 lbs of garbage and recyclables that have been properly disposed of.

We have also supported the preservation of our lake water quality through partnerships with LMCC and the Lake Mohawk Fishing Club. A grant was awarded and delivered to LMCC for Secchi disks, which measure the transparency of the water and give us a template to correct future obstacles, regarding the integrity of our lake water quality. In both 2018 and 2020, we awarded and delivered grants to the Lake Mohawk Fishing Club for the restocking of Hybrid Stripers. Hybrid Stripers are a vital component of lake food webs and make a positive impact on the overall lake ecosystem by keeping algae in check. This restocking was recommended and supported as part of the lake management plan developed by Princeton Hydro for improving and maintaining overall water quality.

With the community’s contributions, we are proud to have had the opportunity to support the Wallkill River Watershed Management Group with several tree planting initiatives. In the spring of 2019, the Lake Mohawk Preservation Foundation awarded and delivered a grant to the Wallkill River Watershed Management Group which is in the process of installing 12,000 native trees along the banks of the Wallkill River, in the area of Sparta’s own Station Park. We also awarded and delivered a grant to plant 105 native trees along the Wallkill River at the Wallkill NWR Canoe Launch site on Route 565 in Vernon. None of this would be possible without the generous support from our donors.

Our educational initiatives are exemplified through our demonstration Rain Garden installation, and our various educational events including our Annual Kayak Tours, Environmental Expo, and the Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs) Expert Panel, jointly sponsored by the New Jersey Highlands Coalition, the New Jersey League of Conservation Voters and the Association of New Jersey Environmental Commissions (ANJEC). This past summer we partnered with the Wallkill River Watershed Management Group to offer virtual environmental-themed presentations for area residents.

You may have enjoyed the site of our demonstration rain garden installation during a stroll down the LMCC boardwalk. The boardwalk demonstration rain garden was installed by Peggy Laddey and Eagle Scout, Tim Clauss, in 2015 at the end of the boardwalk near the spillway. This installation inhibits excess nutrients and contaminants from entering our lake and headwaters. In previous years, we have also brought together certified rain garden designers to speak on the environmental benefits of rain garden installations in our community.

In light of COVID-19, we are more dependent than ever on the support of donors like you to continue upholding the integrity of our lakes.

With your support in the upcoming year, together we will continue to advance the preservation and conservation initiatives of our friends at the Wallkill River Watershed Management Group, the Lake Mohawk Watershed Management Group, the Lake Mohawk Board of Trustees, and the Lake Mohawk Fishing Club. We ask you to join us in continuing to build on the positive momentum we have actively been working towards over these past years. With your support, we know that Lake Mohawk and the Wallkill Watershed will retain their sustained beauty and be enjoyed by families for generations to come.

Please consider making an end-of-year contribution.

As a 501(c)(3) Charitable Organization and your donations and underwriting support are, in general, tax-deductible. Donations can be made by check to Lake Mohawk Preservation Foundation, 21 The Boardwalk, or through PayPal on our website Donate page. Every donation has a positive impact. Help us to make a difference in our community today.

Thank you for your continued support.