No Warnings: Trespassers At Heritage Minerals Site Will Be Ticketed, Mayor Says

In the wake of the drowning of a 17-year-old Manchester Township High School student, the township is increasing patrols and will be handing out summonses for trespassing at the Heritage Minerals site to anyone caught at the site, the mayor said.

Manchester Mayor Kenneth T. Palmer said random patrols at the former mining site, off Routes 37 and 70, were increased over the July Fourth weekend and police issued “multiple” trespassing citations on multiple days, he said in a news release.

“We will implement a strict ‘no warning’ policy,” Palmer said. “Our goal is to keep people out of the Heritage Minerals Tract for their own safety.”

DeNasia Davis, 17, drowned June 30 in one of the lakes at the site while swimming with friends. They called 911 when she disappeared from view. Her body was found a few hours later.

Davis, who is survived by her mother and a younger brother, as well as extended family, was laid to rest Wednesday. The honor student’s death prompted many of her fellow high school students and recent graduates to swear off going to the site, which has been especially popular with those who ride all-terrain vehicles.

Palmer said in addition to the random police patrols, the township will be looking at toughening ordinances and increasing the fine for trespassing to up $1,000.

“Heritage Minerals is an old mining site. The site consists of 7,000 acres that fronts on Route 70 between Lakehurst and Whiting,” Palmer’s statement said. “The land was mined so deeply that the bodies of water often referred to as ‘lakes’ are actually groundwater aquifers. After a few steps in the soft, unstable sand, the ’shelf’ drops off to 60 feet deep or more. The mineral water is cold and clear because it is not fed by any stream, but instead by an underground water source. The banks are unpredictable and dangerously unstable.”

“In years past, it was a common occurrence for vehicles to get ‘stuck’ in the soft sand on the site,” said Palmer, who grew up in Manchester. “There have been serious ATV accidents, drownings, and sunken vehicles pulled from the site.”

He said that additionally, there is a 45-acre site containing low-level radioactive tailings left from the original mining operations in the 1970s.

“Hovsons is in the process of bringing in heavy equipment to conduct clean-up operations on that 45-acre site. It is not a place for youngsters or adults to trespass. It can be dangerous,” he said.

“Please spread the word: Trespassers will be fined to the full extent allowed by law,” Palmer said.