Residents told levy plan will block flooding

Having held public
meetings, Army Corps can enter design phase

By jennifer dome
Staff Writer

Having held public
meetings, Army Corps can enter design phase
By jennifer dome
Staff Writer


Although many residents are pleased to see a plan that will help prevent the flooding of the South River, some are wondering why it has taken so long.

It has been almost 10 years since the last major storm wrecked numerous homes along the banks of the South River, including the home of Weber Avenue residents Elaine Konopka and Joanne Martino. The basement and first floor of their home was flooded, forcing them to live with their mother until repairs could be made, Martino said.

The flood control plan, proposed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, was presented to more than two dozen borough residents, as well as Borough Council members and officials, at the American Legion Lenape Post 211, located on MacArthur Avenue, Wednesday evening.

State Assemblyman John Wisniewski said that, since many residents had unanswered questions after an Aug. 19 meeting hosted by U.S. Rep. Frank Pallone (D-6), he and Borough Councilman Thomas Pollando arranged an additional meeting with the Army Corps.

According to Wisniewski, some residents are concerned that the levees — which will be built along the banks of both the South River and Sayreville sides of the river — will increase flooding in other areas of the South River and the Washington Canal.

However, according to Corps representative Peter Blum, who attended the meeting with Corps Project Manager Joseph Redican, the levees will help block flooding and keep water flowing throughout the flood plain, rather than inundating one particular channel. Similar flood control plans have been implemented in Rahway and Elizabeth, Union County, and Passaic, Passaic County, Blum said.

Blum added that the 21.5-foot-tall levees, measuring 10,000 feet in length, as well as two tide gates that will remain open during normal weather conditions and will close during cases of flooding, will help save more than 1,000 structures in the area of the South River and Washington Canal, and all the way south to the Duhernal Lake Dam in Old Bridge Township.

"I’ve never seen a flood project with such a high benefit-to-cost ratio," Blum said.

According to Blum, the Corps is hoping the levees and the proposed ecosystem restoration will help diminish the damages caused by large storms, such as the northeaster in March 1993 that resulted in approximately $17 million in damages.

The South River and the Raritan River basin were studied for several years after the Corps was authorized to do so by Congress in May 1993.

According to the Corps summary, the total cost for the hurricane and storm damage reduction project is $62.5 million. Another $50.5 million will be spent on ecosystem restoration of the South River in order to avoid or minimize environmental impact, the summary states.

These projects will be paid for by the state Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) and the federal government. The DEP will absorb 35 percent of the cost, while the federal government will cover 65 percent.

Blum said Wednesday that the state will cover 75 percent of the percentage of the total cost that it is responsible for. The other 25 percent will be funded by the municipalities, including the borough and South River, as well as Middlesex County.

Pallone, who called for the study to begin after the 1993 storms, said that he is proud of the Corps’ effort to produce solutions and provide a restoration plan. The Congressman announced July 10 that the House Energy and Water Development Appropriations Subcommittee has approved $200,000 for the completion of the study and the pre-construction, engineering and design phases of the project.

The bill is expected to be voted on by the House Appropriations Committee, and will then go to the full House of Representatives for a vote in October, according to a press release from Pallone.

Now that the Corps has concluded the public meeting portion of its flood control plan, it will make any necessary adjustments before giving the plans to Congress for final approval, Blum said. In the meantime, the Corps is able to continue with the design plans, and put the flood control project into effect, he said.