Stony Brook, Harry’s Brook and Meadowbrook Drive area are targets.
By: David Campbell
The Princeton Township Committee on Monday night authorized the preparation of a flood-mitigation plan in cooperation with the Natural Resources Conservation Service.
The township is contributing $2,500 toward the preparation of the plan, said Township Engineer Robert Kiser. NRCS, which is part of the federal Department of Agriculture, is expected to cover the remainder of the $10,000 cost.
NRCS is expected to begin preparing a plan in the next couple of weeks and to finish in late spring. Work will be undertaken in cooperation with the state Office of Emergency Management and the Princeton Township Committee on Flood Control, Mr. Kiser said.
Planners will be examining various options to help address flooding in Princeton.
Notable trouble spots to be examined include the area of Quaker Road near the Stony Brook, which floods frequently during heavy rains; areas in the vicinity of Harry’s Brook; and also the Meadowbrook Drive area.
For example, one house on Meadowbrook has had flood waters rise to its first floor on numerous occasions, Mr. Kiser said.
In some cases, the engineer continued, there may be no way to mitigate flooding. In others, ways to reduce flood levels in various drainage basins will be explored. The findings and mitigation plan when complete are expected to be presented to the committee, Mr. Kiser said.
In a related matter, the engineering department is expected to begin a case study next week that examines the impact of increased impervious surfaces on streams and waterways.
The Princeton Environmental Commission recommended the case study after residents of the Random Road neighborhood complained of rising flood waters they said will be made worse by a planned development nearby.
Like the NRCS plan, that study is expected to be completed in the spring, Mr. Kiser said.