By Linda Seida, Staff Writer
LAMBERTVILLE — The city is moving ahead with a project to curb flooding at Ely Creek, with completion tentatively scheduled, weather permitting, for the spring of 2012.
Ely Creek affects the north end of the city.
During the severe floods of 2005 and 2006, flood insurance paid out $365,000 for damages to residences and businesses in the area.
Rising waters of the Delaware River lead to a backflow at the creek. The creek floods North Union Street between Arnett Avenue and Cherry Street.
The remedies include a slide gate that will be installed on an existing headwall along Ely Creek, on the property of Niece Lumber. There also will be a portable pump for the creek.
Once the flood remedies are in place, it is expected they would help to protect 29 residences and five commercial structures. The project is expected to eliminate the flood-related closures of North Union Street and Arnett Avenue.
The city’s Natural Hazard Mitigation Plan ranks the Ely Creek project as highly important because the area is prone to flooding, and the remedies are considered cost-effective.
”We’re going to get this done as soon as we can,” Mayor David Del Vecchio said Monday.
The city is still trying to obtain funding for another source of flooding in the city, Swan Creek, the mayor said. This project could cost as much as $2.45 million.

