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Pascrell Votes to Protect North Jersey Communities from Flooding

Water Resources Development Act -Mayor Romeo shares with you the below information he received today from Congressman Pascrell’s’ office. As many of our residents have been impacted by the abundance of rainfall and flooding throughout the Borough, please know the Mayor and Council have been working with all government entities to focus on ways to mitigate future flooding.

Pascrell Votes to Protect North Jersey Communities from Flooding

Major water and flooding legislation approved by House of Representatives includes support for North Jersey flood prevention projects

WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Congressman Bill Pascrell, Jr. (D-NJ-09) today helped pass the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) of 2022 (H.R. 7776). This legislation authorizes U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) work on water resource projects to build and study new flood management, harbor navigation, dam, levee, and ecosystem restoration projects throughout the nation. At Rep. Pascrell’s request, the measure includes several northern New Jersey priorities in the legislation, including a $69,900,000 authorization for wastewater and stormwater management in Kearny.

“As we approach another hurricane season with the prospect of heavy regional rainfall we are reminded once more of the importance of vigilance against dangerous flooding. The water resources bill we passed today will allow the federal government to help us manage water in several of our at-risk communities,” said Congressman Pascrell. “The House is advancing a measure to help drive our economy, manage flooding, improve quality of life, and put people to work in our North Jersey communities. I urge my colleagues in the Senate to act on this bill swiftly.”

Congressman Pascrell successfully included a number of New Jersey projects in WRDA, an accounting of which is provided below:

  • Lower Saddle River Flood Protection Project. This ongoing flood mitigation study will now be expedited for completion by USACE. The study will provide potential solutions to protect against flooding in communities like Garfield, Saddle Brook, South Hackensack, and Wallington.
  • River Road Flood Mitigation Project. Authorizes a new feasibility study to examine how to best prevent and protect against flooding along River Road in Edgewater. Due to the road’s low elevation and poor drainage, flooding is a repeated hazard during periods of heavy rainfall. This project can devise solutions to the flooding to protect Edgewater during future storms.
  • Risers Ditch Drainage Project. Authorizes a new feasibility study to on how the ditch might be a more efficient outlet for storm water. The communities of South Hackensack, Hasbrouck Heights, Little Ferry, Teterboro, and Moonachie are regularly impacted by the ditch’s frequent water flow issues during storms.
  • Tenakill Flood Mitigation Project. Authorizes a new feasibility study to manage flood events in the Borough of Cresskill. Tenakill Brook is a source of clogging due to poor drainage and Hurricane Ida last year caused massive damage to Cresskill High School. This USACE study will help devise solutions to increase the efficiency of the brook’s water flow during storms and heavy rainfall. The Biden administration recently announced funding requested by Pascrell to begin a study of the Tenakill under section 205 of the Flood Control Act.
  • Combined Sewer System Wastewater Project. Authorizes $69,900,000 to update Kearny’s century-old sewerage systems in compliance with the Clean Water Act, helping to improve water flow and protect against overflow.

As a former member of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, Rep. Pascrell wrote the resolution initially authorizing the USACE reconnaissance report on the Peckman River and its repeated flooding. In 2002, he announced the findings of the reconnaissance report and over the next several years helped secure millions in state and federal investments to advance the feasibility study. Pascrell also led the fight against development on river banks that could exacerbate flash flood events.

In March of this year, Rep. Pascrell testified extensively on the need for this legislation before the Water Resources Subcommittee. A readout of his prepared remarks is available here.