Green Jersey

Fixes for flood-prone Passaic River Basin

A flood task force has proposed new recommendations for federal and state agencies to protect the flood-prone Passaic River Basin.

Flood damage in the Passaic basin has cost billions of dollars and several lives over the years, according to Assemblyman Scott Rumana (R-Wayne), who spearheaded the task force.

The proposals include (from the Record):

– Buying out houses in floodway

– Working to change the way the reservoirs work (so they hold back floodwaters) and creating a new reservoir

– Elevating homes

– Building a levee

– Buying land near the floodway to use as wetlands

– Removing debris that affects river flow

– Removing a defunct feeder dam in the Morris Canal

– Putting floodgates on the Beatties Dam