CRANFORD, NJ — There is great news for the US Army Corps of Engineers Rahway River Watershed flood mitigation feasibility study. The US House of Representatives and US Senate have agreed to move ahead with the bipartisan Water Resource Development Act of 2024. It next goes to the president for signature by year-end, reported Dan Aschenbach, former mayor and coordinator of Mayors Council Rahway River Flood Control.
While WRDA legislation had been reauthorized every two years, there had been some concern that this year was going to be different. Furthermore, in the initial House bill that was approved, the language authorizing the Rahway River evaluation had been deleted. Through the efforts of Cranford Commissioner Gina Black, Congressman Tom Kean and Sen. Cory Booker, Section 1203 of Senate 4367 now contains the Rahway River provision. The Booker provision stated that the secretary shall expedite completion of the feasibility study and may proceed to construction, engineering, and design.
The importance of this development is that, without the federal authorization, the evaluation would have ended. While this whole process is painfully slow, it is on again.
The US Army Corps of Engineers, New York District is expected to report to the nine communities the findings of its initial evaluation. The five alternatives were:
• Alternative 1: No action;
• Alternative 2: Dry detention basin;
• Alternative 3: Combination plan – targeted channelization, levee, floodwall along with buyouts;
• Alternative 4: Nonstructural plan – floodproofing, elevation, relocation and buyouts; and
• Alternative 5: Lenape Park Detention Basin and Channel Modification.
This will be the second time the evaluation has proceeded to develop a plan to implement. 2025 will be important for the governing boards in the Rahway River region to develop consensus on a plan and aggressively lobby forward.
Photo Courtesy of Dan Aschenbach