Funds may soon surge for work on So. River
Work designed to protect residents in Sayreville, South River from floods
BY JESSICA SMITH
Staff Writer

Tom Pollando

Years of efforts to provide

flood protection for residents of South River and Sayreville are paying off.

The U.S. House of Representatives recently approved a water resources development bill that authorizes $79.5 million in federal funding for the South River Flood Damage Reduction and Ecosystem Restoration Project. The money was requested by congressmen Rush Holt and Frank Pallone Jr.

"South River's vulnerability to flooding is well-known by residents," Holt said. "The House's approval of this legislation is an important step in mitigating the damage that heavy rains can cause for the community. I look forward to the Senate's passage of this legislation so that the Army Corps of Engineers can implement its plan to make South River residents, homes and businesses safer from floods."

In March 1993, a storm caused $17 million in damages and closed the highway bridge connecting the boroughs of Sayreville and South River. The South River and the Raritan River basin were studied for several years after the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers was authorized to do so by Congress in May of that year.

Robert Szegeti

According to the initial Corps summary in 2002, the total cost for the hurricane and storm damage reduction project came to $62.5 million. Another $50.5 million would be spent on ecosystem restoration in order to avoid or minimize environmental im-pact.

"I think they've been reviewing this, or been studying this, for probably about 15 years," South River Mayor Robert Szegeti said this week. "Any resolution to this problem would be a wonderful thing. For people in the town to live in fear every time there is a rainstorm, it's unconscionable."

The funds, authorized to the Army Corps, will assist with planned flood damage reduction and ecosystem restoration work, including the construction of a storm surge barrier along the South River, two combined levees/flood walls on the east and west banks of the river, and interior drainage facilities.

"They talked about levees, they talked about dikes," Szegeti said. "Our concern is ... we want to make sure that the wildlife, and also the waterway, is not obstructed."

The project area is located within the lower Raritan Basin. The South River is the first major tributary of the Raritan River, located 8.3 miles upstream of the Raritan River's mouth at Raritan Bay. There are more than 1,000 structures along its banks that become vulnerable in storm situations.

"This authorization is critical to minimizing flood damage and protecting these unique ecosystems," Pallone said. "This week, we once again saw how destructive flood damage can be to both houses and businesses along the river. I hope that the Army Corps' plan will protect residents along the flood-prone South River, and I look forward to moving ahead with this project."

State and town officials are still evaluating damage from the April 15 nor'easter that left a major impact on the area. In South River, about 30 houses were evacuated, along with some businesses, Szegeti said. In total, nearly 50 people were cleared from the targeted area because of the storm, not to return until several days later.

On the Sayreville side of the river, Army vehicles and rowboats were used to assist those affected by the rains. The damage was centered around Weber Avenue, in the Old Bridge section of Sayreville, an area that is always hit hard by storms, Sayreville Council President Tom Pollando said.

"I'm really delighted to see that the Congress feels this will happen in the next five or six years," Pollando said. "The damage it has done in those areas, it could put residents in financial ruin."

South River is prone to imminent and severe flooding from hurricanes and other storms. The Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) of 2007 authorizes water projects for the Army Corps and is intended to be considered by Congress every two years. The bill now goes to the U.S. Senate for approval. While authorization legislation lists specific funding levels, the South River project must still go through the annual appropriations process to receive the funding included in WRDA.

"This has to be taken care of, once and for all," Pollando said. "The damage is overwhelming to our residents. We need to give them relief sooner than later."