MAYOR’S COUNCIL RAHWAY RIVER WATER SHED FLOOD CONTROL NEEDS STATEMENT Rahway River Watershed Flood Risk Management Needs Statement Rahway River Watershed - A Regional Resource Cha!enges Public Safety The Rahway River Watershed The headwaters of the East and West Branches of the Rahway River are located in Essex County, in the vicinity of I-280. Seven miles downstream, the two major branches join at Millburn- Springfield- Union borders. The main stem of the Rahway River conveys storm water runo# from an area of 25 square miles as it crosses Route 22 in Springfield and has a total drainage area of 41 square miles before it discharges to the Arthur Kill at Carteret. Increased storm water runo# due to construction of impervious areas has strained the limited Residents, businesses and capability to provide any capacity of stream channels property owners located along the significant flood risk reduction. and man-made restrictions, Rahway River have su#ered The mayors in the Rahway River including bridges, resulting in extensive financial loss and Watershed joined to regionally floodwaters leaving the personal hardship due to frequent focus on solutions. The Mayors channels of the river and its and severe flooding in the Council Rahway River Watershed branches and inundating watershed. The financial losses Flood Control are working with significant developed areas in exceeding $75 million due to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Millburn, Union, Hurricane Irene. and New Jersey Department of Springfield,Kenilworth, The Rahway River Watershed Environmental Protection and Cranford and Rahway and to a encompasses 41 square miles of Essex and Union Counties, to lesser degree in other urban and suburban area in 24 evaluate flood mitigation municipalities. municipalities in Essex, Union and measures. The Mayors have Middlesex counties in central New developed a Needs Statement to Jersey. Property owners and present to state policymakers. municipalities have limited ! PAGE 1 MAYOR’S COUNCIL RAHWAY RIVER WATER SHED FLOOD CONTROL NEEDS STATEMENT HURRICANE IRENE DAMAGES The Rahway River commercial properties damaged Watershed communities have heavily; and the church on West su#ered significant repetitive Grande damaged. losses in recent decades. Private Insurance Losses- Hurricane Irene, August 27-28, According to the insurance 2011 , resulted in more extensive industry, there was an estimated losses and a great number of $31.8 million of private insurance properties a#ected than in most claims by homeowners in Union severe prior storms. County due to Hurricane Irene. Examples of Hurricane Irene FEMA data-In addition to flooding impacts include: private insurance losses, FEMA Union-$15 million in expects to provide soon data on residential (392 homes) and the significant homeowner businesses (30) losses; $560,000 damage from Irene. spent in emergency response Power Outage- The actions during storm , followed PSE&G substation on South by an additional $775,000 in Avenue was flooded which continuing restoration work. resulted in over 6,000 PSEG Cranford-Over $4 million customers losing electricity for damage to Brookside Avenue up to 5 days. Not only did the School and Cranford High outage impact residents in the School; 1st floor of Cranford flood damaged areas, but Municipal Building damaged and residents in Garwood and unusable; 1600 homes impacted, Westfield, served by the high with 300 first floors damaged and voltage line lost from that an estimated $16.5 million substation, were without homeowner losses (FEMA data); electricity. over 70,000 tons of damaged Springfield- Over 80 homes household debris carted away; had severe flooding with damage Cranford Canoe Club severely estimated at $8 million; 70 damaged; significant public homes and 40 businesses had safety and public works expenses basement flooding with damages to manage storm and aftermath. estimated art $2.3 million; and Rahway-Almost $700,000 township spent $403,000 in of municipal public safety and public safety and public works public works expense to respond costs. to storm;$4,149,570 FEMA Millburn- Township had claims (76 of the 262 claims not significant damages and costs yet processed); 10 homes with born by the local government severe damage including 5 with and residents. serious foundation problems; 12 CITIZEN COST The personal hardship from severe flooding is di'cult to fully calculate but is significant. From residents in Cranford that have yet to move back into their homes to residents in Millburn in South Mountain area who had sewer backups ruining belongings and impacting homes, progress on solutions need to be made. ! PAGE 2 MAYOR’S COUNCIL RAHWAY RIVER WATER SHED FLOOD CONTROL NEEDS STATEMENT REGIONAL potential storage areas in the a#ect flood levels including at COOPERATION-MAYORS South Mountain Reservation Route 22 east and West Bridges, COUNCIL RAHWAY RIVER on the West Branch of the Rahway Millburn Road, Morris Avenue WATERSHED FLOOD River in Essex County and Echo (State Route 82),I-78, I-124, and CONTROL Lake Park in Union County. The Vauxhall Road. It is estimated that Formed October 27, 2011 at USACE is also evaluating the Morris Avenue Bridge alone Union County College after a potential modifications to the increases flood levels immediately conference on regional flood Lenape Park Detention Basin upstream by 1-1/2 feet during the control, the Mayors Council is an in Kenilworth and Nomahegan 100-year storm event. The Hazel e#ort to improve communication Park in Cranford. If a Avenue Bridge in Rahway is a and seek coordinated regional modification of existing facilities priority bridge to be reviewed. solutions to the common problem or a new facility is found to be Once the scope is developed, of flood risk. The mayors beneficial, funding will be required funding will be required for recognize that the watershed has to undertake design and planning, design and project other environmental issues, in implementation. The US Army implementation. addition to flooding, but are Corps is at work and making 3. STORM WATER focusing on the flooding aspect as progress on evaluation of the MANAGEMENT alternatives. it is the most critical need Current storm water a#ecting the health, safety and Union and Millburn would management ordinances and welfare of the public. benefit significantly from flood practices place requirements on Current members include the storage facilities placed in South new development in an e#ort to mayors of Millburn,West Orange, Mountain Reservation since they minimize adverse impacts due to Union,Springfield,Kenilworth, are immediately downstream from new impervious areas. In the Garwood, Westfield,Cranford, the reservation. Preliminary highly developed Rahway River Winfield Park and Rahway. estimates indicate Cranford would Watershed there is a need for a Representatives of the Counties of also significantly benefit. However, coordinated aggressive e#ort to Union and Essex participate. The Union and Springfield Township retrofit existing land use to reduce State of New Jersey Department as well as other downstream negative impacts caused by prior of Environmental municipalities would also benefit development. The Mayors Council Protection(NJDEP) and the U.S. from new storage facilities placed is reviewing all existing ordinances Army Corps of Engineers, New in the East Branch of the Rahway and guidelines and is seeking York District (USACE) have River as well. We are asking improved approaches. A resolution o#ered their planning assistance. therefore the USACE to expand by the Mayors Council is being its investigation to include placing put forward for each community storage facilities at the following to pledge a 10( reduction by 2015 CURRENT PLANNING locations in Essex County: at all municipal and school OBJECTIVES AND NEEDS Cameron Field,Meadowlands, and facilities to set the example. STATEMENT the Maplewood Golf Course. Funding is needed to conduct appropriate research and develop 1-EVALUATE FLOOD 2-EVALUATION OF an improved Rahway River STORAGE ALTERNATIVES BRIDGES Watershed model ordinance. The Mayors Council requested The USACE was asked to 4.ACQUISITION OF assistance from the NJDEP and develop a scope of work for review REPETITIVE LOSS USACE in a meeting on with the NJDEP regarding PROPERTIES December 22, 2011 for an evaluation of bridges that Acquisition of repetitive loss evaluation of the significant flood significantly a#ect flooding along properties is dependent upon the storage areas in the watershed, the Rahway River. The bridges in willingness of the seller to accept a including existing lakes and Union Township, for example, reasonable purchase o#er. ! PAGE 3 MAYOR’S COUNCIL RAHWAY RIVER WATER SHED FLOOD CONTROL NEEDS STATEMENT Additional funding is needed Passaic River Coalition would Cranford- for acquisition for non-eligible help. Cranford has completed 2 of properties. For example, in Union 6.LOCAL MITIGATION the 5 phases of its Northwest Township, the purchase of private PROJECTS- Quadrant Flood Control plan. property in the Franklin Street Some of the municipalities The next phases will require area would require not only significant funding from state and willingness of the seller but would with the more severe flood losses have taken steps to provide for federal sources to construct a require an infusion of federal or higher dike and a pump station. state funding in excess of $8.75 reduction of flood risk within the limits of their abilities. Projects More immediately, the USACE million to pay for the 35 homes. discovered during its alternative In Cranford, township o'cials are are in various stages of planning and design and funding is evaluation that the dikes along on record of purchasing the 16 Riverside Drive do not meet acre Birchwood property now required. Projects currently under consideration include: USACE standards and after an slated for 360 housing units evaluation opined they could be at located in a flood area. Rahway Union- risk of failure during certain had numerous severe repetitive $775,000-repair to the conditions. A $3 million loss homes which are potential Franklin Street Flood Control rehabilitation project is being sites for open space.