Construction Project Will Address and Mitigate the Effects of Flooding Throughout the Peckman River Basin
Parsippany, NJ – Today, Representative Mikie Sherrill (NJ-11) released the following statement after the US Army Corps of Engineers (ACOE) announced it would fully fund a construction project to address and mitigate flooding of the Peckman River Basin, meeting her request to provide $146.2 million to complete the project. This funding, which was specifically requested by Rep. Sherrill, enables the ACOE to immediately begin moving forward.
"Our communities and families across Northern New Jersey have faced the dire, and sometimes deadly impact of devastating flooding in this region for far too long. This full federal funding for the Army Corps of Engineers to address and mitigate the flooding in the Peckman River Basin could not come at a more critical time," said Rep. Sherrill. "I've brought the Army Corps of Engineers to visit some of these flood zones and hear the stories of residents who are impacted, discuss the issues with Mayors and local officials and see the damage it has done. ACOE's work will go an incredibly long way in ensuring that our region is safer and more resilient for decades to come, and with the announcement of full federal funding, this project will soon be a welcome benefit to our local communities that are already working overtime to address the fallout of these floods. I want to thank Mayors Kazmark and Damiano for their incredible and steadfast advocacy for their residents and their partnership in helping make this funding a reality. This is a big win for NJ-11. I will continue to be a fierce advocate for flood mitigation projects and funding across the district."
"The federal funding of the Peckman River Flood Mitigation project is remarkable! This is a long term and permanent solution that will provide so many residents of Little Falls the relief that they deserve," said James Damiano, Mayor of the Township of Little Falls. "No longer will the residents in the Jackson Park section of town need to live in fear that their homes, their belongings, or their lives are in danger from the Peckman River. Since I was elected five years ago, so many long-time residents of Little Falls told me this project would never happen after seeing almost 25 years worth of studies. Now, this project is a reality, and I can't thank Congresswoman Sherrill and her staff enough for their tireless work with us to make this a reality."
"This funding for the Peckman River flood mitigation project is unprecedented. The full-funding of this project will save lives and property once complete. Too many times our residents have been devastated by flash flooding from the Peckman River - not only taking a financial toll, but an emotional toll each and every time it happens," said Keith Kazmark, Mayor of the Borough of Woodland Park. "This has been a priority since 1999, after Hurricane Floyd. A man lost his life due to flash flooding from the Peckman and just last year we lost another life, almost exactly 22 years later. We need to get this done before we see any more loss. Our community owes Rep. Sherrill a great debt of gratitude for committing to helping our towns from the day she took office with this effort and not only getting Congressional authorization, but securing the funding to make it a reality."
Flooding from the Peckman River has caused multiple flash flooding events, historically in the NJ-11 towns of Woodland Park and Little Falls. This includes flooding most recently during the remnants of Hurricane Ida in September 2021, which caused significant damage and tragic loss of life. Ida was a clear demonstration of the urgent need for this Army Corp of Engineers (ACOE) project.
This project would mitigate flooding through a combination of a diversion culvert connecting the Peckman and Passaic Rivers; associated weirs; levees and floodwalls; channel modifications; and nonstructural measures. After personally touring the devastation in Woodland Park and Little Falls in the aftermath of Ida and speaking with those whose lives were turned upside down by this storm, Rep. Sherrill petitioned the Biden Administration for full federal funding for the Peckman River Basin project. Additionally, at Rep. Sherrill's request, the Peckman River Basin project was authorized for construction in the Water Resources Development Act of 2020.
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