Please contact the President and US CONGRESS and urge US Army Corps of Engineers and NJ State DEP to finalize a Rahway River Flood Mitigation Plan and passage of USACE funding for construction of Rahway River  flood mitigation.

It is very disappointing that the US Army Corps of Engineers has failed to put forward a plan to mitigate flooding along Rahway River after spending $7 million and reviewing 24 alternatives.  In fact, it is my opinion they violated federal law in that the language contained in the 2024 Federal Water Resources Development Act required the federal agency to put forward a solution.  Rather than putting forward a solution, it chose no action and basically sent the problem back to the communities that are affected to face the next extreme storm.  This, after years of waiting for implementation of a state-federal regional plan.

There were numerous errors and deficiencies in the recently released US Army Corp of Engineers Report of Findings for Rahay River (Fluvial) NJ.  The cover of the report incredibly shows a picture of the Cranford First Aid Squad underwater. 

Some of the errors included:

* The undercounting by half the number of Cranford homes that had first floor damage during Irene.  It was 451 not 200.  

*The report also blamed local communities for not supporting certain past recommendations-but there was never an approval process established to officially have communities take a position.

*No discussion was ever done with river homeowners in Cranford nor the State DEP over real estate costs which resulted in BCRs lower than they could have been.

*US Army Corps never evaluated the Orange Reservoir by-pass with use of AI technology regarding forecast informed water release nor evaluated specifically the condition of the Orange dam.  

What is disappointing is that several of the alternatives registered cost-benefit calculations that were very close.  And what is even more disappointing is that the US Army Corps just left the problem without putting forward a plan. 

This shouldn’t be the end of the effort as a next storm will certainly cause residents from Millburn to Rahway harm.  Before the US Congress is the re-authorization of the 2026 Water Resources Development Act.  Citizens should contact our representatives to urge a solution be included as part of the federal act and the US Army Corps feet is held to the fire to get results. 

Sincerely,

Dan Aschenbach

Former Cranford Mayor and Coordinator of the Mayors Council

Rahway River Watershed Flood Control