Official Site of The State of New Jersey

(21/P026) TRENTON – Following Governor Phil Murphy’s tour of communities in the Rahway River Watershed that were flooded during Tropical Storm Ida, the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection has announced that it intends to resume the Rahway River Flood Risk Management Feasibility Study with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The DEP will soon deliver its Letter of Intent to serve as the non-Federal sponsor of the study to the Army Corps, which was recently reauthorized by Congress to resume the study under the Water Resources Development Act of 2020. The goal of the study is to identify feasible design alternatives to address flooding problems in the Rahway River Basin and to reduce risks in neighborhoods of Cranford, Springfield, Millburn and Rahway.

“Events like Tropical Storm Ida make New Jersey’s need for climate and flood resilience solutions all the more clear and our strong state-federal partnership with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is key to the design and implementation of mitigation projects that can help to protect New Jersey families and businesses,” said Commissioner Shawn M. LaTourette. “My DEP colleagues and I stand ready to work shoulder-to-shoulder with Army Corps and our local partners on climate resilience projects in the Rahway and other watersheds throughout the State.”

The forthcoming Letter of Intent from DEP will indicate the State of New Jersey’s commitment to serve as the non-Federal sponsor of the study and to supporting a federally acceptable design alternative capable of receiving federal support in future Water Resources Development Act funding rounds. DEP will issue the Letter of Intent to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers District Commander following discussion with the Corps’ New York District, planned for this week.

Building upon the state’s partnership with the Army Corps is one component of the Murphy Administration’s approach to increasing New Jersey’s resilience to climate change.

Additionally, the Murphy Administration has:

• Commissioned the first-ever, state-specific Climate Science Report;
• Kick-started the state’s climate resilience strategy, while deploying new funding for flood resilience projects (including $22 million in the latest FY22 budget);
• Ordered DEP to launch needed changes to flood zone rules that will better protect people, property and infrastructure by ensuring that what we build today can stand the test of time with the NJPACT (New Jersey Protecting Against Climate Threats) reforms ordered under Governor Murphy's E.O. 100;
• Had DEP launch a new green infrastructure rule to facilitate better and more cost-effective stormwater management, making it possible for local governments that desire improved stormwater management to establish stormwater utilities;
• Oversaw $1.5 billion of investments in water infrastructure, including stormwater and water infrastructure in the last three years, with another $1 billion to come in the next year for both drinking water and stormwater.

Follow Commissioner LaTourette on Twitter @shawnlatur and Instagram @shawnlatur; and follow the DEP on Twitter @NewJerseyDEP and on Instagram @nj.dep