Ladies & Gentleman - below was a forum on the Delaware River Flooding moderated by a NY TIMES reporter- the attendees were all very well qualified “experts” and concluded “full reservoirs DO contribute significantly to flood crests, and, while managing a water supply system is complex, the NYCDEP is not doing a good job of it.”

What preceded was the following news release http://www.nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2011/11_0049.htm

The million dollar question becomes if this can be done for the reservoirs that feed the Delaware why can’t it be done for those that feed the Passaic/Pompton/Pequannock/Ramapo Rivers?

The NJDEP has been stalling and dancing around this topic for a long time now. At what point are they going to be put on the spot and answers demanded? Does this require a formal inquiry into the DEP by our elected officials? Communities all around Northern NJ as reported in the press over the last 2 weeks are passing resolutions for the reservoirs to be lowered to increase storage and gain Trenton attention, waiting 24-36 hrs before a major event to lower a reservoir is too late as we saw 1st hand last year.

We often hear there are no “silver bullet” solutions to the flooding problems however there are many incremental solutions, many of which have been proposed by qualified professional engineers/local officials and supported by USACE that could greatly assist in limiting the scope & magnitude of the devastation we have all been experiencing while more comprehensive plans are developed. Reservoir management is one of these incremental steps.

To say people are anxious is an understatement on this topic. We are six months removed from one of the most devasting and expensive disasters our area and state has seen in its history and the contributor of that disaster the “river” has gone untouched. Route 287 which was damaged in the storm was repaired and fixed in the matter of weeks yet we continue to have a shallow, debris laden, silted over, reverse flowing river, bottled up by a 100+ yr old dam for a defunct mill that has not been touched, all at the same time receiving 30% more water from NY.

Our local officials can NOT do this alone if they could it would have been completed already. If we can find the resources to buy homes out and elevate others why can’t we find the funds and get the support of the State & DEP to restore the river to its original depths and make minor improvements?