State Offers $3M in Grants For Passaic River Basin Cleaning

New Jersey has made $3 million in grants available to help reduce flooding in Passaic River Basin towns, officials announced Thursday.

New Milford and 35 other Bergen County towns are eligible to apply for grants through the Department of Environmental Protection. New Milford’s flooding woes are well documented.

The money will go toward projects to clear out fallen trees and other debris in waterways, which can contribute to flooding.

"While the Passaic River Basin was not as affected by Superstorm Sandy as our coastal communities, it certainly bore the brunt of Tropical Storm Irene and Tropical Storm Lee just a year earlier, when the river basin suffered severe flooding," DEP Commissioner Bob Martin said in a press release. "We know there is no way to stop flooding in the river basin, but steps like this... are critical to alleviating flooding impacts to this repetitively-flooded area."

The funding was reallocated from the "Dam, Lake, Stream, Flood Control, Water Resources and Wastewater Treatment Project Bond Act of 2003" when Gov. Chris Christie signed a bill last month.

Individual grants are expected to be around $100,000 each, according to state officials. Towns have until Nov. 30 to submit letters of interest to the DEP.

Unfortunately, flooding has become one of the major issues that many who live along the river worry about on a daily basis. Evidence was presented at a recent Zoning Board meeting showing how downed trees, sand bars and other debris have contributed to the borough’s flooding issues.