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The New Jersey Meadowlands Commission last week installed two new tide gates in Carlstadt to help better manage flooding in the region, including the industrial area along the east side of the borough. The project compliments the Commission’s multi-million dollar investment in flood management projects and illustrates the agency’s ongoing commitment to helping maintain the flow of commerce in the flood-prone Meadowlands District.

The massive new tide gates are located near the Hackensack River at the Bashes Creek and Moonachie Creek culverts that cross under the New Jersey Turnpike’s Western Spur. The Bashes Creek tide gate is 10-by-10 feet, while those at Moonachie Creek measure 12-by-20 feet. The $414,000 project will help address tidal surges that cause flooding at businesses located east of Washington Avenue, while also providing benefits to the surrounding marsh. The tide gates will be outfitted with high-tech, solar-powered sensors that will allow NJMC scientists to remotely monitor the gates’ operations from their computers.

“The Moonachie and Bashes Creek project is the latest example of the NJMC’s aggressive commitment to address flooding in the Meadowlands,” said Robert Ceberio, executive director of the NJMC. “When flooding is reduced traffic flow improves, customers and vendors can better access local businesses, and Meadowlands District residents enjoy a higher quality of life.”

The Meadowlands District has a long history of flooding issues. Ninety percent of the District is two feet or less from the mean high-water mark, and more than 5,000 homes and 2,000 businesses fall within a Federal Emergency Management Agency special flood hazard area.

In keeping with its goal of reducing the impact of flooding in the region, the NJMC has invested more than $10 million in flood plain management projects over the past seven years. These include a $5.5 million project to help handle flooding on Route 17 near the Rutherford-East Rutherford border – one of the busiest commercial arteries in the state. Previous work includes a $340,000 project which involved the construction of a new tide gate at Palmer Terrace and the restoration of the Asia Place ditch system – both in Carlstadt – to better manage tidal flow to industrial and commercial properties west of Washington Avenue.

The NJMC also plans to replace the 35-year-old West Riser Tide Gates in Moonachie, a project that would help better protect neighboring Teterboro Airport and its surrounding areas from flooding, including Industrial Avenue in Teterboro and residential streets in Moonachie. The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey has contributed $552,000 to the approximately $1.5 million project, which is in its early stages.

The Commission’s flood plain management efforts have literally paid off for District property owners, who are eligible for 15 percent flood insurance savings through the Federal Emergency Management Agency when they renew their policies or purchase new premiums. FEMA recognized the NJMC for exceeding national flood control standards, making residential, commercial and industrial property owners eligible for the insurance discounts.

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