Flood repairs at Cumberland County lakes may be matter for courts

[dogg57]

Plans for repairing dams, spillways and raceways damaged at Cumberland County lakes by August floodwaters may be drawn up in a courtroom instead of in an engineer’s office.
County governments and private entities are seeking legal opinions as to who is responsible for making the costly repairs, with none wanting to pay for all of the work.
Cumberland County officials estimate it could cost about $1 million to repair the Willow Grove Lake dam and spillway on its border with Salem County. The August floodwaters damaged not only the dam and spillway, but also Weymouth Road. Nearby residents were evacuated in case the structures gave way and submerged their neighborhoods under several feet of water. Cumberland and Salem counties made emergency repairs to Weymouth Road, which eventually was reopened.

http://www.pressofatlanticcity.com/...cle_7380be74-2909-11e1-b63d-001871e3ce6c.html

 

[whippoorbill]

Yup. Sunset Lake in Bridgeton was still the Cohansey River when this photo was taken an hour ago.

I spoke to a local committeeman a ways back regarding repairs; he said "the money is there" (but this has probably changed) and we also received an EPA notice about dam work about to be started ... I have not noticed any activity in this regard either.

 

[Boyd]

That's a pretty spot even without the lake Bill. I drove past Sunset Lake on Park Drive a couple months ago and was surprised to see it missing, hadn't quite made the connection in my mind with the flooding. It's always shocking to see the number of big tree stumps when a lake is drained too.

 

[dogg57]

More than $2.5 million in bridge and other structural repairs at Willow Grove Lake is to begin about eight months behind schedule. The delay postpones the start time for an associated detour that could be up to six miles for about 18 months, Cumberland County officials said.
Willow Grove Lake is on the boundary of Vineland in Cumberland County and Pittsgrove Township in Salem County. The bridge replacement and repair project was prompted by August 2011 floodwaters that damaged the bridges, dams and spillways at the site.
The flooding was so bad that Vineland officials worried it would wash out part of Weymouth Road and leave sections of the municipality's North Vineland under several feet of water. Some nearby residents were evacuated from their homes.
The road and bridges since have undergone some repairs. Cumberland County Engineer William Rafferty said they present no danger to motorists or property owners.
The DEP sued both counties and the Nature Conservancy, which owns Willow Grove Lake, after the 2011 flooding. The lawsuit sought to resolve disputes about which entities are responsible for maintaining parts of the dams and spillways.
A subsequent settlement made both counties responsible for making the necessary repairs.
http://www.pressofatlanticcity.com/...cle_e8684bf0-d3df-5a08-aba8-c5c2c991a4b1.html

 

[Boyd]

I am really surprised that the English Creek Bridge on Rt 559 in Atlantic County is still closed after two years (it was damaged during Hurricane Irene). Drove by there yesterday, and one the the barricades warning of the closure appears to have been hit by a car and is now a hazard of its own with rubble all over the road. I wonder if they will ever fix that bridge?

 

[dragoncjo]

Leave it a river and let all the natural wetlands and marsh come back in, will have far greater beauty and ecological benefit.

 

[Boyd]

That's fine with me. But then they should take down all the temporary signs and barricades that are falling apart.