Army Corps WIll Discuss Status Of Levees During Special Meeting Tonight

Representatives from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will attend a special meeting tonight at 7:30 p.m. to present its report on the status of the levees in Cranford.

The meeting will take place in Room 108 of the Cranford Municipal Building.

The Army Corps study is expected to indicate they (the levees) are not stable, according to Mayor Daniel Aschenbach.

"For Cranford, the issue today is to repair and or replace the levee system with stronger and heightened levees," Aschenbach said. "At the footbridge where Irene caused the river flow to exceed the levee and then empty into the streets and homes, the height of the levee is compromised by erosion."

In addition, the mayor said, the seepage could cause the entire levee to burst from underneath.

"This would be a major disaster, and townshio governing body members will now have to either act or allow a dangerous situation to remain," he said. "What makes this even more of a concern is the other side of the river there was never a well thought out levee system beyond the footbridge along residential properties."

Aschenbach said the silt buildup is so significant that the river channel has been "narrowed dramatically, further reducing the capacity of the river."

The special meeting will be open to the public.