Residents Petition For Extension Of Flood Wall In Parsippany

PARSIPPANY, NJ — A group of Lake Hiawatha residents has initiated a petition urging local authorities to enlarge the Lake Hiawatha Retaining Wall, aiming to safeguard residents from the adverse effects of storms.

According to Jim Grushack, the leader of the petition, the community is specifically asking the Township of Parsippany-Troy Hills to immediately take action and consider building out the flood wall or a flood levee along the Rockaway River and River Drive.

The Lake Hiawatha Retaining Wall was built in 1986, according to state standards and the Army Corps of Engineers.

The Parsippany-Troy Hills Environmental Advisory Committee said that the retaining wall was built to withstand a 100-year storm from Rockaway River runoff.

The Rockaway River is a part of the Passaic River system, which comprises a complex network of rivers and tributaries. These interconnected waterways influence each other regardless of whether the water is flowing into or away from the direction of flow.

The retaining wall was initially designed to safeguard residents and properties, but it did not account for potential changes in flood risk for Lake Hiawatha.

Grushack asserts that as Lake Hiawatha starts experiencing the impacts of environmental changes, various weather events will increasingly affect more properties within the community.

"Due to changes in the flood map and climate changes since the Flood Wall was built, it is now imperative that the Township of Parsippany-Troy Hills does something about the flooding issue along the Rockaway River that affects the residents of River Drive in Lake Hiawatha before there is a major catastrophe. As tax-paying residents, we have the right to live without fear of losing either our house or our lives," Grushack said.

The petition, which was started on Jan. 16, has garnered more than 200 signatures from other Parsippany and Lake Hiawatha residents, along with attention on social media.

Parsippany Mayor James Barberio said that he would have a conversation with the township engineer this week to discuss the possibility.

"I will also speak with the council president and our business administrator, as it’s a great idea to look into. I will look to see what federal and state funding is out there as well," Barberio said.