Representatives of the Army Corps of Engineers toured portions of the Whippany River in Morristown and Morris Township on Monday, as a first step in a $300,000 federal flooding study targeted for completion in September 2026.
Tour sites included the stretch of river behind the Cauldwell Playground pool and the Lake Pocahontas dam in Morristown, and the Morris Township sewage treatment plant on Lake Road, said Siva Jonnada, chairman of the Whippany River Watershed Action Committee.
Project Manager Seth Greenwald and Army Corps personnel from New York City and Baltimore were joined by Morristown Mayor Tim Dougherty, town engineers, and members of Bethel A.M.E. Church.
Morris Township Engineer Jim Slate also attended, along with members of Rep. Mikie Sherill’s office, and officials from the state Department of Environmental Protection and Morris County government, Jonnada said.
The tour also was scheduled to make stops in Hanover and Parsippany, Jonnada said.
Sherrill announced federal funding for the study back in April.
Studies of the flood-prone 16-mile river have been done before. The company Princeton Hydro did one after Tropical Storm Irene sent Whippany waters surging into Bethel’s basement in 2011.
More than two decades ago, Project 2000 in Morristown also looked at flooding at the river bend near the church, Jonnada said.
The latest flurry of activity “gives hope that we can get something done,” Jonnada noted. But he was quick to add that it’s only a study. “The next step after the study is to get funding, to get something done from it.”
One solution might be dredging Lake Pocahontas and Speedwell Lake, which are too shallow now to retain heavy rains. But that will be expensive, Jonnada said.
He contends the river’s historical- and cultural significance also are worth preserving. The telegraph was developed near the river, at what is now Speedwell Village. Gilded Age mansions, paper mills and factories once sprouted near its banks, too.
“This river represents the beginnings of our country, and the building of our country. History happened here, and we’re still trying to make it happen,” Jonnada said.
Bill Lescohier contributed to this report.