280 Trees, Shrubs To Be Planted As Part Of Flood Mitigation Reforestation Project In Somerset County

MANVILLE, NJ — A $10,000 grant was awarded as part of a flood mitigation reforestation project in Manville after countless trees were uprooted and destroyed by Tropical Storm Ida's wrath in September 2021.

The 2022 New Jersey American Water Environmental Grant was awarded to the Somerset County Office of Emergency Management (SCOEM) which will allow for approximately 160 trees and 120 shrubs to be planted by volunteers in the Royce Brook floodplain along Raritan Avenue and Whalen Street directly across from Weston Elementary School.

This particular location was chosen to connect with the Memorial Park rain garden project that was installed by the Rutgers Water Resources Program in 2020.

"Stormwater doesn’t recognize municipal borders, and we’re so glad to have so many partners on this project and others to address flood mitigation at a regional level," said Somerset County Commissioner Doug Singleterry, liaison to the SCOEM. "With the cooperative planning and implementation of this reforestation project Somerset County is continuing its effort at mitigating the increasing threat of flooding in our communities."

This flood mitigation project joins the Somerset County Recreational Open Space Grant of $250,000 given to Manville in 2021 for upgrades at Lincoln Park in the Lost Valley. A significant portion of that grant was to remove impervious surfaces to allow for rainwater to be absorbed into the ground rather than run off into local waterways.

Reforestation is a way to naturally store stormwater that can help alleviate flooding while also creating habitat and food for wildlife species. Reforestation with native plants will contribute to clean water as the extensive root systems will help to filter out pollutants and toxins from stormwater runoff, according to the county.