$40M In Federal Disaster Relief For 'Byram River Basin Project'

PORT CHESTER, NY — Rep. Mondaire Jones announced more than $40 million in federal funding has been secured for the Byram River Basin Project, which promises to reduce flooding along the Byram River in Port Chester and Greenwich.

The funding comes from the disaster relief passed in the wake of Hurricane Ida. The funding follows a letter from Jones and Rep. Jim Himes, who represents Greenwich, Connecticut sent to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) in October urging the agency to set aside additional funds toward the Byram River Basin Project.

“For decades, residents in New York’s 17th Congressional District, especially those in Port Chester, have suffered repeated, prolonged, and devastating flooding as a result of the Byram River overflowing during major storms,” Rep. Jones said. “After Hurricane Ida ravaged neighborhoods along this river, I called on the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) to provide additional funding to help our communities recover. I’m thrilled that USACE heeded my call and am proud to be delivering over $40 million to prevent future flooding and ensure our communities are prepared for years to come.”

The $40 million funding will be allocated for fiscal year 2022, which began on October 1. It includes $5.47 million for an engineering study and $35 million for construction.

Flooding on the Byram River primarily affects the Town of Greenwich, just south of the constructed project of levees at Pemberwick, according to a March 5, 2021 study by the USACE. A secondary damage area was identified to the north, on Bailiwick Bridge within the Town of Greenwich. This bridge is small, with low clearance and it consequently traps debris on the river course, effectively acting as a dam. Its stone facing was stripped by raging floodwaters during the April 2007 storm.

The remnants of Hurricane Ida, however, caused serious flood damage from the mouth of the Byram River in Port Chester to well north of Greenwich. The project is expected to mitigate the threat of dangerous flooding in the river basin.