Perth Amboy evening news., 1923-02-02
NO FEDERAL AID TO Be
GIVEN IN WOODBRIDGE
CONTINUED rrcrn page -

The report Of Lansing H. Beach,
chief of engineers, which Was
transmitted to the freeholders oy
Congressman Appleby is as follows:
"Hurd's Brook is a small orooK
six to eight feet wide empty1ns
into Woodbridge Creek about three
fourths of a mile above Salaman-
der's Dock, which is the upper END
of the project approved by con
gress for the improvement OF that
creek. The brook arise about two
and one-half miles from its mouth.
In its upper part it flows through
sand and clay beds which are be-
ling worked for commercial pur-
poses, thence through the town OF
Woodbridge where it passes under
the tracks of the Pennsylvania rail-
road, and under Railway avenue
Through small %culverts; and thence
il flows through meadow land for q
| distance of about one-half mile, un-
til it reaches Woodbridge creek.
During heavy rains considerable wa
ter comes down the brook from the
| upper part of the water shed, and
this water carries considerable sed-
iment of fine sand and clay washed
down from the banks Of the bare
sand and clay beds.
During the heavy rains OF last
Christmas week, the water backed
up and flooded the locality above
Railway avenue, and the Pennsvl-
vania railroad tracks. The people
OF the vicinity and the Board of
Chosen Freeholders appear to be Of
the opinion that this flooding is
upper part Of Woodbridge creek,
and desire the creek dredged, be-
lieving that if this is done, drain
age conditions in the brook would
be improved.
THAT conditions IN the creek
have little or no influence on
drainage conditions in the brook
seems to be clearly established by
two facts. The first Is that the
creek is tidal at the point where
the brook flows into 1t and has a
normal rise and fall of tide al the
locality which from observation ap-
pears to be from two to three feet.
The second is that the geological
survey of the state Of New JERSEY,
Elizabeth Sheet, Edition of 1901,
gives the elevation OF the brook at
Railway avenue one-half mile above
its mouth as ten feet above mean
sea level, or about eight feet above
tue pane OF mean nlSh water at the
mouth of the creek.
About n mile above Railway
avenue the elevation Of the brook is
shown to be between so and 40 feet
above mean sea level.
1T Is believed that the causes of
the trouble are the culverts under
Railway avenue and the railroad
tracks. These culverts appear to be
too small to take care of the water
during the time of heavy rainfall,
the water backs up above them.
During Christmas week the water
above the railroad tracks rose to
such a height that 1t flowed over the
top OF the tracks, The trouble is al
SO acoentuated by the large guam
tity of sediment brought down from
the clay and sand banks above,
which tends to clog these %culverts,
and stop the water flow through
them. This sediment also shoals the
brook below the town and i~nterferes
with its drainage capacity. To Off
set this shoaling, this part of the
brook vas recently cleaned out.
The funds provided by congress
for improvement of woodbridge
Creek are applicable only to prose-
cution of the adopted project for
that stream and I regret that l must
inform you that the diversion OF
such funds to the alienation of con-
ditions on Hurd's Brook is not per-
missible under the law.