MAYS LANDING — U.S. Rep. Jeff Van Drew, R-2nd, joined other local and state officials on the Cotton Mill Bridge Monday afternoon to cut the ribbon on the new Lake Lenape Dam following a $14.6 million reconstruction project.
“I realize this is not the Hoover Dam, but the importance of it is just as significant,” Van Drew said. “America is a nation based on doers who make things happen, build and forge ahead. I think this dam is symbolic of what made America because we all came together to make sure we kept people safe and the right thing happened.”
Attendees heard remarks from a few speakers and were treated to a helicopter flyover by the Coast Guard and a performance of “God Bless America” by the William Davies Middle School band before officials gathered on stage with giant scissors to cut the ribbon.
“We have to fix our stuff,” Van Drew said. “We have to fix those roads, we have to fix those bridges and we have to fix those dams.”
Additionally, Van Drew announced the introduction of a national Dam Assessment and Mitigation Support Act, which would ensure states have the resources to inspect, maintain and upgrade dams. The bill is co-sponsored by Democratic U.S. Rep Dina Titus of Nevada.
“We currently have over 500,000 dams in this country, many of which are serving useful purpose, whether for drinking water or recreation,” said Tom Kiernan, president of the American Rivers Action Fund. “But too many of our dams are not safe. The Association of Civil Engineers gave our dams a D+. The congressman is putting forward a logical, bipartisan, commonsense piece of legislation that will improve the infrastructure in this country.”
U.S. Rep. Jeff Van Drew led nearly a dozen Hamilton Township and Atlantic County officials on a tour of the Lake Lenape Dam on Monday to get a glimpse of the progress made on the multimillion-dollar reconstruction project.
The new dam is the largest labyrinth dam in the state, and features an upgraded powerhouse, new floodgates, a longer spillway and a relocated fish ladder, according to Pat Ennis, an engineer with WSP USA.
The project cost $14.6 million, with Hamilton Township and Atlantic County each paying $5 million. Van Drew secured the remaining $4.6 million in federal funding through a congressional earmark.
The old dam, built in the 1860s, was classified by the state Department of Environmental Protection as a “Class One High Hazard Dam,” meaning it posed a serious risk to those in the area if it were to fail.
Atlantic County Commissioner Amy Gatto was Hamilton Township’s mayor when Hurricane Irene hit the area in 2011 and recalled being worried about whether the dam was going to break. Since then, Gatto had fixing the dam toward the top of her list of priorities.
“At one point, our OEM staff asked me to go on the news and tell people that everything was going to be OK, and I said, ‘Is it?’” Gatto said. “Thankfully we got through that, but this is something that critically needed to get done.
The dam was acquired by the township in 1978, and the county several years later became a co-owner to share the financial burden with the township.
“The important work of engineers, county leaders and community partners has ensured the Lake Lenape Dam will remain a safe resource for generations to come,” said Assemblywoman Claire Swift, R-Atlantic. “This project represents peace of mind for families, protection for our homes and environment and progress toward a stronger and safer Atlantic County.”
Contact John O’Connor:
609-272-7247
joconnor@pressofac.com
X @acpressoconnor
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