Congresswoman Pou Secures Major North Jersey Flood Protection Wins in Water Infrastructure Bill

WASHINGTON, DC - Congresswoman Nellie Pou (D-NJ-09) today announced that the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee has approved the bipartisan Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) with six separate priorities she championed to help protect North Jersey from flooding and advance critical local water infrastructure projects.

The legislation advances provisions that will help move long-delayed flood mitigation projects forward, launch new studies, and strengthen protections for communities across North Jersey that have endured repeated flooding. The bill also incorporates Congresswoman Pou's bipartisan CLEAN-UP Act, legislation she introduced earlier this year to remove barriers that have stalled Army Corps environmental remediation projects.

"For too many North Jersey families, flooding is not a once-in-a-generation disaster but something our residents worry about every time heavy rain is in the forecast," said Congresswoman Pou, a member of the House Subcommittee on Water Resources. "In Congress, I've made it one of my top priorities to move these long-overdue projects forward because our communities cannot afford to wait decades for help. This legislation helps clear obstacles that have slowed progress, speeds critical flood protection work, and invests in the projects our neighborhoods have fought for over many years. From Garfield and Wallington to Paterson and Clifton, our success today brings our district another step closer to protecting families and small businesses from the floods that threaten our communities."

Removing Barriers to Critical Waterway Projects

The committee-approved legislation includes Congresswoman Pou's bipartisan CLEAN-UP Act, which removes a longstanding obstacle that has delayed cleanup and flood mitigation projects involving contaminated waterways. Pou's provision will help the Army Corps move forward more quickly on projects while maintaining environmental safeguards and ensuring those responsible remain accountable for cleanup costs. The legislation is particularly important for the Lower Saddle River, where contamination concerns have prevented flood protection work from commencing for years.

Authorizing New Flood Protection Construction

The bill creates new construction authority for East Riser serving Carlstadt and the Meadowlands for a flood reduction project that will widen and deepen the channel, replace culverts, and incorporate flood risk management features that will reduce the risk of fluvial flooding to residential and commercial structures.

Accelerating Long-Delayed North Jersey Flood Protection

Several North Jersey projects championed by Congresswoman Pou will receive expedited consideration, as projects involving Berry's Creek, Fleischer Brook, the Passaic River Basin, the Passaic River, and Wolf Creek. Collectively, these measures will reduce flood damage, improve waterways, restore ecosystems, strengthen navigation, and better protect homes and businesses across the region. The bill also urges the Corps to expedite consideration of a project to address the raceways at the Great Falls National Historical Park in Paterson.

Advancing Local Flood Control Initiatives

The legislation also speeds up work on flood control improvements along the Third River in Clifton and on the use of dredged material in the Meadowlands. These projects will improve water management while supporting broader flood resilience across North Jersey.

Expanding Nature-Based Flood Solutions

The bill directs the Army Corps to continue evaluating flood mitigation, including ecosystem restoration and voluntary property buyouts. The bill also requires continued reporting on flood risk management work affecting Bergen, Essex, Hudson, Morris, and Passaic Counties, including buyout efforts in Wayne. In addition, the legislation encourages greater use of wetlands, green infrastructure, and other natural approaches that can reduce flooding while improving environmental health.

Strengthening Long-Term Water Planning

Finally, the legislation creates a new Office of Water Supply, Water Conservation, and Drought Resiliency within the Army Corps. The office will help communities improve water management, strengthen conservation, and identify new opportunities to better prepare for future water-related challenges.

Since taking office, Congresswoman Pou has made flood mitigation one of her key priorities in Congress.

Earlier this year, she introduced the bipartisan CLEAN-UP Act to remove barriers delaying Army Corps projects and authored the Water Crisis Prevention Act to improve the federal response to infrastructure failures. During the Surface Transportation Reauthorization mark-up, Pou also secured an amendment into the text of the bill that would direct the Government Accountability Office to review Department of Transportation PROTECT grants and produce a report identifying best practices and strategies to prevent flooding, improve safety, and improve infrastructure resiliency against flooding.

Additionally, the annual spending bill for FY2026 included $500,000 in federal funds supported by Pou to improve the Lower Saddle River channel.

Today's committee approval of the Water Resources Development Act builds on that record and represents another significant step toward delivering long-awaited relief for communities living with chronic flooding.

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