they can then tap into the unused rez in weehawken

If Montvale is so concerned, then Montvale should pay to upgrade the dam.

Earthquakes can threaten dam

February 23, 2009
The Daily Record

Three recent Morris County earthquakes raise a specter of concern relative to the more than 100-year-old masonry Jersey City Reservoir Dam looming high over much of Montville Township.

This dam has been with us for so long we are accustomed to it being part of the landscape. We tend to forget its existence.

The masonry dam is in distressing proximity to the Ramapo Fault, which is only about a mile away. The dam is high, it is massive, it is almost a half mile long and was classified, mindful of its size, height, huge storage capacity and potential downstream loss of life and damage, as a "high hazard" dam.

The dam holds back a mountain of water. It was designed in the 19th century before major dam engineering standards were developed.

Consider, please, the frightening recognition: Two large public schools, a firehouse and Montville's emergency squad are located directly in what would be a catastrophic tsunami floodway 100 feet below the huge storage water level of this towering monolithic structure just more than a mile away.

Then, alarmingly, please factor in recent increases in recorded local seismic activity and reflect that aged masonry structures are remarkably susceptible to hydraulic/seismic stresses. The dam is owned by Jersey City, a city that one is obliged to speculate, does not have spending priorities geographically distant from their voter base.

Mindful of the dam's age, population growth, fault proximity and alarming seismic activity, perhaps consideration should be given to up-to-date hydrologic, hydraulic and "dam break scenario" engineering studies. Perhaps up-to-date early warning protocols might be introduced to help evacuate schools and students drilled with "what if" scenarios? Montville itself is blessed with exceptional local government representatives and boasts a solid police department and emergency squad. It is hoped the concerns expressed in this letter either are, or soon will be, on their radar screen.

BOB FOGELSON

http://www.dailyrecord.com/article/20 ... N02/902230303/1005/NEWS01