Regional Flooding Threatens Pascack Valley: The Silent Loss of Irreplaceable Trees and Stream Banks

photo courtesy of Westwood Mayor Ray Arroyo

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Four major rainstorms in just six weeks have shattered a two-year drought across Northern New Jersey, forcing Pascack Valley residents to contend with recurring floodwaters once again. While the immediate focus remains on home protection, municipal leaders are warning of a deeper ecological crisis: 50 years of accumulated waterway neglect that is actively destroying the region’s irreplaceable mature trees, eroding stream banks, and crippling natural drainage.