NEXTSTEPSONIMPAIRED MUSQUAPSINK BROOK: EDUCATION, EXPENSE

BY MICHAEL OLOHAN OF PASCACK PRESS

Townshipofwashington

Township officials said they hope to begin an educational effort to inform homeowners whose properties border the Musquapsink Brook to ask their help to remove fallen trees as well as maintain the stream banks of the waterway as it winds its way over a 3.6 mile course toward Schlegel Lake.

The effort should start later this summer or early fall, officials said. The township's immediate, high-priority effort is to stabilize two stream bank areas near two exposed concrete sanitary manholes.

Boswell Engineer Frank Rossi told a July 24 special meeting of the governing body, held to provide details on the Musquapsink Brook Condition Assessment report, that Boswell was likely to have a proposal at the next council meeting to fix eroded stream banks near two sanitary manholes. If the sewerage system is breached, major stream contamination likely would follow.

Boswell had estimated the work to address the two exposed manholes would likely take up to three months, once permit approvals are received from the state Department of Environmental Protection.

The drone report — posted on the township website — breaks the Musquapsink Brook into eight sections and identifies nearly 100 obstructions, including 45 downed trees and 33 sediment shoals along the major Pascack Brook tributary. It also recommended brook areas for stream bank stabilization.

Rossi said Boswell had recommended that the township remove all the downed trees on private property, provided they can appropriate funds or secure grants to do the needed work. He said if this happens, homeowners must allow access by heavy equipment operating on their property.

When questioned by Washington Lake Association President Anthony Passanante about who was responsible for removing downed trees that affected brook flow as well as the eroded stream banks depositing sediment in shoals and then flows into Schlegel Lake, Rossi told him that property owners bordering the brook were responsible.

Passanante had raised concerns about brook impacts on Schlegel Lake, also known as Washington Lake, for several years at council meetings, and told officials he raised warnings about the exposed manholes previously and no action was taken.

His questions to Mayor Peter Calamari and administration on why the sanitary manhole problem was only being addressed now were not answered.

In their own words

Council President Desserie Morgan said the council should look at immediate action items and what comes next. She said outreach to homeowners along the brook, setting up a resource number answered by professionals, a list of resources for homeowners with brook concerns including vendors, timelines for action, and a plan for monitoring and enforcement, should be part of moving forward.

One woman suggested that the drone brook study should be overlaid with local tax maps to show who owns property on the brook, and officials said that could probably be done.

Another resident suggested that the code enforcement official be responsible for citing homeowners who may have a tree fall into the brook.

Morgan said at least two messages should go to property owners along the brook, alerting own-

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