Clean-up

  20 -Feb.-2012
     Some of the last remits of the 29- October -2011 snow storm  has finally be taken care.The Railroad Company CSX has denied owning the land that is between the southern part of Elm Ave., and the grading for it's Train Tracks. This has caused the delay in getting someone to help pay for the clean-up of the trees that had fallen across the stream there.  The trees, and the debris from them, had caused the stream to run closer to the pavement resulting in the road bed of Elm Ave to be undermined. CSX has used the slope, which it accepts ownership of,  as a dumping ground for old track ties and other debris.  Since the Borough has started to inquire about the problem some of the debris of CSX has been removed. With some old rail ties still remaining to be cleaned up. After months of talking with  CSX  the Borough took matters into it's own hands.  Working with Bergen County Mosquito control the stream has been dredged of in order to clear , and straighten the flow of water. Material was added to fill the void under Elm Ave  in order to stabilize the roadbed.  Afterward the Bogota Dept. of Public Works came in to cut down, and remove the damaged trees.  For now the stream runs straighter, and should have less chance of flooding under normal conditions.
   There have been more then one council meeting in which the problem has been brought up. The Borough is looking in to who really owns the land between Elm Ave. & CSX so it can be maintained properly. This would be  big step in helping to relieve the annual flooding of River & Elm. But it was also mention that the houses on the stream side of Elm Ave.can help with the situation by maintaining their own property.

 Debris from the CSX tracks in January. 

Broken trees  in January.

Trees cut , and  removed by Bogota DPW

 The Stream  along Elm Ave  with debris  and fallen trees.

The same stream cleared & straighten by Bergen County.

 Elm Ave at River Rd starting to be undermined by the stream.

 The roadbed of Elm Ave filled in, and stream moved away several feet.