Floodgates Back Under Computer Control, DEP Says [Video]

The floodgates on the Pompton Lake dam are closed and back under computer control, the state Department of Public Works (DEP) confirmed Sunday night.

DEP spokesman Larry Rangonese confirmed that a bypass system would allow water behind the dam to slowly drain out while the gates remain closed.

“The system will slow the refilling of the lake and slow the outflow of water,” Rangonese said.

The gates were manually raised Saturday to allow five feet of water to drain out from behind the dam. The DEP said the action should allow “the released water ample time to safely pass downstream communities” such as part of Wayne and Pompton Lakes.

A computer automatically raises the gates when the water behind them reaches a predetermined height.

The gates became operational in 2007. Wayne and Pompton Lakes residents have said for years that the gates have exacerbated downstream flooding.

An independent study of the gates concluded that the operation of the gates does not increase downstream flooding.

 “A great deal of rainfall is expected which could cause major flooding, so we are taking every step we can to try to mitigate the potential flooding that could occur,” Governor Chris Christie said in a statement.

— Have a question or news tip? Contact editor Daniel Hubbard at Daniel.Hubbard@patch.com or find us on Facebook and Twitter. For news straight to your inbox, sign up for our daily newsletter.