Flooding is one of the greatest climate change impacts Irvington is experiencing already. Irvington’s comprehensive Village-wide flood study was initiated in 2009, to identify areas of chronic or potential flooding and recommend measures to correct or control future flooding. 

See Village Stormwater bulletins here

In an effort to encourage community-science and bolster firsthand reporting of frequently flooded sites along the Saw Mill River, we are asking you to help us in the creation of a database of flood images. If you take -- or are sent -- any photos of inundated areas, please upload them to MyCoast. 

Find long-range capital project plans on the Village website here: https://irvingtonny.gov/451/Long-Range-Capital-Plans

From the Mayor March 28 2024: 

In recent years, we have replaced and widened culverts on Hudson Avenue/East Sunnyside Lane, Station Road (twice) and Dows Lane. To help defray the costs to Irvington taxpayers, most of these projects were funded, in part, by State or Federal grants.

Upcoming projects include culvert replacements under Broadway near Harriman Road and the entrance to Downingwood Condominium, along with a lengthy culvert on West Sunnyside Lane near Historic Sunnyside. All of these projects are partially funded by State and County grants. We also received a State engineering grant to help fund design work associated with the replacement of a very large culvert that allows Barney Brook to pass beneath the Metro-North Railroad tracks and Bridge Street Properties into the Hudson River.

I would like to thank Village Administrator Larry Schopfer and Building Inspector Ed Marron, the Village DPW, as well as many other staff members and consultants who have assisted (and will continue to assist) in obtaining grants and implementing these impressive projects intended to help mitigate the impact of storm water on the Village.

Please be patient as we undertake these new projects and thank Village employees for their work in this regard when you can do so safely.

Regards,

Jon Siegel, Major

Barney Brook

As described above, Barney Brook , under Broadway by Harriman Road, requires a major overhaul, expanding from a 3 foot by 3 foot pipe to a much wider outlet (as much as 25 feet), to accommodate increasing precipitation and the combined flows from the Irvington Reservoir, Halsey Pond and surface runoff.   In December of 2023, the State gave a $1,136,000 matched grant to the Village to replace the culvert. The project will focus on the western end of Harriman Road, widening the channel under Broadway and replacing the culvert at the west end of the intersection. While the timeline for the project is broad, the Village hopes to start construction by the end of this year and projects it will take 12 to 18 months to complete the culvert replacement. Read the Rivertowns Enterprise article about it here.

The Village currently has a bond resolution for parks and recreation, the largest of which will fund construction on a culvert below the Station Road Playground. The culvert was overwhelmed during Hurricane Ida, damaging the playground. The Village estimates no less than $350,000 from FEMA for the $650,000 project, clearing the way to borrow $300,000. If FEMA comes in with more than $350,000, the Village will borrow less.

Downingwood and Broadway

According to the Rivertowns Enterprise: Kathy Hochul announced July 5 that the Village would receive $1.4 million in state funds to upgrade the culvertthat runs under Broadway (Route 9) at the entrance to the Downingwood condominium development. The work at Downingwood, which is south of Harriman Road,is estimated to cost $1,869,800, and will replace 155 feet of a 100-year-old drainage structure with a new, wider, box culvert. Included in that estimate is $1,266,745 for construction and $317,000 for design work, the latter of which may be complicated by gas and water lines along Broadway. Those might have to be relocated depending on the path of the new culvert. Finally, the grant application estimates a cost of $171,000 for inspection once the construction is completed.

The Village’s grant application describes the current culvert’s construction as awkward, with the culvert changing directions three times and switching from metal walls to stone walls mid-structure. That change also alters the width of the culvert, which narrows from 58 to 36 inches. The grant application also outlines multiple locations where the culvert has deteriorated; photos document broken pipes, loose and fallen stones, and segments of concrete and brick in disrepair. The new culvert will be made of concrete and, at 7 feet wide, will better accommodate surges from storms the current culvert would struggle to handle. The Village’s grant application allotted 360 days for construction.

See a Rivertowns Enterprise article about this here.

Irvington Reservoir Dam

The New York DEC regulates dams and has ranked the reservoir dam Class C, with a risk to life and property should it fail. Class C dams most follow certain protocol, including a safety study every 10 years as precipitation levels increase and structures shift. It is important to know not only that the structure will withstand increased pressure, but that the water will not flow over the top.  The 120+ year old dam was close to being deficient at the last study, so it is anticipated that significant work will be required at the end of this one. The study results are anticipated in the spring. 

Halsey Pond Dam

Also rated a Class C dam, a study in underway to determine necessary upgrades. Some mitigation efforts have already been deployed. The study results are anticipated by spring at the latest, though the recommendations are not expected to be as significant as for the reservoir. 

Additional Projects

The Village continues to work with engineers to assess and design solutions for various additional projects from Sunnyside to Sycomore Lane and the Ardsley train station. Some depend on collaboration with the MTA, Historic Sunnyside, the Town of Greenburgh or the Village of Tarrytown.  All are in process and discussed monthly at the Village Engineering Projects meeting. 

Residents are responsible for maintaining sections of streams that flow through their properties, clearing fallen branches that may cause water to back up. 

Village of Irvington Building Code: 

Stormwater Management Requirements

Flood Damage Prevention - Stormwater Management_ Illegal Discharges and Erosion and Sediment Control