Engineer: Clark Reservoir dredging to last about 60 days; debris to be stockpiled and removed by contractor

County Engineer Rick Mateus answered public questions about the Clark Reservoir dredging project at a Board of County Commissioners meeting, saying the work will operate under the Township of Clark—s municipal code for noise (generally starting at 7 a.m.), debris dredged from the reservoir will be stockpiled within the reservoir, drained and trucked off-site by the contractor, and the current project schedule anticipates roughly a 60-day construction period.

A resident who addressed the board asked about hours of operation, where dredging debris would be stored and for how long, and why a previously planned fishing pier no longer appears in the concept plans. Mateus said hours are governed by the municipal noise ordinance (Township of Clark) but may be adjusted in coordination with the contractor and local police, that stockpiled material will be handled by the contractor and removed, and that the fishing pier is not included in the current plans because of issues obtaining DP approval (an approval process still being worked through).

Mateus said survey stakes are sometimes offset from actual work zones to avoid damage and that he would verify that the 50-foot buffer along Genesee Drive remains as proposed. He said exact parking counts are shown on the concept plan posted on the county website but that overflow parking is a management issue the township and county will monitor.

Mateus also summarized county bicycle- and trail-related work when answering questions from cyclists and trail advocates: the county—s Safe Streets and Roads for All work is about 70% complete with a final plan expected around December or January; the bicycle master plan update is under way in coordination with an East Coast Greenway consultant; and work on the Rahway Valley Rail Trail (a TAP grant) is progressing, with a consultant proposal recently accepted by NJDOT and next steps moving through county contracting.