Questions on $16B plan to ease back bay flooding at N.J. shore

The plans would be one of the most ambitious and expensive flood control efforts any U.S. state has yet taken to address back bay flooding.

This Sept. 18, 2021 photo shows a boat near the Barnegat Inlet in Barnegat Light, N.J. The inlet is included in a $16 billion flood control plan that would build storm gates that could slam shut across the waterway, a proposal on which the government is seeking public input. (AP Photo/Wayne Parry)

This Sept. 18, 2021 photo shows a boat near the Barnegat Inlet in Barnegat Light, N.J. The inlet is included in a $16 billion flood control plan that would build storm gates that could slam shut across the waterway, a proposal on which the government is seeking public input. (AP Photo/Wayne Parry)

A proposed $16 billion plan to address back bay flooding is raising concerns about where water would go during storms, whether barriers would hinder navigation, and the impact it would have on the environment.

During an online hearing Monday night on the project, officials with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers said it could prevent $1.8 billion worth of storm damage a year when fully constructed.

The plans would be one of the most ambitious and expensive flood control efforts any U.S. state has yet taken to address back bay flooding, which is a major source of storm damage at the Jersey Shore.

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