The Township of Millburn, New Jersey (hereafter referred to as the "Township) is requesting proposals from qualified surveying firms, licensed to operate in the State of New Jersey, to procure bathymetric data of the Orange Reservoir basin to be used in a hydraulic study and engineering design related to the mitigation of downstream flooding. The Township of Millburn experiences the devastating and costly effects of flooding in the downtown business district and certain residential neighborhoods during periods of heavy rainfall. Preliminary engineering studies suggest that significant benefit and reduction in flooding could be attained by constructing a system of pipes and valves that would be used to lower the level of the Orange Reservoir prior to a predicted storm event. The theory, based on reasonable assumptions, is that lowering the water level in the Reservoir basin will provide a large retention volume, thereby lowering the flood levels downstream. However, without the requisite bathymetric data, the development of the detailed engineering design is not possible. The availability of the bathymetric data will also permit an accurate calculation of the downstream benefit in terms of the degree to which the flood levels would be reduced. The site is owned by the City of Orange and is located within the South Mountain Reservation in Essex County. Both the City of Orange and Essex County authorities have given verbal approval for obtaining this data. The Orange Reservoir size is approximately 40-50 acres and is formed by a spillway dam on the West Branch of the Rahway River. As part of the Essex County Parks System in the South Mountain Reservation, the Reservoir is open to the public with paddle boats, a picnic pavilion, and a 1.8-mile walking trail surrounding the Reservoir. The Township of Millburn reserves the right to revise any part of the RFP by issuing an addendum. The method has not been determined.
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