Neptune's Lake Alberta flooding plagues homeowners; what can the township do?

NEPTUNE - Lake Alberta has not received the same amount of attention in this township as Fletcher Lake and Wesley Lake and their flooding problems, but the residents who live along the water here need help before the next flood.

Lake Alberta residents are looking to the township to solve their persistent flooding problems, whether that involve dredging the lake and/or additional outflow pipes.

Located to the east of Neptune Boulevard and to the west of Taylor Avenue, about a dozen homes sit on the north side of Lake Alberta along Lakeview Avenue and on the south side along Sixth Avenue, as well as 55 senior apartments maintained by Township of Neptune Housing Authority.

Three other local lakes — Wesley, Deal and Fletcher — have become so prone to severe flooding that both Neptune and Asbury Park have been working on solutions in the short-term and for the future.

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Last September, Wesley Lake, between Asbury Park to the north and Ocean Grove to the south, overflowed and flooded out businesses on Lake Avenue. There was excessive flooding along Fletcher Lake on the south side of Ocean Grove, and the Asbury Park Fire Department needed to rescue people from cars that became trapped in flood waters.

That flooding and its impact have left the likes of Lake Alberta as something of an afterthought.

Caryn and Robert Murphy have lived on Lake Alberta for the last decade, and Caryn told the Asbury Park Press that the flooding has gotten worse over the last few years.

"When we first moved in, it happened maybe once every couple of years. But in the last three to four years, we have gotten flooded four times, and two times in this past year," Murphy said.

Flooding is not the only concern, "but also the erosion."

"(Neptune Township) recently added some rocks and dirt to try and help with (erosion), but it's really only a Band-Aid for now. The neighbor two houses down from me is losing his property line by a lot over the last few years," Murphy said.

She credited Committeeman Keith Cafferty "is the only person who has listened to me and my neighbors and realizes how important this issue is for us."

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Looking for solutions

Cafferty told the Press that he became aware of the residents' "severe concerns" last summer when he was the mayor and went out to Lake Alberta with engineers and other officials from the Department of Public Works and Office of Emergency Management.

"We talked some long-term plans, but in the short term we helped build up some extra berm to protect the lower-lying houses," Cafferty said. "We noticed erosion on the one bank, so that is what the berm is going to help (against)."

He added that the township is trying to develop ways to lower the water level at the lake prior to large storms "to be proactive."

"Long term we are trying to think of ways to improve (the lake), and it may be dredging, it may be trying to get funding for additional outflows for the lake itself," Cafferty said.

The Murphys reached their breaking point in July 2021 and went to a Township Committee meeting for relief.

"We desperately needed help. There was a tornado warning on our phones that wanted us to get to the lowest part of our home. When we went down to our basement it was flooding, so instead of being safe, we had to take care of the water that was pouring in," Murphy said.

They would bring buckets of water outside to alleviate some of the water that was flooding in. But it was all for naught, as the garage is located in the back of the house where the lake was overflowing. So the water flooding into the garage was ultimately ending up in their basement.

"We have had three feet of water in our garage," Murphy said.

In September 2023, the Murphys called 911 because the water was coming in at such a fast rate that "we didn't know what to do."

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Exacerbated by tower?

Since nearby Hope Tower was built — 10-story medical building located on Davis Avenue that is part of the Jersey Shore University Medical Center — flooding has only gotten worse, according to Murphy. "All their water goes into this lake, which in turn floods it even more," and the water not only goes into the Murphys' home, but also impacts homes across the lake, as well as Taylor Avenue.

"What they need to do is put a better retaining wall around this lake, since the one that is there now is completely crumbling. Clean it out and clear the pipelines because there is garbage galore in there, and dredge it again," Murphy said.

Neptune's Business Administrator Gina LaPlaca said township officials are gathering expert input from multiple sources.

"From our perspective, the development of Hope Tower has not had any negative impact on flooding, but we must also take the concerns of our residents seriously, and will continue to closely monitor this situation."

She added "at the same time, flooding from Lake Alberta remains an issue, and is one that the township will continue to address through infrastructure improvements in areas most at risk of overflowing during severe rain events."

Cafferty said the township needs to find money for more improvements.

"Some of these lake projects are rather intensive from a cost perspective," he said. "Starting last year, I was reaching out to our state and federal representatives to try to get us more funding. I haven't been successful yet, but I am trying to get help for the residents."

Charles Daye is the metro reporter for Asbury Park and Neptune, with a focus on diversity, equity and inclusion. @CharlesDayeAPP Contact him: CDaye@gannettnj.com.

This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: Neptune Lake Alberta flooding plagues homeowners seeking relief