Bound Brook, New Jersey sits between Middle Brook, Green Brook and a bend on the Raritan River in the Triassic Basin of New Jersey. Like many cities and towns all over the world, it was originally situated on the river to take advantage of fresh water for drinking, transportation and trade. As transportation networks have become centered around motor vehicles, the importance of river transportation and trade has become less important. However, communities continue to live within flood zones begging the questions: Why do towns continue to thrive on the river’s edge? Are river towns viable? Should they be encouraged and saved through the use of taxpayer dollars? Faced with these questions, the communities in the area surrounding Bound Brook spent many years convincing the national, regional and local authorities that saving Bound Brook was important and cost effective. The Army Corps of Engineers embarked on the Green Brook Flood Control Project, one of the most comprehensive and ambitious projects undertaken anywhere. The solution involved residential buyouts, wetlands mitigation, bridge reconstruction, railroad realignment, installation of large pumping stations, upgrading regional storm-water collection, flood-proofing, channel modifications, and levee and flood wall construction. The Bound Brook portion of the Green Brook Flood Control Project was to take a total of 12 years and cost more than $111 million to be shared by federal, state and local interests. As the project nears completion in 2012, I will review the history of Bound Brook, the Green Brook Flood Control Project, and the effectiveness of each remedial element of the flood control project.