This document discusses adaptation planning for coastal communities in the Great Marsh region that are vulnerable to sea level rise and coastal flooding. It identifies areas of interest in Rowley, Ipswich, and Essex that are at risk, such as Route 1A in Rowley and the downtown areas of Ipswich and Essex. For each area, it provides details on current and future vulnerabilities from coastal flooding and sea level rise. It also summarizes current adaptation activities and provides recommendations for both short-term and long-term strategies to increase resiliency, such as land conservation, infrastructure improvements, and managed retreat. The document emphasizes the importance of nature-based solutions and regional partnerships to address coastal adaptation challenges across the Great Marsh region
3. Rowley
๏ Route 1A & Stackyard Road
๏ Jewell Mill Dam & Glen
Street Bridge
๏ Marina,Town Boat Launch
& low-lying houses
๏ Route 133 at Batchelder
Brook
๏ RowleyTown Well #3 &
well pumping station
Identified Areas of Interest for
Adaptation Planning
Current Status
Short-Term
Recommendations
Long-Term
Recommendations
?
?
?
4. Route 1A & Stackyard Road
VULNERABILITIES:
โข Coastal flooding
โข Sea level rise
2030 2070
Nelson
Island
10. ๏ Continue acquisition of land to allow for salt marsh migration
if/when available
๏ Increase resiliency of marsh and river systems by removing
debris, assessing culverts, supporting natural drainage of water,
removing Jewell Mill dam
๏ Monitor flood frequency and depth and create early warning
system to alert residents when roads are likely to be flooded.
๏ Coordinate with evacuation planning for major storms. Need
an alternate/primary evacuation route (Route 1).
๏ Ultimately further retreat may be needed and buyout of
Stackyard Rd and other low-lying homes.
Future Adaptation Strategies
Rowley Route 1A & Stackyard Road
14. Probability of Coastal Inundation in 2030 and 2070
(includes projected storm surge)
Downtown Ipswich
2030 2070
Ipswich Mills Dam
& Riverwalk
Choate
Bridge
County
Street
bridge
Zumiโs
16. Current Adaptation Activities
Photo Credits:Alicia Geilen
2016 CZM Resiliency Grant
awarded toTown of Ipswich
for study of river bank erosion
& future climate impacts
Downtown Ipswich
17. โข Downtown business owner engagement and education on building
retrofits and general principles of resiliency
โข Ipswich Mills Dam Removal Feasibility Study will analyze the effects of
removing the downtown dam, including downstream impacts and
opportunities to restore upstream flood storage capacity
โข Encourage green infrastructure for stormwater and floodplain mitigation
(i.e. rain gardens, pervious walkways & parking areas, infiltration trenches,
and other best management practices)
โข Create and enhance riparian buffer along the Ipswich River up and
downstream ofTown
โข Consider river bypass throughVeteran's Green/Elm St. area to
accommodate 500-year flood
Future Adaptation Strategies
Downtown Ipswich
19. ESSEX
๏ Main Street Causeway &
Woodmanโs Landing
๏ Eastern Avenue at Ebben
Creek
๏ Conomo Point & Robbins
Road
๏ Crane Beach (southern tip)
Identified Areas of Interest for
Adaptation Planning
Current Status
Short-Term
Recommendations
Long-Term
Recommendations
?
?
?
20. Main Street Causeway, Essex
VULNERABILITIES:
โข Tidal flooding
โข Storm surge flooding
21. Probability of Coastal Inundation in 2030 and 2070 (includes projected storm surge)
Main Street Causeway
2030
2070
22. 1% Flood Depth in 2030 and 2070 (includes projected storm surge)
Main Street Causeway
2030
2070
23. Current Adaptation Activities
โข Causeway reconstruction in
2012
โข Emergency vehicles are
stationed on the East side of
the Causeway when flooding
is expected
Main Street Causeway
24. โข Engage business owners collectively on resiliency planning
โข Develop additional emergency monitoring policies & practices such as a live
video feed showing if the Causeway is flooded or impassable
โข Encourage best management practices for floodplain mitigation (i.e. rain
gardens, pervious pavement for parking lots and walkways, and other green
infrastructure techniques)
โข Convene Essex CausewayWorking Group to begin resiliency planning for
both short-term and long-term impacts (include local business owners, state
agencies, and town representatives)
โข Beneficial Use of Dredged Materials from the Essex River
Future Adaptation Strategies
Main Street Causeway
25. Elevating Roads?
๏ Main St. Causeway, Essex
๏ Beach Road, Salisbury
๏ Plum IslandTurnpike,
Newburyport
๏ Jeffreyโs Neck Road, Ipswich
๏ Route 1A, Rowley
๏ Argilla Road, Ipswich
Longport, New Jersey
Hello everyone โ Iโm โฆ. (introduction, member of the municipal task force, etc)
Now that youโve heard about the northern Great Marsh towns from Jon-Eric, I will walk you through some of the significant vulnerabilities in the southern towns of Rowley, Ipswich, and Essex. Weโll start with Rowley.
A great example of both the role that the Great Marsh plays in protecting our communities, as well as the role WE play in supporting the Great Marsh, is in Rowley.
Rural coastal community of 5856 residents, located between Newbury and Ipswich
19 sq. miles in size, of which 20% is Great Marsh
90% of town is zoned for residential use
business development located inland along Route 1 & Route 1A corridors
The natural systems of Plum Island and the salt marsh do an incredible job of protecting Rowley infrastructure from impacts of coastal storms
Human effort has also in many cases been doing a great job of PRESERVING OPEN SPACE so that it can continue to do that job of protecting us.
Rowley has several areas of concern in their inland region, arising from climate impacts in the form of heavier precipitation events causing increased fresh water flooding.
Batchelder Brook which flows under Route 133 near the intersection of Route 1 and the historic Jewell Mill dam at the Mill River along Route 1 near Newbury are both vulnerable inland areas for the town.
For todayโs discussion, we are going to look more closely at a low-lying area closer to the coast, the marsh that surrounds Route 1A along the border with Newbury near Stackyard Road.
As you can see from these images, this area is at risk from coastal flooding and storm surge coming in from the Parker River on the north side and the creeks and salt marsh in the east
Flooding currently approaches Route 1A which is a major north-south transportation corridor. This hazard will get much worse as sea level rise continues. There are also neighborhoods of houses along Stackyard Road and Old Rowley Road that are at risk from flooding.
Hereโs a closer look at the actual DEPTH of flooding at this location. The purple and blue colors range between a depth of 3 ft to 10 ft, the darkest blue color showing depths greater than 10 feet.
This area in Rowley emphasizes some good news about the future of the Great Marsh that we want to explore a bit more now.
The Great Marsh is an ecosystem that provides a host of benefits to our communities including recreation, shellfishing, scenic character.
The largest contiguous saltmarsh complex in New England, it includes more than 20,000 acres of ecological resources that provide critical protection for our communities
As we heard from Taj and Melissa earlier, salt marshes also serve as a buffer between the open ocean and coastal storms, with the marsh vegetation slowing down waves and reducing the force of the water on the land. In addition they store floodwaters, and serve an important function storing carbonย dioxide which mitigates global warming impacts.
Strategic Land Conservation is a very important adaptation strategy.
As a part of the Great Marsh Planning Project, the task forces worked with a โMarsh Adaptation Strategy Toolโ which looked at areas that would be most affected by sea level rise in order to help communities begin the conversation of protecting lands to help preserve the ecosystem resources of the marsh as the climate changes.
Towns should and are incorporating strategic land conservation and climate impacts into their open space planning.
The Town of Rowley has used its Community Preservation Act funding to conserve some parcels for multiple uses, for example the Bradstreet Farm parcel to the east of the historic downtown on Route 1A. As you can see in the blue outline in the map on screen, sea level rise will result in the salt marsh expanding and approaching Rowleyโs infrastructure in the future. Conserving lands that serve to buffer sea level rise from reaching town infrastructure such as homes and roads is a good idea.
Regional partnerships are also a great tool for communities in preserving land.
The Rough Meadows Sanctuary is a 226-acre preserve protected in 2014 as a partnership project by Mass Audubon and Essex County Greenbelt. This sanctuary preserves coastal woodlands, salt marshes, tidal creeks, and salt pannes; as well as an astonishing diversity of wildlife, miles of recreational trails, and non-motorized boating access to the creeks.
It also is now a permanent protective buffer to the transportation corridor of Route 1A which runs north-south directly to the west
Nelson Island, located at the end of Stackyard Road near the Rough Meadows sanctuary, is owned and managed by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service as part of the Parker River National Wildlife Refuge.
This photo was taken this past October, during a King Tide. It gives a look at what the landscape will be like on a regular basis as the sea level rises.
It should be noted that the Refuge has chosen to abandon this road to Nelson Island specifically as an adaptation strategy.
Future Adaptation Strategies in Rowley include:
Continue acquisition of land to allow for salt marsh migration if/when available
Increase resiliency of marsh and river systems by removing debris, assessing culverts, supporting natural drainage of water, removing Jewell Mill dam
Monitor flood frequency and depth and create early warning system to alert residents when roads are likely to be flooded.
Coordinate with evacuation planning for major storms. Need an alternate/primary evacuation route (Route 1).
Ultimately further retreat will be needed and buyout of Stackyard Rd and other low-lying homes.
Ipswich is a mid-sized Great Marsh community of 13,175 residents.
Similar to other towns, approximately 20% of its land area is Great Marsh, with hundreds of acres of salt marsh to the north and south.
The Ipswich River flows in from the southern tip of Plum Island, with the townโs dense Downtown located along the banks of the river.
Crane Beach is our southern Great Marsh barrier beach and is an important community resource for recreation and tourism. Owned by the state-wide conservation organization, the Trustees of Reservations, it is another important example of the way land protection can support natural systems that provide significant ecosystem resources to communities in the region.
Vulnerable areas in Ipswich that have been identifies as priorities for the townโs adaptation planning include:
Jeffreyโs Neck Road โ the main road leading to the hundreds of homes located on Great Neck & Little Neck
Downtown Ipswich, which we shall talk amore about coming up.
Crane Beach โ The Trustees of Reservations are doing their own coastal adaptation planning for the Crane Estate property, however the Town needs to address flooding issues that affect the parking lots and the facilities, as well as access along Argilla Road.
Pavilion Beach, which is the only public beach in town, is located on Great Neck and faces current impacts from sea level rise
Other vulnerable municipal assets include the Town Wharf & Sewage Pumping Station along the river, as well as one of the townโs public drinking water wells, called Brownโs Well on Route 1A, all of which will be impacted by flooding from sea level rise
Downtown Ipswich businesses and roads are located along the Ipswich River. Riverine & coastal flooding affects roads, downtown businesses which vary from small locally owned shops to the large international publishing company EBSCO, as well as mixed housing
Route 133 and 1A run through downtown and cross over the river at the Choate Bridge. River overflowed its bank at the Motherโs Day flood events.
Ipswich Mills dam is in the center of the downtown economic business district
There are additional flooding impacts on the Town Hall & the sewage pumping station along the river to the northeast of downtown; as well as the Riverwalk trail and the public boat launch at the Town Wharf.
The CZM grant will support a project to identify vulnerable areas along the Ipswich River between the Ipswich Mills dam downtown and the Town Wharf on Water Street. A team of coastal geologists and engineers have been hired by the town to inspect erosion and areas that have deteriorated due to both tidal and inland flooding. The focus of the study will be areas of the river bank adjacent to town infrastructure such as water, sewer, and roads.
The project will also consider the long-term impacts of climate change, including sea level rise and heavier storms, in its recommended improvements, prioritizing nature-based solutions (such as living shorelines) to combat the erosion and provide long-term stabilization of the bank.
The project also includes public education on these topics through signage and public presentations next spring, as well as assessment of the feasibility of constructing a public access area for launching non-motorized boats behind the Ipswich Town Hall.
Downtown business owner engagement and education on building retrofits and general principles of resiliency.
Ipswich Mills Dam Removal Feasibility Study (to be completed in 2017) will analyze the feasibility, cost, and effects of removing the downtown dam, including any impacts downstream and opportunities to restore upstream flood storage capacity
Encourage landscaping techniques for stormwater mitigation (i.e. rain gardens, pervious walkways & patios, infiltration trenches, and other green infrastructure techniques
Create and enhance riparian buffer along the Ipswich River up and downstream of Town
Consider river bypass through Veteran's Green/Elm St. area to accommodate 500-year flood
With 3504 residents, the town encompasses 16 sq. miles of which 48% is forested and 34% is Great Marsh
The majority of the townโs infrastructure is located along Rt 133/ Main St Causeway spanning salt marsh and Essex River
Main Street Causeway & Woodmanโs Landing
Eastern Avenue at Ebben Creek
Conomo Point & Robbins Road
Crane Beach (southern tip)
As you know and can see looking out the window here at Woodmanโs, the Main Street Causeway stretches for 0.8 miles and is a critical connective corridor between Cape Ann and Ipswich. The Causeway is home to dozens of restaurants and antique shops, stores, churches, and marinas in the town center. It is the center of the townโs business and recreational economy.
The Causeway is subject to regular tidal and storm flooding. The photo on the right was taken in October during the King Tide.
Flooding of the Essex River goes under the bridge and back fills the area right here near Woodmanโs Beach, lasting for hours. Direct consequences of the hazard are a flooded road. Cumulative consequences of the hazard include cutting off of emergency services and impacts on the store-front economy.
The Essex Causeway was reconstructed and repaved a few years ago as part of sewer project; flooding was reduced.
Emergency vehicles are stationed on the East side of the Causeway when flooding is expected.
Flooding of primary transportation corridors is an issue throughout the Great Marsh, including Plum Island Turnpike and Jeffreyโs Neck Road in Ipswich.
Engage business owners collectively on resiliency planning
Develop emergency monitoring policies & practices such as a live video feed showing the Causeway so residents can go online and see in real-time if itโs flooded or impassable
Encourage floodplain mitigation (i.e. rain gardens, pervious walkways & patios, infiltration trenches, and other green infrastructure techniques) maximizing the function of the floodplain in slowing down and dissipating flood water energy during storm, or even just high, tides
Beneficial Re-use of dredged materials: keeping the sediment in the system and finding ways to enhance green infrastructure is an excellent approach
Convene Essex Causeway Working Group to begin planning for long-term impacts (include local business owners, state agencies, and town representatives)
Flooding of primary transportation corridors is an issue throughout the Great Marsh, including Plum Island Turnpike and Jeffreyโs Neck Road in Ipswich.
The Essex Causeway was reconstructed and repaved a few years ago as part of sewer project; flooding was reduced.
Emergency vehicles are stationed on the East side of the Causeway when flooding is expected.
Jeffreyโs Neck Road in Ipswich is in the design phase of raising the road to reduce flooding.
Other communities are doing it in other regions around the country.
If/when raising a road or causeway, the following considerations are important:
- need to be careful not to block the marsh from draining
- permeable pavement
- capturing run-off
- keeping hydrology as natural as possible
- addressing erosion near edges of roads
- COST!
