As presented at the 2015 Great Marsh Coalition Sea Level Rise Symposium

1. City of Gloucester
Climate Change Vulnerability
Assessment and Adaptation Planning

2. • Successful Development of Vulnerability Assessment
• The Right Team – Coastal Resilience Working Group
• Built on Past Efforts
• Multi-Hazard Mitigation Plan (2010) – Critical Asset Inventory
• Citywide LIDAR and GIS (2011-2012) – Robust Dataset
• Useful Tools (Critical Elevations, Risk Assessment, Viewer)
• Prioritization (Infrastructure Life Cycle vs. Risk)*
• Regulatory Review (Risk vs. Economic Development)**
• Adaptation Project Implementation (Green Infrastructure)
• Protecting Critical Infrastructure – Enhancing Natural Resources
• Little River Floodplain and Habitat Restoration
• Questions

3. • Successful Development of Vulnerability Assessment
• The Right Team – Coastal Resilience Working Group
• Built on Past Efforts
• Multi-Hazard Mitigation Plan (2010) – Critical Asset Inventory
• Citywide LIDAR and GIS (2011-2012) – Robust Dataset
• Useful Tools (Critical Elevations, Risk Assessment, Viewer)
• Prioritization (Infrastructure Life Cycle vs. Risk)*
• Regulatory Review (Risk vs. Economic Development)**
• Adaptation Project Implementation (Green Infrastructure)
• Protecting Critical Infrastructure – Enhancing Natural Resources
• Little River Floodplain and Habitat Restoration
• Questions

4. Administration
Elected City Council
Planning Board
Clean Energy Comm.
Conservation Comm.
DPW/Engineering
Planning staff
Health Department
Members of Public
Plus Kleinfelder - WHG
CZM

5. Asset Inventory High Res Topo

6. 6
Priority-
planning
areas
Project Approach
Phase I
Sea Level Rise/Storm
Surge Projections
Scenario Development
Phase II
Mapping Inundation
Modeling Results
Vulnerability/Risk
Assessment
Phase III
Develop Adaptation
Strategies
Probability of occurrence
Consequenceofimpact

7. 7
• 2013 - Present
• 2030 – 15 years out – Near term
• 2070 – 55 years out – Long term
• Future Conditions - Not Cause
Planning Horizons

8. 8
Not “worst-case” scenarios
but
“worst-likely” scenarios
A Probability-Based Model

9. 9
Estimate of impact
General Strategies
Big Picture Approaches
Adaptation Strategies

10. Enhanced Critical
Asset inventory
Accurate modelling
Risk assessment
Recommendations:
Policies, Priorities
& Projects
Dynamic tools only
made possible by grant
funding!

14. 14
Depth of Flooding
above Ground (ft.)
Essex Ave at Western Ave
2030: 1% Annual Probability (≈100 yr Recurrence)

15. 15
Depth of Flooding
above Ground (ft.)
Essex Ave at Western Ave
2070: 1% Annual Probability (≈100 yr Recurrence)

16. 16
Flooding Consequence -Measure of Risk?
• Area of service loss
• Duration of service loss
• Cost of damage
• Impacts to public safety and emergency
services
• Impacts to economic activities
• Impacts to public health and the environment

17. 17
RESULTS
Facilities/Buildings
All are at or above 1% Flood Elevation in 2030
Some facilities subject to extreme flooding in 2030
Waste Water Treatment Plant
Pump Stations at highest risk:
Thatcher Rd, Good Harbor
Senior Center
A number of facilities buildings subject to some
degree of flooding in 2070

18. 18
RESULTS
Facilities/Buildings
All are at or above 1% Flood Elevation in 2030
Some facilities subject to extreme flooding in 2030
Waste Water Treatment Plant
Pump Stations at highest risk:
Thatcher Rd, Good Harbor
Senior Center
A number of facilities buildings subject to some
degree of flooding in 2070

19. 19
LONG TERM THOUGHTS
Recommendation:
Install lock gates at Blynman
Canal, and Rt 128 at
Annisquam River or Rail
causeway, in concert with
strategically raising roadway
elevations and/or adding
roadside walls
Protects City Assets:
• WWTP
• High School/Emergency
Dispensing Site
• Riverside Ave PS
• Leslie O Johnson Rd
• Centennial Ave
• Kent Circle
• PLUS Rt 133, Rt 127
Blynman
Canal

20. 20
Outer Harbor – Hurricane Barrier?

35. • City of Gloucester
• Department Ecological Restoration
• NOAA and Gulf of Maine Council for the Marine
Environment
• Mass Audubon
• Wellspring House
• US Fish and Wildlife
• Engineer: Milone and MacBroom, Inc.
• Contractor RC&D Providence
• COASTAL ZONE MANAGEMENT

36. $54,815 Department of Ecological Restoration (Design)
$43,000 Gulf of Maine Council for the Marine
Environment, NOAA (Design and Fish Monitoring)
$50,000 USFWS (Construction and monitoring)
Coastal Zone Management Green Infrastructure Grant:
$400,000 (Construction)
City of Gloucester: $150,000* (Construction)
Volunteers (monitoring - fish counting) - Priceless

37. Finding the right funding fit – change grant priorities
Support for Project - City Funding
Identify Cash or Bond
Bond Authorization:
MGL Chapter 44, Section 7(1)
Sets project type, eligibility, duration
Surface drainage improvement 
New explicit category needed?
Always offer food at public meetings!

38. Thank You! Questions?
planning@gloucester-ma.gov