The Climate-Adaptive Design (CAD) Studio links Cornell students in landscape architecture with flood-risk Hudson Riverfront communities to explore design alternatives for more climate resilient, beautiful and connected waterfront areas. http://wri.cals.cornell.edu/hudson-river-estuary/climate-change-hudson-river-estuary/climate-adaptive-design

1. 1
NYSFSMA Annual Meeting
May 18, 2016
Libby Zemaitis, Climate Outreach Specialist,
Hudson River Estuary Program

2. 2
Roadmap
• Hudson River Estuary Program
• Climate hazards + risks
• Waterfront resilience task forces
• Spotlight on the Village of Catskill
• Climate-Adaptive Design studio
• Available resources

3. 3
Working to achieve
key benefits:
• clean water
• resilient communities
• vital estuary ecosystem
• fish, wildlife, and habitat
• natural scenery
• education, access,
recreation, and inspiration
The Hudson River
Estuary Program

4. 4
Climate hazards
Trends in our climate
• Heat waves
• Short-term
drought
• Flooding
• Increasing
temperatures
• Changing
precipitation
patterns
• Rising sea level
Climate risks
Impacts to humans

5. 5
Hazard: changing precipitation patterns
NY has experienced 74% increase in intense
precipitation
74% Increase in quantity of rain falling in heaviest
1% of all daily events from 1958 to 2011
Flooding along Mt. Merino and 9G in January, 2011 (T. O’Connor)

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NYS is adopting sea level rise projections
• Projections are in inches and by time horizon
• 13” rise since 1900, rate of rise increasing
Hazard: rising sea level

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Risk: flooding
today’s 1% storm will occur more frequently
and bring greater flood heights in the future
Flooding near Dunn Warehouse during Hurricane
Irene in 2011 (T. O’Connor)
The federally-designated “100-year” or 1%
floodplain is the area that statistically has a 1%
chance of flooding each year based on historical
data.
Impacts: human safety, waterfront
assets, infrastructure

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You can explore
sea level rise and
flood risk along
the Hudson using
Scenic Hudson’s
mapper
http://www.scenichudson.org/slr/mapper
CLIMATE RISKS

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We wanted to help communities adapt to
flooding after the 2011-2012 hurricanes
Flood resiliency task forces in
Catskill, Kingston, Piermont
and Stony Point

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Task forces used a variety of
tools to reach consensus:
• Visioning of key themes
• Participatory mapping
• Selection of planning horizons
• Mapping of vulnerability and risk
• Climate Smart Resiliency Planning tool
• Flood adaptation strategies and simulations
• Cost Benefit Analysis

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All Task Force communities completed final
reports with specific recommendations

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All task force communities are working
together and making progress
• 91 recommendations
 6 complete
 15+ in process
 Many on-going
• 13 grants totaling $1.5M+
• Updating LWRPs + BOAs
• 3 of 4 are Climate Smart
Communities

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Lessons learned from task forces
• Avoid top down approach
• Building knowledge and trust
can take time
• Visioning and inspiration are
important
• Small communities have
limited resources to tackle big
issues, need assistance

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Spotlight:
Village of Catskill

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Hurricane Irene was devastating for the
Village of Catskill

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The task forces chose sea level rise
projections to plan for, Catskill chose:
Year
Sea Level
Rise Scenario
2020s 2050s 2100
Middle 6.5” 21.5” 60”

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Current risk using DOS
Coastal Vulnerability
Index

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2050s risk using DOS
Coastal Vulnerability
Index

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2100 risk using DOS
Coastal Vulnerability
Index

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21. 21
Resilient Catskill: final report from the task
force in late 2014
Opportunities to manage climate risks, respond productively as
the climate changes and recover quickly from extreme events

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Two recommendations completed!
CodeRed emergency communications implemented
Flood guide distributed to landowners in floodplain

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Additional recommendations receiving
outside support
• Analyze adapting WWTP ($42,500)
• Analyze updating zoning ($25,500)
• Brownfield Opportunity Area - Step 2 ($104,100)
• Climate-Adaptive Design studio

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Climate Adaptive Design (CAD) studio
A collaboration with
Cornell University
Department of
Landscape
Architecture
Using design to
inspire

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A lot can change in a 100
years, so it’s hard to visualize
the future in the present
Thomas Cole, View on the Catskill, Early Autumn, 1837

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The Climate-Adaptive Design (CAD) studio
visualizes the future for Hudson Riverfront
communities

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CAD engaged stakeholders
to explore future concepts
for Catskill’s waterfront
• Industry
• Access + circulation
• Economic development +
historic preservation
• Recreation + interpretation
• Ecology + marsh resilience

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Students studied flood adaptation strategies
Made by Scenic Hudson

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Students prioritize water-dependent uses

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Students highlight green infrastructure
strategies

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Students highlight shorelines with natural
and nature-based features
• Living shorelines (marsh sill)
• Ecologically enhanced bulkheads and revetments
• Constructed wetlands

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Natural and nature-based features offer
many co-benefits
Reduces hazard vulnerability
oStorm surge/tide reductions, wave attenuation
oErosion control and shoreline protection
Ecological co-benefits
oWater purification
oWildlife, habitat diversity
oFishery habitats provision
oSAV, marsh and forest habitats
oCarbon sequestrations
oAir quality improvement

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Additional climate resilient strategies
• Conserving open space
• Elevating and wet floodproofing buildings
• Strategic relocation of highest risk buildings
• Allowing for marsh migration
• Increasing shade for cooling
• Right-sizing culverts and bridges

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Student help Catskill visualize a range of
future conditions
• Think outside the box
• Phasing, short- to long-term
• Costs, low to high

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Catskill received 22 design alternatives
boards from 5 student teams
• Planning board working to implement green alleys
• Working one-on-one with creekside developers
View project online at http://goo.gl/T5jrLq

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CAD is now in the City of Hudson and
in Kingston come Fall
Final design concepts on display at
Opera House this June & July
Opening reception 6-8pm on June 4

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Recap
• Flooding poses a significant risk to
NYS
• Adapting to flooding takes time and
buy-in
• Flood resiliency task forces were
successful
• New Climate-Adaptive Design (CAD)
studio helps Hudson Riverfront
communities visualize and get
inspired for the future

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Estuary Program grants! $1.25M available
New! Local Stewardship Planning grants
*includes flood resilience, water supply, wastewater infrastructure, green
infrastructure
New! Access and Education grants
*includes storm resilient new or retrofit river access
Due June 30th, 2016
http://www.dec.ny.gov/lands/5091.html
Future? Barrier mitigation funding to right-size and remove culvert, bridges
and dams

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Thank You
Libby Zemaitis
Climate Outreach Specialist, Hudson River Estuary Program
Libby.zemaitis@dec.ny.gov | (845) 256-3153
Sign up for our Climate Resilience Newsletter!
http://goo.gl/6dwphW
Visit our website on Climate Change in the Estuary
http://goo.gl/tM3AbZ