Neponset River Watershed Climate Project

Next Steps

The Project Team has applied for additional MVP funding to begin Phase 2 of the project. The plan is to continue to build on the successes of Phase 1 and would include:

• Enhancing the Watershed-scale flood model to incorporate additional information about existing infrastructure, and identify high-risk sub-watersheds (including those with critical municipal or regional infrastructure).
• Facilitating the creation of a governing body for a Neponset Region Climate Resilience Collaborative to enhance community capacity to advance climate resilience projects.
• Facilitating the creation of a community advisory group, made up of residents and community organizations from across the Watershed, especially those representing communities disproportionately affected by climate change, and to help guide and prioritize climate adaption projects.
• Providing public education about expected climate impacts and resilience-building opportunities.

Suggest a group

Know of a community group or organization we should reach out to directly? We are especially interested in connecting with groups and individuals who are less likely to participate in town affairs. Churches, business groups, youth groups, seniors – we need your suggestions for who should be involved! Let us know with an email to Kerry Snyder, at snyder@neponset.org

Videos

Click here to see a playlist of all Neponset River Watershed Climate Project videos.

Project Background Information

The Town of Dedham is working with 11 other towns, the Boston Water & Sewer Commission, Weston & Sampson Engineering, the Neponset River Watershed Association, and the Metropolitan Area Planning Council (MAPC) to study flooding in the region. The project includes:

A regional flood model for the Neponset River Watershed

Water doesn’t respect town boundaries. Several cities and towns have developed town-level computer-generated flood models to identify areas that currently experience flooding, as well as those that are expected to be flooded in the future. This project aims to develop a more complete picture of what water does in the Watershed. This will benefit all the participating communities.

A detailed model for Dedham’s Manor Neighborhood

Dedham’s Manor Neighborhood is one area that experiences frequent flooding. The project will take a closer look at that flooding and model some potential strategies to better prepare the community for future flooding. This more refined model will lend itself to evaluating potential solutions to reduce flood risk in other towns as well.

A Regional Climate Adaptation Collaborative Framework

Climate change will affect our communities in a number of ways, including bringing more heat waves, drought, and extreme weather. This will not only affect the environment but also public safety, public health, property, and infrastructure. Project partners will evaluate existing municipal plans and reports to find shared concerns among Watershed towns. In doing so, our communities can begin to work together across town borders to implement regional solutions that will improve their ability to thrive in the face of climate change.

Community Engagement

Climate change is a concern for everyone. But it won’t affect everyone in the same way. Project partners want to hear from everyone, and especially from residents who don’t typically participate in community meetings.

Shared Municipal Climate Adaptation Resources

The way we use land within our communities affects how warm our communities get and how water flows through our neighborhoods. Land use regulations are one way to guide future development to ensure our communities grow in ways that make them resilient to climate impacts. MAPC will guide a workshop for municipal officials on some resources available to help update these regulations in a way that keeps climate change in mind.

Project Funding

The project is being funded by your town and a grant from the Massachusetts Municipal Vulnerability Preparedness (MVP) Program.