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Communities all over the Neponset River Watershed are studying area flooding. And who knows your neighborhood better than you?
Have you seen flooding in your neighborhood or around town?
Does it seem to be happening more frequently? Has it ever affected your commute to work or school? Does it seep into your basement? Your flood stories can help!
Please take the flood survey
Share the places you’ve seen flooding. While your city or town may not be able to fix all flooding, your responses will help your community understand the problem and explore solutions.
Sign up to stay in touch
Use the link/form below to subscribe to the project email list to receive direct period notifications about upcoming meetings and project progress.
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 NepRWA Advocacy Director, Kerry Snyder, at snyder@neponset.org
Come to the public meeting!
The project team will host a virtual Public Meeting in January 2023 to discuss the project and get your feedback. Check back here for the date and time!
Project Background Information
The Town of Dedham is working with 11 other towns, Weston & Sampson Engineering, 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 to 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 Massachusetts Municipal Vulnerability Preparedness (MVP) Program.
General Information on Climate Change in the Neponset River Watershed
What is climate change? It’s a long-term increase in global temperatures. That doesn’t mean that every day is getting warmer, but it does mean we’re seeing changes in weather patterns because of those warmer temperatures.
Weather records already show:
- More heavy rainstorms;
- More drought;
- More days that reach 90 degrees or more; and
- More intense, windy storms
Towns across the Commonwealth are working to adapt to these changes. But they can’t do it alone. The Municipal Vulnerability Preparedness (MVP) Program funds projects each year to help cities and towns plan for and make necessary changes to reduce risks to people, property, and infrastructure.
- Find out more about the impacts of climate change here.
- Find out more about your town’s climate change preparedness here.
Norfolk County—Avg. Daily Maximum Temp (°F)
Please email NepRWA Advocacy Director, Kerry Snyder, with any questions about this project.
Project Partners:
Regional Partners:
- Town of Dedham
- City of Boston
- Boston Water & Sewer Commission
- Town of Canton
- Town of Foxborough
- Town of Medfield
- Town of Milton
- Town of Norwood
- City of Quincy
- Town of Sharon
- Town of Stoughton
- Town of Walpole
- Town of Westwood