Struggles for Flood Resiliency and AOP in Rhode Island

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1 University of Massachusetts Amherst Amherst International Conference on Engineering and Ecohydrology for Fish Passage International Conference on Engineering and Ecohydrology for Fish Passage 2017 Jun 19th, 4:30 PM - 4:50 PM Struggles for Flood Resiliency and AOP in Rhode Island Rachel Weiter EIT, Fuss & O'Neil, Inc. Follow this and additional works at: Weiter, Rachel, "Struggles for Flood Resiliency and AOP in Rhode Island" (2017). International Conference on Engineering and Ecohydrology for Fish Passage This Event is brought to you for free and open access by the Fish Passage Community at UMass Amherst at ScholarWorks@UMass Amherst. It has been accepted for inclusion in International Conference on Engineering and Ecohydrology for Fish Passage by an authorized administrator of ScholarWorks@UMass Amherst. For more information, please contact scholarworks@library.umass.edu.

2 Struggles for Flood Resiliency and AOP in Rhode Island Rachael Weiter, EIT, Fuss & O Neill, Inc., Providence, RI June 19, 2017

3 Presentation Outline Setting -Wood-Pawcatuck Watershed Dam Removals Complete and In Progress WPWA Watershed plan Wyoming Upper Dam Wyoming Upper Dam Wood-Pawcatuck Watershed Plan

4 Wood-Pawcatuck Watershed 317 mi 2 in RI & CT Major portions of 11 municipalities Drains to Little Narragansett Bay (Long Island Sound) River Herring, Shad, American Eel, Atlantic Salmon, Trout Wood-Pawcatuck Watershed

5 Wood-Pawcatuck Watershed 300 mi 2 in RI & CT Major portions of 11 municipalities Drains to Little Narragansett Bay (Long Island Sound) River Herring, Shad, American Eel, Atlantic Salmon, Trout Wood-Pawcatuck Watershed

6 Dam Removal/Restoration Project Locations White Rock Dam Potter Hill Dam Bradford Dam Burdickville Dam Stillmanville Dam Stillmanville Dam Lower Shannock Falls Dam Lower Shannock Falls Dam Kenyon Mill Dam Horseshoe Falls Dam Horseshoe Falls Dam 5dam removal(?) projects All initially explored full removal 2 dams - Full dam removal 2 dams Rock Ramp fishways 1 dam new fish ladder Three projects by WPWA Addressed community concerns through multiple public meetings Opposition changed to support! Source:

7 Benefits of Full Dam Removal: White Rock and Lower Shannock Falls Dams Reduced flood risk to downstream properties, roads, and bridges from potential dam failure Reduced flood elevations upstream of dam Improved river continuity for sediment transport, migratory fisheries and other aquatic species at both locations. Improved safety for swimmers and recreational boaters White Rock Dam Before and After

8 Barriers to Dam Removal Potential impacts to upstream infrastructure Water supplies - potential groundwater impacts (shallow wells) Cultural/personal values of dams/impoundments Recreational use of dams/impoundments Wetland impacts Fire suppression White Rock Dam Wetlands Upstream of Bradford dam

9 Flooding in the Wood-Pawcatuck Photos: Wood-Pawcatuck Watershed Association, April 2010

10 Wood-Pawcatuck Watershed Plan Wood-Pawcatuck Watershed Plan Publication: August 2017

11 Wood-Pawcatuck Watershed Plan Quality Assurance Project Plan Land Use Regulatory Review Stream Geomorphic Assessment Watershed Technical Assessments Green Infrastructure Assessment Bridge, Culvert & Dam Assessment Natural Resources Inventory

12 Wood-Pawcatuck Watershed Plan Quality Assurance Project Plan Land Use Regulatory Review Stream Geomorphic Assessment Watershed Technical Assessments Green Infrastructure Assessment Bridge, Culvert & Dam Assessment Natural Resources Inventory

13 Wyoming Upper Dam High hazard, run-of-river dam in poor condition Owner - Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management (RIDEM) plans to repair failing dam WPWA advocated further review of alternatives Reasons to consider removal: Vulnerability to floods Dam condition Improve connectivity HOPKINTON RICHMOND

14 Wyoming Upper Dam Town Meetings Town of Richmond WPWAletter posted to Town website prior to Town Council Meeting Town Council Meeting consisted of a moderated discussion Richmond properties flooded in 2010 when water backed up behind dam Town Council expressed support for dam removal feasibility study; requested public evaluation prior to repairs Town of Hopkinton WPWAletter not published online prior to meeting; information spread through social media and by wordof-mouth Town Council meeting consisted of un-moderated discussion Residents oppose dam removal Mainly waterfront property owners Town Council does not support feasibility study; requested that repairs proceed as quickly as possible

15 What Did Residents Have to Say? Hopkinton Residents to Watershed Group: No Study Needed On Dam... Fix It! - September 22, 2016 The Westerly Sun Hopkinton Many Hopkinton residents grew up swimming in the pond Residents felt insulted Hopkinton residents and politicians have been pushing for dam repair for years Residents believe that Wyoming Pond is vital to the quality of life, property values, businesses, water quality, etc. Hopkinton Town Council Meeting September 19, /hopkinton-residents-to-watershed-group-nostudy-needed-on-dam.html

16 Wyoming Upper Dam What s Next? Repairs to move forward No feasibility study planned Opportunity for dam removal lost for now Recommendations in watershed plan reflect community feedback (as was always intended!) Focus will shift to other high priority structures Public outreach will continue Letters to residents homes Workshops Social Media Newspaper Articles Moderated public meetings

17 Conclusion Although Wyoming Dam will not be removed, it was important that it was a community decision Watershed plan was intended to incorporate information about community views Public attitudes can change throughout the planning stages. Public outreach is critical! Utilize available media and social media outlets Demonstrate flood resiliency impacts of dam removals Demonstrate that community needs associated with existing impoundment can be met even with dam removal (e.g. fire suppression, water supplies) Separate Science/Engineering and Advocacy

18 Acknowledgements Chris Fox, Wood-Pawcatuck Watershed Association Erik Mas, Fuss & O Neill Funding: National Fish & Wildlife Foundation Hurricane Sandy Coastal Resiliency Competitive Grant WPWA Flood Resiliency Plan Steering Committee Watershed municipalities USGS US Army Corp of Engineers RIDEM & CTDEEP The Nature Conservancy

19 Questions? Contact: Rachael Weiter