Climate Change Challenge
This action addresses the climate challenge of increased flooding and increasing infrastructure failures of flood-prone and undersized road stream crossings (e.g. culverts) that frequently fragment and separate aquatic habitats as well as fragmenting communities and road networks when flooding or washouts occur. Further, undersized crossings restrict fish and wildlife passage, reducing biodiversity and often increasing erosion and sedimentation of freshwater rivers and streams across the Commonwealth. The potential climate impacts identified in the 2023 ResilientMass Plan addressed by this action include:
- Human Sector
- Loss of life or injury due to high vulnerability dams, hurricanes, wildfires, extreme flooding, or extreme temperatures.
- Infrastructure Sector
- Damage to Roads and Loss of Road Service.
- Natural Environment Sector
- Freshwater Ecosystem Degradation.
- Governance Sector
- Damage to Inland State and Municipal Buildings and Land
Project Alignment with ResilientMass Plan Priority Actions
This project is directly related to DER ResilientMass Plan Action “Develop culvert replacement project pipeline to advance high priority ecologically sensitive restoration projects”.
Climate Resilience Project Scope
The overall purpose of this effort with municipalities, watershed groups, and engineering firms is to identify and assess high ecological priority and structurally deficient road stream crossings across the Commonwealth that often create flooding and infrastructure risks and fragment critical habitats. Assessing and identifying these crossings is the first step to ready these projects for preliminary design activities and funding opportunities.
This effort was accomplished in partnership with 11 municipalities, two watershed groups, and one engineering firm (see Partners above) to conduct rapid assessments for 348 culverts and small bridges. Location data was also collected for an additional 72 crossings. These rapid assessments were reviewed, compiled, and entered into the public facing North Atlantic Aquatic Connectivity Collaborative database, which is frequently used by State agencies, municipalities, and watershed groups for project identification, prioritization, and funding exercises (NAACC Database).
Additionally, each municipality was provided with a synthesized summary of the work conducted in their area, including the top 25 road stream crossings identified during assessments based on historic flooding, municipal priority, site conditions, and ecological restoration potential criteria. This summary report can be used by each of the 11 municipalities in their own project prioritization or funding activities in the future.
Metrics and Results
- Number of road stream crossings assessed: 348
- Total number of new entries to the NAACC database: 420
- Number of municipalities provided with road stream crossing prioritization report: 11
Best Practices and Lessons Learned
Due to the success of this initial effort, DER intends to offer a similar opportunity to continue this critical work of rapid assessments of road stream crossings. Some initial lessons learned and/or iterations include:
- Rapid culvert assessments are a cost effective way to quickly identify priority areas for upcoming ecological restoration and flood resiliency efforts.
- Continue to work with community-based organizations and municipalities as core partners of this work, given their in-depth on the ground knowledge and experience.
- In addition to the prioritization summary document, provide a map visual and/or simple GIS resource to municipal partners showing locations, of high priority crossings for future efforts.
Further Action
Given that the majority of the estimated 25,000 road stream crossings have not been assessed via the NAACC conditions and aquatic connectivity rapid assessments protocol, DER intends to continue this effort in partnership with engineering firms, watershed groups, and municipalities.
Additional Information and Resources
DER is currently working with communications staff to create a web map or story on this new effort. Additionally all assessed crossings data are available in the public-facing stream crossing database.