Climate Change Challenge
This action addresses the climate challenge of increased coastal flooding due to sea level rise, storm surge and increased intensity and frequency of coastal storms. 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
- Damage to Coastal Buildings and Ports
- Damage to Roads and Loss of Road Service
- Natural Environment
- Coastal Wetland Degradation
- Marine Ecosystem Degradation
- Governance Sector
- Damage to Coastal State and Municipal Buildings and Land
Project Alignment with ResilientMass Plan Priority Actions
This project is directly related to DER ResilientMass Plan Action “Identify and prioritize tidal restoration projects using the DER tidal crossing database”.
Climate Resilience Project Scope
This project builds on the Division of Ecological Restoration’s (DER) Regional Restoration Partnerships work completed in FY23 and FY24. The DER Partnerships Program strengthens regional capacity by supporting regional partnerships of watershed groups and regional planning agencies. Partnerships receive technical and financial assistance to collaborate with municipalities and local partners in planning, leading, and implementing aquatic ecosystem restoration projects that improve ecological health and community resilience. In FY25, ResilientMass funding supported the Berkshire Clean, Cold, Connected Partnership’s priority strategic action: the Briggsville Stream Restoration Project in Clarksburg, MA, and the advancement of the Merrimack Restoration Partnership’s priority strategic action: the Congress Street Dam Preliminary Design Study, Lowell, MA.
The Briggsville Stream Restoration Project was selected for its strong ecological restoration potential, strong local support from the Town of Clarksburg, and its location adjacent to an ongoing downstream dam removal project. The site was heavily damaged during Hurricane Irene, which shifted the river channel closer to nearby residences. With storms increasing in frequency and intensity, the already flashy Hoosic River system continues to destabilize the riverbank, elevating risks to both ecological and community resilience. Specific actions completed in FY25 include: field investigations and data collection, topographic survey and wetland delineation, preliminary hydrologic and hydraulic modeling (H&H), and presentation and technical memo on H&H modeling best practices.
The Congress Street Dam Preliminary Design Study project was selected based on strong local support from the City of Lowell and the Lowell Parks and Conservation Trust, as well as its alignment with ongoing restoration efforts in the upper River Meadow Brook watershed to improve stream connectivity. The study also addresses a significant knowledge gap identified by all three existing DER Partnerships: the need to build knowledge and experience on early-stage feasibility studies for dam removal. Active Partnership participation by the Merrimack Restoration Partnership during this phase of the project is helping to build local and regional capacity, strengthen technical expertise, and lay the groundwork for more effective dam removal projects statewide. Note: this funding was allocated to the DER Dam Removal Team as part of their ResilientMass Action: Dam Removal Preliminary Design Studies: Assisting municipalities and others with dam removal planning and design, while feeding the pipeline for high value and climate resilient ecological restoration projects.
Metrics and Results
The DER Partnerships Program is collecting the following metrics for each Partnership over the next 3-5 years. Process metrics: # of Participants at restoration knowledge building trainings, # of Participants at restoration education workshops, and # of priority projects advancing. Outcome metrics: # of culvert assessments, # culvert replacements, # dam removals, # of salt marsh restoration acres, # of freshwater wetland restoration acres, and # restoration tools created.
Results:
- Advanced design and technical understanding of the Briggsville Stream Restoration Project.
- Created transferable technical resources (presentation and memo) that will benefit all three DER Regional Restoration Partnerships and their municipal partners.
- Developed preliminary design for the Congress Street Dam.
- Strengthened partnerships’ capacity to understand H&H modeling and dam removal feasibility studies, addressing key knowledge gaps for ecological restoration planning.
Best Practices and Lessons Learned
- Cross-watershed learning multiplies impact. Delivering technical workshops and memos on hydrologic and hydraulic (H&H) modeling ensured that knowledge gained from one project directly benefits all DER-supported Partnerships.
- Early and consistent municipal engagement is essential. The Town of Clarksburg’s early support for the Briggsville Stream Restoration Project reinforced project momentum, facilitated access to site information, and built trust that will be critical for implementation.
- Integrating technical studies with project design streamlines progress. Conducting field investigations, wetland delineation, and preliminary H&H modeling together provided a more complete understanding of site conditions and reduced duplication of effort.
- Adaptability is critical for success. Funding uncertainties can be difficult to anticipate, making program flexibility essential to ensure overall goals are achieved. While the Program initially planned to expand the total number of DER-supported Partnerships, this was not possible due to funding and timeline constraints. Instead, the Program pivoted mid-year to advance a critical floodplain restoration project and launch preliminary design studies for a dam removal. These efforts not only moved forward high priority ecological restoration projects but also provided targeted restoration guidance and learning.
Further Action
Looking ahead, DER will continue to support project-specific work while scaling program impact by:
- Advancing the Briggsville Stream Restoration Project and the Congress Street Dam Removal through design and permitting.
- Sharing technical resources broadly to strengthen restoration capacity across watersheds.
- Expanding the application of H&H best practices to new restoration projects statewide.
- Building nonprofit, municipal, and regional planning agency expertise to accelerate implementation of nature-based climate resilience solutions.