Vermont Communities Confront Climate-Driven Flooding Risks

Strategic Insights -

A partnership between the University of Massachusetts - Amherst's Department of Landscape Architecture and Regional Planning (LARP) and local governments in southern Vermont is helping towns adapt to the growing threat of flooding. The collaboration, known as the Deerfield River Valley RISE project, focuses on four towns: Wilmington, Dover, Whitingham, and Readsboro. The project aims to create equitable and lasting tools that connect public concerns with meaningful analysis, considering not only how to respond to disasters but also how to preserve social, cultural, and built environments.

Key Takeaways:

  • The Deerfield River Valley RISE project is a partnership between the University of Massachusetts - Amherst's LARP and local governments in southern Vermont to help four towns adapt to climate-driven flooding risks.
  • The project uses scenario planning and public engagement to develop strategies for the towns to implement together, focusing on flood adaptation resilience.
  • The team of 15 students is developing tools and interactive workshops to help residents visualize and prepare for future flood risks, including a flood-planning board game that simulates how development choices affect flooding outcomes.
  • The project also aims to strengthen local infrastructure, protect historic downtowns, and safeguard riverside communities for the future.

The town of Wilmington has been particularly affected by flooding, with Tropical Storm Irene in 2011 still lingering in local memory. Since then, the region has faced increasingly frequent and severe flooding, with the Deerfield River, one of the most heavily dammed rivers in the country, posing a constant challenge in managing stormwater and erosion.

  • The team of students is working closely with town leaders, gathering feedback, and hosting community "charrettes" to inform their final recommendations, which will be presented to the towns in December.
  • The project's findings will become part of the broader Deerfield River Valley RISE initiative, aiming to create a better future for the region's residents.

Statistics:

  • The Deerfield River is among the most heavily dammed rivers in the country.
  • The four towns in the Deerfield River Valley RISE project have a combined shortage of affordable housing, exacerbated by an influx of part-time residents during the COVID pandemic.
  • The towns' household incomes are not keeping pace with inflation, and assistance from the federal government to address climate-related threats is shrinking.
  • The region has faced increasingly frequent and severe flooding, with the heavy rains of 2023 being the most recent severe weather event.

Sources:

  • "Deerfield River Valley RISE Project" - University of Massachusetts - Amherst, Department of Landscape Architecture and Regional Planning.
  • Camille Barchers, Assistant Professor, University of Massachusetts - Amherst, Department of Landscape Architecture and Regional Planning.
  • Chris Campany, Executive Director, Windham Regional Commission.
  • Julia Opel, LARP graduate student.
  • Devon Stennett, Master's degree candidate in Regional Planning, University of Massachusetts - Amherst.