Beverly
Setting the Stage for Actions – Beverly
Salem Sound Coastwatch supports the City of Beverly’s commitment in preparing for climate change and has been on the core teams for the Beverly Coastal Vulnerability Assessment (2017) and Beverly Harbor/Waterfront Plan (2019). We participated in Beverly’s community resilience building workshop that led to their city becoming eligible for Municipal Vulnerability Preparedness (MVP) Action funding. Beverly’s MVP Community Resilience Building Plan (2019) is available on the City’s website.
Community Resilience Findings Report (06/28/2019) →
We commend the Cities of Beverly and Salem collective planning for climate mitigation and resilience with Resilient Together that aims to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and improve resiliency.
Beverly Coastal Resilience Projects:
Salem Sound Coastwatch worked with Beverly on two CZM Coastal Resilience Grants (FY2021).
“A huge thank you CZM, Salem Sound Coastwatch, and all our partners and community members who participated in these projects,” says Beverly Mayor Michael Cahill. “Assessing our coastal infrastructure and natural resources now is critical to Beverly’s continued use of these important assets in the face of a changing climate. We look forward to continuing to work with our partners and ensure that Obear Park and the SESD pump station remain viable community resources into the future.”
Obear Park Resilience Project
The project examined the feasibility of nature-based shoreline protections to stabilize the shoreline. Click on the button below to view Salem Sound Coastwatch’s Obear Park StoryMap which documents the park’s history, erosion from the Danvers River, and recommendations.
Water Street Pump Station Vulnerability Assessment and Feasibility Study
This study was an important project because this critical asset pumps 11 million gallons of sewage per day from Beverly, Danvers, and Middleton and is identified as a high coastal flooding risk in need of immediate protection. Understanding its long-term viability was also a critical component of the project. In the near-term, the pump station receives protection from the Sandy Beach dunes. Dune restoration and enhancement elements could have a positive effect of improving natural resources.
In the long-term planning, the projected coastal flood exceedance probabilities (MC-FRM) when compared to the pump station’s elevation provided SESD with some good news. Prior to 2070 projections, the pump station may avoid flooding. Mean Higher High Water would be contained within the existing beach and dune area although the existing boat ramp at the end of Water Street, as currently designed, may be impaired or made unusable. At some point in the future, daily tidal flooding could extend up Water Street and block the entrance to the Pump Station. Therefore, a Retreat Scenario was studied to evaluate potential sites for future relocation of the pump station.
To understand how this study evaluated current and future conditions and recommended interventions, view Salem Sound Coastwatch’s story map:
This is one of the first studies in Salem Sound to evaluate a “MANAGED RETREAT – a purposeful, coordinated movement of critical infrastructure away from low-lying coastal areas because of the threat of sea-level rise due to climate change.”
Bass River District Resilience Plan (MVP Action Grant FY23)
Salem Sound Coastwatch is focusing on stakeholder interviews and community engagement while working with the City and its consultants to develop a district resilience plan. The Bass River currently floods during storms and extreme high tides. In the past, its shoreline was filled for development, which brings it under the Commonwealth Chapter 91 regulations that prioritizes water-dependent activities and public access on former tidelands.
The study area includes the Beverly Depot, National Grid’s regional electric and natural gas substations on River Street, high-priority Stormwater Pump on Margin Street, Innocenti Park, Bass Haven Yacht Club, and other businesses.
The goal is to explore flood resilience options for critical infrastructure and properties and protect active uses and assets when compromised by floodwaters. Flood intervention strategies may include enhancing open space, vegetative berms, and shoreline plantings to maximize flood storage.