narragansett bay
Fall River, Somerset, Swansea, Rehoboth, Seekonk
In the next 30 years, Narragansett Bay communities within Massachusetts (Fall River, Somerset, Swansea, Rehoboth, Seekonk) are projected to experience a variety of impacts to both natural areas and developed areas along the coast (see Coastal Impact Matrix for details).
As soon as 2050:
DEVELOPED AREAS: Daily tidal flooding is projected to impact 86 buildings [CIT. 5]. A 10-year flood may impact more than 1,600 buildings (3% of town buildings), and a 100-year flood may impact more than 2,600 buildings (4%) [CIT. 5].
ROADS: Daily tides are projected to flood 1.5 miles of roads [CIT. 5]. A 10-year flood event is projected to inundate 28 miles of roadway (3% of town roads), and a 100-year flood event could inundate 46 miles of roadway (5%) [CIT. 5]. Low lying roads such as Atlantic Blvd. and Ferry Street are at a greater risk.
SALT MARSHES: Almost a third (40 of 131 acres) of high marsh may be lost by flooding or conversion to low marsh. Overall, about 6% of total salt marsh (10 of 168 acres) may be completely lost to sea level rise [CIT. 6].
““Given our current staffing level, we are in reactive mode most of the time, making it hard to have conversations about planning for the future.” ”
THE TOWNS IDENTIFIED THE FOLLOWING RESILIENCE PRIORITIES [CIT. 36 AND 37]:
Improve stormwater management and wastewater treatment to reduce the amount of nutrients entering the bay and increase resilience to storms and sea level rise.
Adapt and elevate bridges and roads to address increased flooding.
Provide support to environmental justice populations along the waterfront who may be less able to prepare for, adapt to, and bounce back from flood hazards.