new bedford

The City of New Bedford, with 101,079 residents, has the largest population of the Buzzards Bay municipalities. Its shoreline extends for 12 miles along Buzzards Bay, Clarks Cove, and the Acushnet River [CIT. 17]. The New Bedford hurricane barrier protects the harbor from storm surge.

In the next 30 years, New Bedford is projected to experience a variety of climate impacts to both natural and developed areas along its coast (see Coastal Impact Matrix for details).

As soon as 2050:

DEVELOPED AREAS: Daily tidal flooding is projected to impact 48 buildings [CIT. 5]. A 10-year flood may impact 270 buildings (0.9% of town roads), and a 100-year flood may impact 399 buildings (1.3%) [CIT. 5]. The rising sea level is expected to impact the industrial waterfront and heavier storms may bring increased contamination from stormwater. Of concern is the hurricane barrier itself, which was designed in the mid-60s to protect the harbor from floods but has been closing more frequently for high tides. If closed at the same water levels as today, the barrier is projected to close 1–2 times a day at high tides, a rate which is not sustainable for a working waterfront. Comparatively, this barrier closed 26 times in 2019 [CIT. 7].

ROADS: Many of the city’s roads are protected by seawalls and the hurricane barrier. Daily tides are projected to flood 1.2 miles of roads [CIT. 5]. A 10-year flood event is projected to inundate 10.4 miles of roadway (3% of town roads), and a 100-year flood event could inundate 12.4 miles (3.3%) [CIT. 5]. Low-lying roads such as East Rodney French Blvd are at greater risk.

BEACHES: Almost six miles of shoreline are classified as beach, and 8 miles of the coastline are publicly accessible (69%) [CIT. 16]. With stabilization structures along much of its shoreline, the city is expected to see future impacts to its infrastructure from increased storm surge and sea level rise. Severe erosion has already occurred along a seawall on the west side of Clark’s Cove Peninsula.

““Although some level of grey infrastructure will always be needed, we are working to develop a Green Infrastructure Master Strategy with natural alternatives.” ”
— MICHELE PAUL, DIRECTOR OF RESILIENCE AND ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP

THE TOWN IDENTIFIED THE FOLLOWING RESILIENCE PRIORITIES [CIT. 36 AND 37]:

  • Collaboration with Fairhaven to develop adaptation strategies for the harbor.

  • Green infrastructure improvements for West Rodney French Boulevard and East Beach parking lot.

  • West Beach renourishment and stabilization to protect the beach, seawall and sewer main.

  • Strategies for pollution reduction including the regional Buttonwood Brook Watershed project.

Header photo courtesy Keith Joseph Piwowarski