Working Waterfronts

Much of this region is intrinsically linked to the sea, with a legacy of whaling, shipping, and fishing that goes back thousands of years. Today, a Blue Economy that relies on fishing remains central to this part of the state (see table) and has grown to include ocean science, tourism, and a nascent wind power industry. One of the more visible examples of this are the working ports that support commercial centers in nearly all the towns, including two Designated Port Areas in New Bedford (includes Fairhaven) and Fall River that are critical to the state’s economy.

The economic prosperity of the Port of New Bedford has national implications, as it has been the largest fishing port by revenue for the last 20 years, creating over 39,000 jobs and generating $11 billion in economic value each year from port activity [CIT. 25]. Fall River is an active cargo port second only to Boston in the state, with containerized cargo being delivered to destinations including Cape Verde, the Azores, and Brazil [CIT. 26].

After violent hurricanes devastated the region in 1938, 1944 and 1954, a hurricane barrier was built at the mouth of the New Bedford harbor in 1966 — which to this day remains the largest manmade stone structure in the Eastern US. The US Army Corps of Engineers operates the gates, which are designed to keep the water level in the harbor below a certain level (5.4 ft above mean lower low water), protecting the port from the impacts of large storms [CIT. 28]. More recently, however, the water level has been reaching this threshold at extreme high tides. In 2019, for example, the barrier closed 26 times [CIT. 7].

Given sea level rise projections, maintaining this same water level threshold behind the barrier could mean one to two closures a day as soon as 2050. Port Authority staff have stated it would simply not be possible to operate the port with this many closures and that a new management strategy would need to be developed [CIT. 37]. This would likely involve allowing more flooding to occur in low lying areas along the Fairhaven waterfront while also adapting high priority infrastructure and implementing strategic retreat.

To determine the vulnerability of port infrastructure to projected climate impacts, the New Bedford Port Authority and the Town of Fairhaven commissioned the New Bedford Harbor Port Assessment Study (2021) [CIT. 29]. Detailed recommendations include repairs and retrofits to increase the resilience of seven piers, wharfs, and terminals, some dating back to the 1850s. Using new locally developed Resilient Design Guidelines (2020) [CIT. 30], the Port hopes to upgrade and elevate several high priority structures, including a full replacement of Homer’s Wharf and Leonard’s Wharf.

LOOKING AHEAD

Developing a forward-thinking approach to sea level rise that is not dependent on increasing the frequency of hurricane barrier closures will be necessary to ensure the resilience of this economic hub. This approach could prioritize:

Upgrading aging port infrastructure using new design guidelines: The Resilient Design Guidelines for New Bedford Harbor [CIT. 30] recommend a hierarchical approach of either avoidance (taking steps to eliminate a risk), protection (taking steps to minimize the vulnerability of an asset), or recovery (designing for quick recovery from predicted hazards). The New Bedford Harbor Port Assessment (2021) identifies several priority upgrades to port infrastructure, with funding needed to advance projects [CIT. 29].

Harnessing the power of wind: The offshore wind industry is investing heavily in this region and Fall River (operations base), Somerset (grid connection site and cable manufacturing facility), and New Bedford (construction staging) will play major roles in this new element of the Blue Economy. Through innovative designs of coastal infrastructure, the opportunity exists for this industry to be a model for resilient development, reducing our dependence on fossil fuels, decreasing carbon emissions, and potentially slowing the effects of climate change.