"policy options for managing waterfront vulnerability to flooding" by betsy blair

NYS Department of Environmental Conservation

Betsy  Blair,  NYSDEC  Marine  Habitat  Protec9on/Hudson  River  NERR      Kris9n  Marcell,  Hudson  River  Estuary  Program/Cornell  WRI  

Managing  Waterfront  Vulnerability  to  Flooding:    

How  can  we  adapt?  

NYS Department of Environmental Conservation

Waterfront  revitaliza4on  vs.  Waterfront  vulnerability  

NYS Department of Environmental Conservation

•  Define vulnerable areas (now and future)

•  Design waterfronts to provide –  Economic benefits –  Environmental benefits –  Safety

Can we build smarter?

NYS Department of Environmental Conservation

What is the lifespan of infrastructure?

What are our vulnerabilities now and into the future?

What natural assets do we want to conserve?

NYS Department of Environmental Conservation

Considerations at the site level

•  Economic •  Visual •  Environmental •  Technical

•  Social •  Political •  Funding/Administration

NYS Department of Environmental Conservation

Potential Strategies •  Protection: armoring or adding sand to

the shoreline •  Accommodation: elevation of land,

structures or critical systems; designing to flood

•  Strategic Relocation: keeping or moving structures out of harm’s way

NYS Department of Environmental Conservation

Protection: Armoring and beach nourishment

NYS Department of Environmental Conservation

For good reason

Oil terminals

Cultural landmarks

Infrastructure

NYS Department of Environmental Conservation

Can we do better?

Don’t do this if you don’t have to!

NYS Department of Environmental Conservation

10 Steps to better shore zones

•  Preserve physical diversity

•  Resist tidiness •  Don’t squeeze the

zone •  Prevent pollution •  Reduce wave

damage

•  Tread lightly •  Don’t make dead

ends •  Don’t make it so

hard •  Give shores room to

move •  Be careful about

building

NYS Department of Environmental Conservation

Scenic Hudson’s Esopus Meadows Preserve

NYS Department of Environmental Conservation

Eroding  Shoreline  

Coxsackie Boat Launch Demonstration Site

NYS Department of Environmental Conservation

http://bronx.mit.edu/meet-your-waterfront-plan

Dept of Urban Studies and Planning, School of Architecture + Planning at MIT

“…the gabions are arranged in an undulating pattern along the riparian edge to disperse wave motion and slow water speeds.”

NYS Department of Environmental Conservation

Accommodation: Elevating or designing to flood

NYS Department of Environmental Conservation

Elevated structures with flood gates, Hamburg, Germany

Wave attenuation, Brooklyn Bridge Park

NYS Department of Environmental Conservation

Allow Room for Rivers Village of Tarrytown •  Shoreline “eco-corridor”

with swales and native grasses

•  www.scenichudson.org

NYS Department of Environmental Conservation

Strategic Relocation: Keeping or moving structures out of

harm’s way

NYS Department of Environmental Conservation

Over the long term in many areas greenways and parks may be better uses of the shore than buildings.

NYS Department of Environmental Conservation

Iona Island

NYS Department of Environmental Conservation

Limit development in highest risk areas

Town of Pleasant Valley –  Floodplain Protection:

Zoning code limits uses in 100 yr floodplain to uses minimally affected by high water

–  http://pleasantvalley-ny.gov/

Saugerties

Dobbs Ferry

NYS Department of Environmental Conservation

Don’t drown wetlands! Town of East Hampton

–  Examined sea level rise and storms in comprehensive plan

–  Studied changing wetland boundaries –  Prohibits building of bulkheads that would block

wetland movement. –  150’ setback and no build zones in high hazard

floodplains –  http://www.nyswaterfronts.com/LWRP/Town%20of

%20East%20Hampton/default/Town_of_East_Hampton_LWRP.htm

NYS Department of Environmental Conservation

City of Hudson riverfront

Present day, low tide

NYS Department of Environmental Conservation

City of Hudson riverfront

Simulation: Inundation -- high tide with 4 feet of sea level rise

NYS Department of Environmental Conservation

City of Hudson riverfront

Simulation: Armored protection at high tide with 4 feet of sea level rise

NYS Department of Environmental Conservation

NYS Department of Environmental Conservation

City of Kingston waterfront

Simulation: Armored protection with elevated sea level (low tide).

NYS Department of Environmental Conservation

City of Kingston waterfront

Simulation: Accommodation to elevated sea level (low tide), vegetated revetment, flood-proofed buildings

NYS Department of Environmental Conservation

City of Kingston waterfront

Simulation: Strategic retreat with elevated sea level (low tide)

NYS Department of Environmental Conservation

Questions?

Betsy Blair NYS DEC Hudson River NERR Phone: (845) 889-4745 x113 Email: bablair@gw.dec.state.ny.us